Anyone else tired of self checkout lanes?

I get tired of seeing people with 1-3 items standing 3-4 people deep in the only cashier checkout land and then there are 8 open self checkout lanes and there I am doing my 3-6 week grocery shopping and I have to wait for these people who are certainly young enough to understand the self checkout.

Why would people choose to wait in a line, with a couple items rather than use the self checkout? I've even done self checkout with an almost full cart b/c the line was so long at the cashier/lane. It's not like these people have a special need to use the cashier/checkout and even if they did, there are 2 attendants at the self checkout.

IDK what is going on in this world some times....

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof
I get tired of seeing people with 1-3 items standing 3-4 people deep in the only cashier checkout land and then there are 8 open self checkout lanes and there I am doing my 3-6 week grocery shopping and I have to wait for these people who are certainly young enough to understand the self checkout.

Why would people choose to wait in a line, with a couple items rather than use the self checkout? I've even done self checkout with an almost full cart b/c the line was so long at the cashier/lane. It's not like these people have a special need to use the cashier/checkout and even if they did, there are 2 attendants at the self checkout.

IDK what is going on in this world some times....

So go to the self checkout, there are 8 free for you alone to use....

Do you like to hit your head against the wall too just to feel like the wall is mistreating you?

Or order online and let them get the stuff to you, so you don't have to deal with dirty dumb people

Then you won't have to also be in line while complaining about other people being in line instead of using the self checkout so you are not bothered at all

When Walmart, made that move to have more self check out lanes I was pissed off. But Walmart has made it even worse now. Having only 1 or 2 manned check out lanes. They are forcing people to use self check out.

Dont know. Never use em
Only go to stores with human checkout

a reply to: JAGStorm

I use my phone to check out when I shop at Sams club. Scan with the phone and go. Love it.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Never had a major gripe with them, easy to use too if you pack items as soon as scanned. I have bad hearing loss which makes the prospect of having to pay close attention to the cashiers mouth and pack shopping quite frustrating unless I want to look like some mad rocker lol

However, there is a gripe that makes me feel like biting into a lava filled sandwich, just to soothe the frustration.

1) Folks that cannot understand that you must (simply) place scanned items in a bag after scanning before the next item. If only I was paid a penny for everytime I have witnessed that familiar blank expression...
Tongue sticking doing their best to imitate the movement of a tortoise, two items, one in each hand, one eye looking to the left, one eye looking to the right whilst scanning one item then the other before having an ass-plosion in fright at the checkout alerting a staff member. Even more annyoing when they look at you like it's the machines fault and do the whole sympathetic eye roll thing expecting you to acknowledge it with a smile/nod.
Don't get me wrong, I do this once out of politeness but after it has happened with every single bloody item and it's been almost twenty minutes for a single bag of shopping I promise myself that ill just do this next time...



Here's an idea, they should employ staff to point like this encouraging customers who cannot fathom a self-checkout to avoid them

originally posted by: BoneSay

originally posted by: DigginFoTroof
I get tired of seeing people with 1-3 items standing 3-4 people deep in the only cashier checkout land and then there are 8 open self checkout lanes and there I am doing my 3-6 week grocery shopping and I have to wait for these people who are certainly young enough to understand the self checkout.

Why would people choose to wait in a line, with a couple items rather than use the self checkout? I've even done self checkout with an almost full cart b/c the line was so long at the cashier/lane. It's not like these people have a special need to use the cashier/checkout and even if they did, there are 2 attendants at the self checkout.

IDK what is going on in this world some times....

So go to the self checkout, there are 8 free for you alone to use....

Do you like to hit your head against the wall too just to feel like the wall is mistreating you?

Or order online and let them get the stuff to you, so you don't have to deal with dirty dumb people

Then you won't have to also be in line while complaining about other people being in line instead of using the self checkout so you are not bothered at all

It must be so difficult to have mental disabilities. I feel for you. Simple reading comprehension must be just terribly difficult for you so I'll let your ridiculous reply go. If you want, maybe go back and re-read my post and take it SLOW, maybe sound the words out as you see them. Keep practicing and some day you will be able to understand other people's posts.

The last time I used a self checkout was the last time I will use a self checkout... in Sainsburys.... they have installed cameras right in your face. There is a biggish screen with your face on it.... right in your face.
I will be using the human checkouts in Sainsburys from now on.

originally posted by: KansasGirl
...
... It does make me sad when I think that they are taking jobs away from actual humans, though.

I can tell you for a fact, that is precisely what they are intended to do!

And, if you want to find a real "conspiracy" (in the true spirit of ATS), you need to look no further. Why? Because, you can find mountains of true "propaganda" out there telling you how 'people like them better', and how 'people believe they're faster', and 'people naturally gravitate towards controlling their own destiny, and mountains of other BS. However, I can tell you from first-hand fact, the only discussion behind the scenes is one thing, and one thing only..."head-count". They've even de-humanized it to the point where they make it sound innocuous, "reduction in head-count".

