Anyone else tired of self checkout lanes?

I was very much liking the self-checkout lines around the holidays, but probably for different reasons than most. Several times I simply bypassed the line for self-checkout, which were like 50 people deep and barely moving, and went to the human cashier line and was checked out and out of the store in a matter of seconds. So I don't mind benefiting from society's unhealthy obsession for control and a lack of an ability to analyze what is actually more convenient and beneficial for them.

They're great if you have a few barcoded items, not so great for a grocery cart full of food. For you Neanderthals who hate them, I mock you. I'll be in the car headed home while you are still fuming in line.

Come to the UK where Cigarettes/ Tobacco/ cigars are now hiding behind doors on a rack [ i kid you nought ] they are not even allowed to have a picture on the flip door to show what product is in there .

Snowflake land

a reply to: schuyler

They're great if you have a few barcoded items

I just go with a cane and sunglass.

Someone ends up doing it for me after I wack the machine a few times and stumble.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: booyakasha
Sometimes i'd just rather not have the cashier see all the weird stuff i buy.

Nobody is looking at your enema, cucumber, coconut oil and adult coloring book.

But on a serious note, once I was checking out and got tofu.
Well people in Wisconsin don't know what tofu is and the cashier started poking it and asked and
made a disgusted face. I was really ticked at that.

hahaha

I had cashier at my grocery store i always tried to avoid. He was just a super weird tweaker guy that would always make weird comments about the food and stuff i got. Or he we would super depressed and make weird comments about the stuff i got.

Those are times i would rather use the self checkout. I have no problems with them usually.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I only use self check out when I am in a serious time crunch. Self check out lanes put people out of jobs. Why work 9 cashiers when you can have 1 cashier watching over 8 self check out registers with 1 customer service associate at the front desk? That's 2 jobs versus 9- and they aren't being paid any more than a regular cashier so the company saves 7 salaries X 3 shifts X thousands of stores... and yet prices continue to rise.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I'm so glad you posted this!

I'm not a fan of Walmart, but my dogs love the chicken strips and I can't seem to find the large bags of koi pellets anywhere else around here. November and December, I avoid it like the plague.

I went this past Saturday, wound up with a grocery cart full of stuff. I get to the checkout and out of 18 registers they had two open, and of course the lines were about 10 people deep. I went to the self checkout. An employee is there.

"Cash, credit, or debit?" None of your business "Debit."

"Will you be getting cash back?" You're a nosy little b*tch, aren't you? "No."

"Take this register here."

So I have this cart full of stuff, a scanner area of about a square foot, and a bagging area about the same size. After I scanned and bagged items I had to put the bag on the floor because there was no where else to put it. About a third of the way through an item didn't scan properly and the screen said to get an associate. I looked, no employees were around, so I just tried it again and it scanned ok. About three quarters of the way through my station ran out of bags, I had to go to another station and get some bags.

I get all the items scanned, took the bags off the floor and put them in the cart. I press the pay button and the screen reminds me of the one item that didn't scan properly the first time and said to wait for an associate. I look around, still no associate, and see three other people waiting for the same thing. After about two minutes, I turned to one of the guys waiting and say, "F**k it, I'm going some place that has cashiers." I left the cart full of bagged items and walked out.

It was the only time I regretted not having a social media account where I could log on and complain.

originally posted by: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk
a reply to: JAGStorm

I only use self check out when I am in a serious time crunch. Self check out lanes put people out of jobs. Why work 9 cashiers when you can have 1 cashier watching over 8 self check out registers with 1 customer service associate at the front desk? That's 2 jobs versus 9- and they aren't being paid any more than a regular cashier so the company saves 7 salaries X 3 shifts X thousands of stores... and yet prices continue to rise.

Yup, it's odd how some people think that some jobs "don't matter". They matter to someone. Some of my reasons for avoiding them is due to keeping the stats in favor of employing people for that work.

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

I used to feel a little guilty too for using the self checkouts wondering if I was helping to put people out of their jobs. But then I thought about how our Walmart constantly has "Help Wanted" signs posted. They are always needing help.

a reply to: JAGStorm

The Kroger by us has handheld scanners or a phone app that you use to scan and bag your stuff while you shop.

