Walmart, Costco and other companies rethink self-checkout

[JEDI]

Walmart, Costco and other companies rethink self-checkout | CNN Business

lite.cnn.com

Self checkout leads to higher customer dissatisfaction but also theft.

I bet they're changing mainly because of theft.
It's all about the $.

 

[IronWing]

Walmart's self checkout is okay except for the dealing with the damn plastic bags. Kroger's self checkout sucks dog's balls because of the "return the item to the bagging area" bullshit.

 

[BFG10K]

Self-service is good if you have a few items and want to avoid queues / chit-chat and just get the hell out of there (e.g. a box of condoms, because you're about to get laid).

But for full grocery shopping, that's the checkout person's job, because I''m not the one getting paid.

 

[MrSquished]

Costco's self-checkout is great, except for the assholes that try to sneak in with someone else's membership card or those who go there with a cart filled up with like 40 items. The Costco employees say it's really for like 20 or less but their manager won't put up a sign. I'm like can I tell the manager it's bugging us customers too? They gladly gave me a pen and paper to write on and I wrote them a note. The customer service desk was like I hope this works, the employees want that sign!

I was briefly a hero then. Briefly.

 

[dank69]

Stop and Shop has a portable scanner so you can scan your groceries as you shop (and price check too!). You can also do it with an app on your phone if you don't already have too many apps. They also do random audits on portable scan transactions to decrease theft.

If stop and shop were smart, they would force people who want to use the self checkout to go grab one of the portables and sit in the fucking dunce corner and scan their shit before they are allowed to get in line.

Every retailer should be doing this. I want to get in and get out as fast as possible with as little contact with these mouth breathers as possible. Going up to the self checkout with a cart full of shit to scan should be illegal when there is a portable option RIGHT THERE! It demonstrates that a person has no idea what the purpose of self-scanning is and that the person is going to need help several times from the self-scan area babysitter.

Customers that are dissatisfied are dissatisfied for one of two reasons:
1) They don't like dealing with the shit I just explained above.
2) Shopping is a social event for them. Keep one regular line open with a talkative checker so it backs up around the store and they can chit chat with all the other social butterflies in line all day long while they pay with paper checks or exact change like the dinosaurs they are.

 

[dullard]

Stop and Shop has a portable scanner so you can scan your groceries as you shop (and price check too!). You can also do it with an app on your phone if you don't already have too many apps.

I like the concept of self-scanning but it just often doesn't work well. Self-checkout and even more specifically self-scan sucks for three reasons:

1) Too many products don't have anything to scan. I can hardly think of a time that I went to a hardware store without someone having to look up the price of a part because of no barcodes. Think screws, paver stones, etc.--none of those have barcodes where I live. Even fruit commonly doesn't have anything to scan. The bunch of bananas might have a sticker, but what about the one you picked off the bunch? It may or may not have a sticker.

2) Too many products are priced by weight. Until self-scanners have a better weighing system, I'm going to the checker with a proper scale. I don't know about you, but my phone doesn't yet weigh apples or bananas properly.

3) The service people at the counter often apply coupons that I have no idea about. Nice to do less work and save money at the same time.

 

[Charmonium]

Walmart, Costco and other companies rethink self-checkout | CNN Business

lite.cnn.com

Self checkout leads to higher customer dissatisfaction but also theft.

I bet they're changing mainly because of theft.
It's all about the $.

The industry calls that "shrinkage." I guess it's like when you jump into cold water and get shrinkage.

 

[dank69]

I like the concept of self-scanning but it just often doesn't work well. Self-checkout and even more specifically self-scan sucks for three reasons:

1) Too many products don't have anything to scan. I can hardly think of a time that I went to a hardware store without someone having to look up the price of a part because of no barcodes. Think screws, paver stones, etc.--none of those have barcodes where I live. Even fruit commonly doesn't have anything to scan. The bunch of bananas might have a sticker, but what about the one you picked off the bunch? It may or may not have a sticker.

2) Too many products are priced by weight. Until self-scanners have a better weighing system, I'm going to the checker with a proper scale. I don't know about you, but my phone doesn't yet weigh apples or bananas properly.

3) The service people at the counter often apply coupons that I have no idea about. Nice to do less work and save money at the same time.

Stop and Shop has scales in the produce section where you weigh your shit and it produces a sticker you put on your bag and scan. I'm telling you, S&S has it almost close to perfect. Only thing missing is forcing self scanners to scan their shit before getting in the goddamned line.

Almost all of S&S coupons are discounted automatically when you scan your card, you don't have to waste time scanning the coupons you should already get. I haven't needed to use a physical paper coupon there in forever. Back when I did, you could scan the coupons at the self-checkout with the same scanner used for items.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

The first time my Costco had self-checkouts, they had hand scanners. It was great, because I'd just stick all my stuff in the cart barcode-up and scan it quickly, then pay and leave. But then they got rid of the hand scanners because reasons. Eventually they got rid of the self-checkouts.

But then COVID happened and it was all about the no-contact, so I started the barcode-up practice again, and was able to get through checkouts much faster besides, since the cashier could just, you know, scan all my items without having to touch anything or move things in and out of the cart.

The new self checkouts don't have hand scanners, and the attendants must be in "malicious compliance" mode or something because I've had multiple people refuse to scan anything lighter than a case of soda or a bag of dog food. Even though it's literally faster for them to do it than explain that they're not allowed.

So I guess I just have to keep piling the stuff in my cart onto a scale half the size of my cart, then piling it back into the cart a minute later, while people wait in line behind me. Ho hum. This sure is hard and takes a long time. Maybe I should organize my purchases in a box.