I am personally involved (not by choice) in the development and deployment of numerous systems where reduction of "head-count" is the prime directive, and it is self-service technology which is at the apex of this movement. It's at the grocery store, it's at the bank, it's at the airport, the train station and the car wash; it's everywhere. People are expensive, and anymore they are needy and problematic. Machines are not. Some people think it is just about the employee the machine replaces, but it's much more. A machine doesn't require an HR department, a payroll department, a benefits manager, a safety department, or as big of a legal department.

And yes, it is sad. However, people need to understand, they are part of the problem also. In today's politically correct culture people are increasingly expensive. Machines don't demand things like transgender bathrooms or multi-lingual training. They don't demand things like daycare centers and paid leaves of absence. People are expensive, machines are not.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Good observation.



Self checkouts is another of those ideas that are fantastic on paper but flawed in reality. For example, if you have any alcohol, you still need it checking off by a staff member (to make sure you are old enough) before it will let you pay. And you then stand there patiently waiting for said staff member to notice, deal with everyone before you and then take a second to click a button! And all the time you are watching the people at the one working proper checkout flying through..........

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

This is true.

People also don't demand ever higher minimum wages for something so easy any Joe off the street can be taught to do it in very little time.

The more people demand for something that isn't very hard, the less likely it will be that they will continue to be hired to do it if a machine because less of a hassle.

You can tell people this all you want, but they will still insist on a social economy that is kinder which means no one gets to do anything at all soon enough.

a reply to: Flavian

That's why I said above that whether or not I use one depends highly on how much I have and what I have.

Sometimes, they're very worth it and sometimes not as much. However, the grocery stores around here do have a good ratio going. They have 4 self-checks with one employee monitoring those four kiosks and nothing else. That keeps the flow going pretty well.

a reply to: ketsuko

Maybe it's a UK thing - all the self checkouts have (at least 1 ) staff member.........but everyone buys alcohol so it is still slow and snarled up.

a reply to: XXXN3O

Never had a major gripe with them, easy to use too if you pack items as soon as scanned

If that were the only issue i'd be OK, I know to bag before scanning next item. Ours just suck. I don't know if it is the software, or the hardware. 100% of the time if an item is very light, it won't read property/ won't weigh properly. Then some items just won't scan. When the "helpers" come over they often grumble that they too have this issue.

The one huge plus of self checkout is that you can really watch prices, but when an price error comes up, you have to go through that whole "helper" process again. The other issue they are starting to fix is making the counters a little bigger. Right now they are made for a gallon of milk and eggs and not much else. That is fine, but you have to have enough cashiers for everyone with more than 2 items!

I noticed they have more security when leaving the store.

that irks me to no end - i Just sat and waited 30 minutes just to pay for my stuff and now I have to prove it?
When they ask if they can see my bill I reply loudly "NO! and you shouldn't treat your customers like criminals".
That usually stops their BS. Every once in a while somebody gets persistent and i tell them to call the police if they think I'm stealing.

originally posted by: acackohfcc
I noticed they have more security when leaving the store.

that irks me to no end - i Just sat and waited 30 minutes just to pay for my stuff and now I have to prove it?
When they ask if they can see my bill I reply loudly "NO! and you shouldn't treat your customers like criminals".
That usually stops their BS. Every once in a while somebody gets persistent and i tell them to call the police if they think I'm stealing.

What you just wrote is the exact reason I stopped shopping at Walmart (not that it was a great place to shop)
I went to the store and saw people shoplifting. I go to the self checkout lane and buy just a bag full of items. I go to leave, the "greeter" asks me for a receipt, I tell her I was just at the self checkout and she saw me and that they need to work on shoplifting INSIDE the store, not harass people that actually pay for their items. I refuse to show my receipt. I have never shoplifted anything in my entire life. If they want to check receipts, they better check every receipt leaving and not just profile people (not that I enjoy that at Costco either but at least they are consistent)

www.themillennialman.com...

All of you continue to tie up the manned lanes... please prevent me from a 30 minute wait to buy the 5-6 items I'd like from your unending clothing, electronic, cleaning, everything but quick food items, from getting in and out in less than 15 minutes than the garbage who leaves their un-afforded items clinging to the snickers bar.

originally posted by: tattooedlunchlady
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.

Speaking as someone who worked for Walmart for 4 years they always have the signs up- but rarely hire anyone. My department (and every other department in the store) was ALWAYS short handed the entire time I worked for them and they refused to hire any help even if someone quit or was fired making us even MORE short handed. That sign was always there though.

a reply to: GeauxHomeYoureDrunk

I was in a position at a Target to in the interviewer's seat, and they always had the sign up. There's a reason why you see them almost never hire. The people who apply to places like that are some real winners.

You can get everything delivered.

or

You can do pick up @ store.

wait dont do that cuz it might # it up for me, keep doing what you are doing.