I love it. It speeds up checkout too.

originally posted by: pavil
a reply to: JAGStorm

The Kroger by us has handheld scanners or a phone app that you use to scan and bag your stuff while you shop.

I love it. It speeds up checkout too.

Wow, I like that. That way sounds quicker too!
What state are you in, I'm just curious if it will be here any time soon.

Those machines have poop all over them.

They found them to be filthy, covered in fecal matter.

And, all the sick people touching it.

If you touch the debit machine at the Pharmacy ?

You are playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun.

Give me the attendant. I’ll put up with the comments.

Whether not I use them depends on how much stuff I have and how crowded it is.

If the manned lanes have long lines when I have few items, I'll happily use the self-checks because I can generally use them quite efficiently and most of the places around here have one employee to 4 self-checks. If there is an open line, I'll use the cashier. It's what they're there for.

If I have a lot of items, I will just tend to wait in line. They don't give you enough space to easily use the self-checks.

Nope, I love them and if the self checkouts where I shop were larger, I'd never use the regular lanes again. Small talk is not my thing, so the fewer humans I have to talk to in the process of buying my stuff, the better.

a reply to: JAGStorm

No, i am not tired of self checkout lanes. Only just a few places have those in my city. Maybe 3-5 grocery stores. And i can't buy tobacco or beer from those so there is that... but i have used them a little bit. When i have only like a quick snack and a (non alcoholic) drink to purchase. They have worked perfectly.

I'm all for AI, self driving cars, drone delivery, but maybe some things just shouldn't be automated, like grocery checkout.

I think exactly that should be fully automated. A microchip in wrist or somewhere, then just walk into a grocery store, items could be RFID equipped. Get what you want to buy and leave. It is automatically paid from your bank balance. Of course there would still have to be some staff in the store, if an underage person tries to buy alcohol or some customer's bank balance is not enough to pay. Then staff gets automatically noticed.

Yes, i am an introvert Finnish guy who does most if his talking online.

originally posted by: whyamIhere
Those machines have poop all over them.

They found them to be filthy, covered in fecal matter.

And, all the sick people touching it.

If you touch the debit machine at the Pharmacy ?

You are playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun.

Give me the attendant. I’ll put up with the comments.

yet you still buy the items in the store the same people are touching oppen the package and put the food in your mouth ... OCD is a bad friend

you still use the debit card at every other register or even worse use cash

ps there's also fecal matter on your toothbrush it comes from your mouth

wana know more about your food things you touch and what's on it or would you rather just not think about it

I know I just turn that off most the time no thx

a reply to: JAGStorm


Ummm...I use them all the time...sometimes there's a hiccup and the attendant has to do their thing...but not any more frequently than a human interface...

I love them...they're time savers...course...I've never tried to do a full shopping cart through one...that would probably grind my gears...or not...

The brave new world is coming...whether we like it or not...might as well embrace it...
I can't wait to just order all my food online...then have a drone drop ship it...
as long as there are freshness and quality guarantees in place...then why not...

Can you smell it...?

That's the future...I can hardly wait...








YouSir

originally posted by: whyamIhere
Those machines have poop all over them.

They found them to be filthy, covered in fecal matter.

And, all the sick people touching it.

If you touch the debit machine at the Pharmacy ?

You are playing Russian Roulette with a loaded gun.

Give me the attendant. I’ll put up with the comments.

Ummm...ewwwww...who the frak smears KaKa on a checkout machine...got to be someone that doesn't like change...

I mean...how do they do it...butt surfing in the checkout line...?

Do they reach on down and root around for the good dirt...?

Now...I've heard of playing stink finger...just never with yourself...


Ewwwwwww...





YouSir

a reply to: JAGStorm

I tried it once and it took me so long to do it the other customers grabbed me and threw me out. ....... well you know what I mean.

I'm not tired of the self checkout lanes, I never use them. If the store wants my business, they will have cashiers running the registers. I guess I starve if they put in all self service checkouts.