Self Checkout: loathe or like?

[brett]

I do a lot of online buying. Clothing, books, household items, furniture, and most travel. And we always get our airline boarding passes on line. Sometimes I buy on line and pickup at the store. Very fast. We only ever go into the bank when we need access to our safety deposit box.

Having said that I hate retail store self checkout terminals. I avoid them where possible and practical. Yet....we always buy gas from our local Co-oP. Not only do they rebate us 8 cents a litre at year end (canada), they also have full serve for the same price as self serve. We avoid the self serve. They hire workers that others might not and we like that.

My spouse really prefers this and so do I if we happen to be filling up in the winter. Plus the usual...they clean all the windows.

There are no doubt some contradictions in my habits but there you are.

 

[Telly]

For me, it depends on the store. I find WalMart's self-checkout the best. Each generation of machine has been an improvement, I haven't heard it squawk "remove the item..." for a long long time. But if I/we have loads of items, then we may try the peopled ones... or not.

Kroger, the #2 grocery chain in our area after WalMart, just can't seem to get their machine design right. Previous was composed of three separate parts, I never knew what was happening where. And they refused to fasten down the frame that holds the plastic bags. As I would try to find the bag handle to pick one up, the whole frame would skate around the scale plate. WalMart's are fastened down, a no-brainer. Kroger recently rolled out a new generation, now it's down (!) to two parts. It's still clumsy and I find it non-intuitive. The software feature design seems to be created by people who don't actually shop and use self-serve POS terminals themselves.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I thought you would appreciate this segment of a thread on my local 'nextdoor' app. There was a bit of a dust-up about dogs in restaurants. This is an excerpt from one person wrote: "I went to breakfast one day and the guy in front of me had his dog with him. He proceeded to put that dog on the counter while he ordered his food. After they left the counter, i had to ask the cashier to wipe the countertop where the dog's butt was."

Wow. Had I seen that (and that the employee/staff ALLOWED it) I don't think I would be eating there.

 

[KenZ71]

I generally prefer whichever line looks quickest.

Although with my teen son working as a bagger at a grocery store I do tend to go the line where he is working.

Yeah, grocery store with baggers don't see those often.

 

[mystang52]

I haven't been to Home Depot in a while until a few hours ago, when I had to buy one item. They changed the self checkout, and now I have to use one of those "trigger gun" to scan the item. Well, my germophobic self wouldn't allow me to touch it - I managed to find a receipt in my pocket, wrapped it around the trigger, and was able to scan the item. Next time....I'll bring a glove!

 

[nvestysly]

When I first saw the title of this thread a few days ago I thought the subject was going to be entirely different. Who knows why my mind goes off in crazy directions?!

So, now that I know we're talking about retail checkout lines... here's my comment.

I've been very willing to hop into a self-checkout lane but have found I'm probably not saving time. A few years ago self-checkout was offered as an option but now it seems to be the norm - at least it seems that way at big box home centers.

If I have more than a few items at the home center I opt for a cashier.

If I have beer or wine in my cart at a retail store I almost always opt for a line with a cashier.

Do I loathe or like? A little of both - but leaning toward loathe.

 

[GaryTN]

I never like self checkouts. My favorite saying is that I don’t work for the place I buy things. And, it reduces jobs!

 

[GreenEggs]

I loathe self checkout. The price of checking-out is built into the merchandise price. I feel as if I’m doing their work; and should receive a discount.

Ditto.

Give me 10% off and I'll be happy to do the cashiers' job.

 

[Scrapr]

I haven't been to Home Depot in a while until a few hours ago, when I had to buy one item. They changed the self checkout, and now I have to use one of those "trigger gun" to scan the item. Well, my germophobic self wouldn't allow me to touch it - I managed to find a receipt in my pocket, wrapped it around the trigger, and was able to scan the item. Next time....I'll bring a glove!

Helpful hint....you can find gloves on Aisle 34 Bay 021

 

[footenote]

We also perform what used to be a clerk's job when we use an ATM. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Used self-checkout at Target yesterday. It was faster than the clerk would have been and I was happy with that. My fave grocery got rid of self-checkout, which I found interesting.

Scrapr - "gloves on Aisle 34" LOL

 

[Rustic23]

When I remember to use it, Sam's Scan&Go is great. You scan the items on you cell phone app as they go into your cart. Then check out. The person at the door scans the bar code generated by the app.

 

[gerntz]

Self for as many items as allowed. Faster & lower cost to store which ought to translate to lower prices in the long run. Also helps ease labor shortages.

 

[Nemo2]

Can one simply be indifferent?

 

[GreenEggs]

Can one simply be indifferent?

I wish I could learn to be indifferent.

 

[Jeffman52]

I am guessing we're discussing shopping buggies?

