I hate self-checkout with the fury of a thousand blue-hot suns. If they want me to check myself out, they should give me a 5% discount on my bill. I don’t work for them.
Take this from a Millennial: The benefit of self-checkout is that you are responsible for bagging your own stuff, instead of putting trust in someone who probably doesn’t give a crap about their job since their retail conglomerate treats them so poorly. The teenager in the “THEN” portion of this strip was not treated with such a lack of care, which would encourage him to do a better job. Nowadays? It’s way more hit or miss, and I blame corporate for that.
Except that at least for grocery stores, that didn’t happen.
Every grocery store I’ve been too that added self-checkout still have the same amount of human-manned registers open as it did before. Even Walmart was like that.
That was 2021. Now, in 2023 it seems like everyone can’t hire enough cashiers. Instead of machines putting people out of work, it seems machines are filling in for lack of workers.
Yeah, the small-talk is a big thing for me, unless it’s with a clerk with whom I’m familiar. I prefer to avoid that and bag things myself.
Also worth noting that at my local grocery store, you usually don’t have to wait for a self-checkout while you absolutely do for a cashier (and there are equal amounts of each). I don’t feel waiting for that is worth it, personally.
Self-checkouts are layoffs. There is a supermarket where I live that has all self-checkouts and it is a model for failure. There is no one effective to assist customers when there is an issue with the register. The customers should not have to bag their own groceries. And most importantly, there is no one to carry out. I can carry my own groceries- what about those who can’t? I quit shopping at that store. Eliminate self-checkouts.
There is always a supervisor near by, even if they’re just making sure people aren’t trying to scam the system by weighing avocados as potatoes. Nobody makes you bag. And shopping carts exist.
I remember breaking some by trying to be funny. I was cleaning out the area between them and normal register. The coworker at the self checkout said I was stuck, I responded by flexing my shoulders. That little bit apparently shifted it enough that the scales didn’t work anymore.
The Wal Mart near my house had installed a bunch of self check outs. Know what happened? Only people with one or two groceries and thieves used them, and people with full carts flocked to the two manned registers open. The lines usually reached to the middle of the department next to the checkstand.
I usually use both, when appropriate. If I have like two or three items, I’ll use the self-checkout. If I have a week’s worth of groceries, I’ll have the cashier do it. However, my sister and I bag ourselves anyway, because it saves time.
I understand the idea of “they don’t pay me to be a cashier”, but they also don’t pay me to wait in line. I do what gets me out the door the fastest. Money can be replaced, time cannot.
My husband uses the self checkouts but I won’t. I prefer a human being to ring up my groceries and bag them. I can always watch them and make sure they’re doing it the way I want.
I hate self-checkout with the fury of a thousand blue-hot suns. If they want me to check myself out, they should give me a 5% discount on my bill. I don’t work for them.
Take this from a Millennial: The benefit of self-checkout is that you are responsible for bagging your own stuff, instead of putting trust in someone who probably doesn’t give a crap about their job since their retail conglomerate treats them so poorly. The teenager in the “THEN” portion of this strip was not treated with such a lack of care, which would encourage him to do a better job. Nowadays? It’s way more hit or miss, and I blame corporate for that.
The harm of a self-checkout far outweighs the benefit. #layoffs.
Except that at least for grocery stores, that didn’t happen.
Every grocery store I’ve been too that added self-checkout still have the same amount of human-manned registers open as it did before. Even Walmart was like that.
Have you been in a grocery store recently? Everyone of them has those stupid things and cashiers are going the way of the Dodo.
That was 2021. Now, in 2023 it seems like everyone can’t hire enough cashiers. Instead of machines putting people out of work, it seems machines are filling in for lack of workers.
I prefer the self-checkout cos I’m usually faster as a cashier, I can bag how I want, and I don’t have to engage in small-talk.
Yeah, the small-talk is a big thing for me, unless it’s with a clerk with whom I’m familiar. I prefer to avoid that and bag things myself.
Also worth noting that at my local grocery store, you usually don’t have to wait for a self-checkout while you absolutely do for a cashier (and there are equal amounts of each). I don’t feel waiting for that is worth it, personally.
Self-checkouts are layoffs. There is a supermarket where I live that has all self-checkouts and it is a model for failure. There is no one effective to assist customers when there is an issue with the register. The customers should not have to bag their own groceries. And most importantly, there is no one to carry out. I can carry my own groceries- what about those who can’t? I quit shopping at that store. Eliminate self-checkouts.
How has finding full service gas stations and only withdrawing money from the bank teller working out for you?
There is always a supervisor near by, even if they’re just making sure people aren’t trying to scam the system by weighing avocados as potatoes. Nobody makes you bag. And shopping carts exist.
Most grocery stores stopped bagging items for customers back in the 90s (when I worked in a grocery store)
I remember breaking some by trying to be funny. I was cleaning out the area between them and normal register. The coworker at the self checkout said I was stuck, I responded by flexing my shoulders. That little bit apparently shifted it enough that the scales didn’t work anymore.
THEN you could also support a family bagging groceries.
The Wal Mart near my house had installed a bunch of self check outs. Know what happened? Only people with one or two groceries and thieves used them, and people with full carts flocked to the two manned registers open. The lines usually reached to the middle of the department next to the checkstand.
I usually use both, when appropriate. If I have like two or three items, I’ll use the self-checkout. If I have a week’s worth of groceries, I’ll have the cashier do it. However, my sister and I bag ourselves anyway, because it saves time.
Same here. But nothing pisses me off more than a person with a overflowing cart using self checkout.
I understand the idea of “they don’t pay me to be a cashier”, but they also don’t pay me to wait in line. I do what gets me out the door the fastest. Money can be replaced, time cannot.
My husband uses the self checkouts but I won’t. I prefer a human being to ring up my groceries and bag them. I can always watch them and make sure they’re doing it the way I want.