I save my farts for the self-checkout line too. Fuck this shit.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

I refuse to use them in any form. I'll walk to the far end of some Big Box stores to get to the lumber desk or garden center where they have clerks.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I do not relate to any of you. I'd literally pay extra to not have to talk to people at the store. I always use the self checkout, regardless of item count, and I'm usually out of the in a minute or two because I'm not a moron. The shittiest part of self checkout is if you have a system that requires each item be placed on the bagging area before scanning the next item. If it lets you scan like normal registers do, you can zip through 50 items in no time.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

One of my main problems with them is pricing is often not accurate. I watch every item as the clerk scans it and invariably find a few that scan different than what the shelf tag showed. I've even taken pictures of some shelf tags to show them if I though there might be an issue.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I like self checkout since I don't feel guilty dumping a bunch of change like I would if I was making a person count out a bunch of pennies and nickels. Every penny of change from Whataburger or my local Mexican joint or Best Buy or wherever goes immediately into the self checkout the next time I go grocery shopping.

 

[dank69]

One of my main problems with them is pricing is often not accurate. I watch every item as the clerk scans it and invariably find a few that scan different than what the shelf tag showed. I've even taken pictures of some shelf tags to show them if I though there might be an issue.

With the Stop and Shop portable scanner you can price check every item as you put it in your cart. You can even bag as you go.

 

[dank69]

I like self checkout since I don't feel guilty dumping a bunch of change like I would if I was making a person count out a bunch of pennies and nickels. Every penny of change from Whataburger or my local Mexican joint or Best Buy or wherever goes immediately into the self checkout the next time I go grocery shopping.

I don't understand why anyone is still paying cash when cashback cards exist.

 

[Torn Mind]

My Walmart just remodeled and had a grand reopening with a more spacious self-checkouts.

Just so happens that it's also a $15 min wage county. I believe the losses from theft are less than the losses from pay for this particular Walmart.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I hope Sam's doesn't get rid of the scan&go app. Hit each item as you go. Swipe to pay when through. Completely skip the checkout area. Show the QR at the door for scanning. Wait for the door clerk to scan some items. Boom done.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I don't understand why anyone is still paying cash when cashback cards exist.

Because I'm cheap and paying cash makes me spend less than paying by card since subconsciously paying by something not tangible makes you more prone to buying crap you don't need or even really want. Plus I hate using credit cards for something I can buy in person since the credit card companies are vultures who take a tribute on every sale while also stiffing the business I'm buying from since not only do they take a significant cut of the sale, but also don't pay for a month and screw the business over if the customer wants a chargeback for any reason. I could give a shit with Walmart and such but there is no way I'm going to saddle the local Mexican joint or BBQ joint I like to go to with CC fees when I can just pay them in cash and they get the full value of their price that very second.

 

[dank69]

Because I'm cheap and paying cash makes me spend less than paying by card since subconsciously paying by something not tangible makes you more prone to buying crap you don't need or even really want. Plus I hate using credit cards for something I can buy in person since the credit card companies are vultures who take a tribute on every sale while also stiffing the business I'm buying from since not only do they take a significant cut of the sale, but also don't pay for a month and screw the business over if the customer wants a chargeback for any reason. I could give a shit with Walmart and such but there is no way I'm going to saddle the local Mexican joint or BBQ joint I like to go to with CC fees when I can just pay them in cash and they get the full value of their price that very second.

I just tip big at restaurants. Fuck dirty disgusting slow cash.

 

[purbeast0]

I now check out my full cart of groceries when I shop. It's just faster and I bag better than the cashiers do. I always go at a time where like at least 3-4 self checkouts are always empty. They also don't require you to put shit in the bagging area once you scan it so you never have the system crying at you about it. And they have a portable scanner so I can scan the gallons of milk and boxes of water while it's sitting in my cart.

 

[purbeast0]

Because I'm cheap and paying cash makes me spend less than paying by card since subconsciously paying by something not tangible makes you more prone to buying crap you don't need or even really want. Plus I hate using credit cards for something I can buy in person since the credit card companies are vultures who take a tribute on every sale while also stiffing the business I'm buying from since not only do they take a significant cut of the sale, but also don't pay for a month and screw the business over if the customer wants a chargeback for any reason. I could give a shit with Walmart and such but there is no way I'm going to saddle the local Mexican joint or BBQ joint I like to go to with CC fees when I can just pay them in cash and they get the full value of their price that very second.

This only because you have poor financial planning/control. Most grown adults that I know at least know how a credit card works and can handle this lol.

I use credit cards primarily because I like having free flights and saving $7k+ a year on them.

 

[Charmonium]

I don't do grocery shopping any more. I order online.

On occasion, I'll go to the store to get stuff they don't have at WholePaycheck(Foods). Shoprite has a lot of Bowl and Basket items that I really like. Most of all are the pecan/bourbon nuts.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

This only because you have poor financial planning/control. Most grown adults that I know at least know how a credit card works and can handle this lol.

I use credit cards primarily because I like having free flights and saving $7k+ a year on them.

Meh fuck off dumbass, I don't like paying middlemen just to get scraps back at the expense of businesses I like to support.

 

[Charmonium]

I was just thinking . . . stores know what percentage of customers get cash. If it's a majority, you have to figure that's factoring into their pricing. Maybe not significantly though. It's just a thought.

Regardless, I'm all for supporting local businesses. I don't but I'm a lazy ass wanker. I do go out for food on occasion. Gasoline. "Massages." Last one was mostly a joke.

 

[SteveGrabowski]

I just tip big at restaurants. Fuck dirty disgusting slow cash.

Why fuck cash? Why does everything in America have to have a middleman skimming value like when you use CC?