I was going to point that out as well. Although I dont know where you are from, in the US in the South we call them "buggies". I still do that up here in Ohio and it seems confusing to them.

On the topic of self checkout. I use it when I have a few items. I would never use it for a full "buggy". But even when I have a few, if there is an open cashier I will typically go there. Why you ask? Because I have this thing where I am going to force the cashier to be human even if they don't want to be.

 

[Nemo2]

I wish I could learn to be indifferent.

I just started off different and expanded from there.

 

[SoReadyToRetire]

I love it and always use the self-serve as I'm kind of a control freak. I hate the way others pack my groceries. Like to get home and know all the cold stuff is in one bag, bread is never on the bottom, etc.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I haven't been to Home Depot in a while until a few hours ago, when I had to buy one item. They changed the self checkout, and now I have to use one of those "trigger gun" to scan the item. Well, my germophobic self wouldn't allow me to touch it - I managed to find a receipt in my pocket, wrapped it around the trigger, and was able to scan the item. Next time....I'll bring a glove!

What happens when you go to a public place and you have to open a door? Do you pump gas for your car? Ever travel on a commercial airplane? I am all about trying to minimize other people's funk getting on/in me...but...

 

[Walt34]

Can one simply be indifferent?

No.

If everyone took that attitude what would there be to argue about?

 

[Nemo2]

No.

If everyone took that attitude what would there be to argue about?

Well I disagree......

 

[mystang52]

What happens when you go to a public place and you have to open a door? Do you pump gas for your car? Ever travel on a commercial airplane? I am all about trying to minimize other people's funk getting on/in me...but...

Trust me, I have all of these contingencies under control! There are ways to open a door, alcohol wipes for plane/hotel room, etc.

 

[Cat-tirement]

I usually do grocery shopping trips only every 7-10 days, and I often buy stuff for MIL too, so they tend to be large.

I don't like the "old fashioned" self-checkout systems, a big part because of the issues with the bagging/weight detection others have mentioned.

After using it the first 2-3 times, I really came to greatly prefer the scan as you go system. I have used by own bags (including cooler bags) for years, and it lets me group my refrigerated items separate from frozen items, all separate from other items, and otherwise group things more logically than store employees. I also only have to handle items once in the store. Scanning as I go also allows me to verify the price of an item is what I expect. The strangest thing though is that they require a store employee to scan any paper coupons I have when I could just do that myself too.

 

[audreyh1]

probably because the food screens are notoriously dirty: "Unsanitary touchscreens found at McDonald's U.K. restaurants sent shock waves across the pond last week, as numerous U.S. media outlets reported that bacteria were found on touchscreens at all eight U.K. locations where the kiosks have been installed, despite the company's claims that the screens are cleaned daily. The news came as a surprise to most kiosk industry observers interviewed by Kiosk Marketplace."

https://www.kioskmarketplace.com/ar...overed-kiosks-give-rise-to-safety-concerns-2/

Gish, seems like this could apply to any self-checkout station, credit card terminal, food weighing scale, ATM, ticket machine, gas station pump, and OMG door handles. etc. Think we’ll get back to being more vigilant about cleaning hands with wipes after using public data entry devices and doors/carts etc. DH always cleans the shopping cart handle.

And then there is cash that changes hands......

Haven’t been to an eatery that uses self order terminals.

And that's why you wash your hands immediately before you eat...this is smart whether you use the kiosk or not. Think about the money or credit card you (and many others) may have handled prior to you touching it. Even the tray...have you seen how they are wiped with a cloth that *might* have been washed in the last 12 hours? Once my food is sitting at the table, THEN and ONLY THEN will I wash my hands.

Yeah, that too!

 

[audreyh1]

We also perform what used to be a clerk's job when we use an ATM. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Used self-checkout at Target yesterday. It was faster than the clerk would have been and I was happy with that. My fave grocery got rid of self-checkout, which I found interesting.

Scrapr - "gloves on Aisle 34" LOL

Ran into Target to pickup something on the way home the other morning, and I had to wait a while at the service desk because there were absolutely no cashiers, only sel-checkout. I just needed help with using an online credit and wasn’t sure what to do at sel-checkout. They told me they have no cashiers arrive until 11am!

 

[GreenEggs]

Ran into Target to pickup something on the way home the other morning, and I had to wait a while at the service desk because there were absolutely no cashiers, only sel-checkout. I just needed help with using an online credit and wasn’t sure what to do at sel-checkout. They told me they have no cashiers arrive until 11am!

That's why I refuse to self-checkout. It promotes customer poor service.

I realize that they are trying to compete with robot run, non-stocking companies like Amazon, which is why I refuse to purchase from Amazon. (I'm obviously in the minority...)