Self-checkout lanes - Love or Hate em?

[kenny]

Amusing video ... but offensive and NSFW

 

[kindred]

Hate! My husband likes them, though. I can't understand why.

OMG, the end of that video. "It's like trying to type with crutches through a ..." I'm dying!

 

[Rockdiamond]

Couldn't watch the video ( at work) but I avoid the self-checkout lanes for philosophical reasons. I want to make sure my dollars are spent at stores that are employing people.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I’ll use them as long as someone is there to help in case things go haywire.

 

[jaysonsmom]

If I'm running into a store for a couple of missing items, I will used the self checkout. However for weekly grocery shopping etc, I let the cashier ring me up because my purchases will usually include alcohol, which you cannot ring up at self checkout.

 

[VRBeauty]

I use them when I’m in a hurry. Normally I prefer to have a real person ring up my groceries and bag my stuff. My gripe is when a real person rings up the groceries, and then they and/or a colleague stand there and watch you bag the stuff!

 

[kenny]

I'll only use them when buying stuff that's simple for the machine, like a clear barcode.

Never for produce, or the many Home Depot items that require a human employee to identify the item and look up the price.

I nearly always pay with cash, but many of these don't take cash. Grrrr!
I use cash because I don't like how we forfeit privacy by using any other form of payment .

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I worked retail for a LONG time through school, I generally do my own checkout because I am picky about how my things are bagged and it's easier to just do it myself. However, if I know I'm going to need to use a complicated coupon, or need a price adjustment, or buy anything that requires ID, I go to the cashier. Nothing drives me more insane than people who have no business using the self checkout using it and clogging it up for everyone else.

 

[MissGotRocks]

In the grocery store that I go to, the self checkout counters are small. Once you have scanned a few items, you are being asked to remove them into bags - which are at the END of the whole checkout area. I feel like I'm on the old I Love Lucy rerun with the candy conveyor belt! Then you have to stop and fiddle with your form of payment and listen to the machine with five different prompts. Like others, if you are only buying a few things it is ok but if you have a full cart, no way. If I am spending money in your store, then you should have the job of ringing the stuff up and bagging it. Seems like not so many years ago you could leave your cart at the curb, go get your car and the bag boys would load your car. Showing my age I know but I resent them now wanting me to do all the work!

 

[kenny]

... OMG, the end of that video. "It's like trying to type with crutches through a ..." I'm dying!

Actually I think he said, "It's like trying to write cursive with your @ss, with a pen shoved up your @nus."

Classy guy.

 

[Rockdiamond]

It occurs to me...if everyone hypothetically could and did use self-checkout, the megacorps that own pretty much any store that has self checkouts would gladly take the relative pittances they are paying to the actual people doing the work....sure it might cause even more folks to go homeless but shareholders will be happy. That’s all that counts, right?

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

as a career shop assistant i am opposed to the whole idea and i refuse to use them
also people shop lift from them

 

[kenny]

It occurs to me...if everyone hypothetically could and did use self-checkout, the megacorps that own pretty much any store that has self checkouts would gladly take the relative pittances they are paying to the actual people doing the work....sure it might cause even more folks to go homeless but shareholders will be happy. That’s all that counts, right?

I'm with you on fighting the anti-humanity of big corporations.

But I'm certain nearly every product we buy involves many decisions that screw over the little people while making the 1% richer than ever.
Profits and shareholders is all that matters to businesses.

I'm not saying don't fight back.
Just saying I have little confidence anything I do makes much of a difference.
Greed rules the world, and the richest people run it.
Regardless, I still do my bit to thwart the evil and help the little guy.

Actually, the above video reports that the self checkout lanes don't work well, so they may inadvertently be employing more people.

 

[Calliecake]

I don’t like them. I want my dollars going toward keeping people employed.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

many years ago - when banks had suburban branches my best friend was a teller
she was instructed to show the older customers how to use ATMs
well not so much instruct as bully then into using them
my friend did not want to because she quite liked her job and knew it would lead to her demise as a teller
...sure enough (sad smilie face not working today)

 

[mochiko42]

It occurs to me...if everyone hypothetically could and did use self-checkout, the megacorps that own pretty much any store that has self checkouts would gladly take the relative pittances they are paying to the actual people doing the work....sure it might cause even more folks to go homeless but shareholders will be happy. That’s all that counts, right?

After moving to Canada I've met more than a few people here who oppose the idea of self check-outs due to the fact that automation means the companies can eliminate more jobs, so they refuse to use the self check-out as a sign of protest and solidarity with the workers. This has been a bit surprising for me coming from Asia where workers' rights and unions are not common, and automation is generally seen as inevitable, but I totally get why people don't like self-checkouts. I mean, if I have to bag my own shopping, if the store isn't paying the worker to to that then shouldn't the store pay me to do so, basically I'm doing free labor for which there used to be a paid worker

 

[Rockdiamond]

I'm not saying don't fight back.
Just saying I have little confidence anything I do makes much of a difference.

I totally get what you’re saying....for me, I find that if I focus on things I can do, although insignificant in the grade scheme, I can breed positivity at a time it’s sorely needed. And it’s contagious.
I generally pack my own bags- but I’m always glad there’s a human there to interact with. People can tell you appreciate their work most of the time.

 

[kenny]

ALDI has figured out how to layoff more workers.
They get us to return our carts to the store instead of paying a worker to do that, like every other store I know of.

To get a cart as you enter the store, you must insert a quarter into the cart's thingiemajiggie.
When you return the cart to the front of the store and insert it into the line of carts your quarter is released.

 

[Bron357]

I make a point of going to the human cashier. I support humans being employed. I love it when I can ask for a manager to open up more “human” check outs as the queue is too long. When the manager directs me to the “self check out” area I’ll ask “how much I get paid?”

 

[Rockdiamond]

Kenny- I’d gladly pay a quarter to have someone take care of shopping carts in the lot. Maybe think of it like that. I don’t shop at Aldi but this f I did I’d surrender the .25cents on principle.

 

[kenny]

Kenny- I’d gladly pay a quarter to have someone take care of shopping carts in the lot. Maybe think of it like that. I don’t shop at Aldi but this f I did I’d surrender the .25cents on principle.

You end up paying nothing.
The quarter is just a deposit that you get back when you return the cart.

Sometimes if someone is returning their cart right when you are about to "rent" one, the cart-returner will just offer to take your quarter and give you their cart, saving you both 3.64 seconds.

 

[kenny]

... I love it when I can ask for a manager to open up more “human” check outs as the queue is too long. When the manager directs me to the “self check out” area I’ll ask “how much I get paid?”

LOL.
Good one.

I'm gonna use that.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

ALDI has figured out how to layoff more workers.
They get us to return our carts to the store instead of paying a worker to do that, like every other store I know of.

To get a cart as you enter the store, you must insert a quarter into the cart's thingiemajiggie.
When you return the cart to the front of the store and insert it into the line of carts your quarter is released.

Actually this is a cultural misunderstanding. ALDI is a German supermarket. They brought their own equipment. Here, there have never been employees anywhere to return the individual carts (they do have people to manage their cart park, who bring the carts to the different stations, etc) . One was supposed to just do it oneself. People got sloppier and someone invented that consignment system. It's in all European supermarkets now.
No jobs lost.

People were surprised when Costco came here. They also brought their own carts and there was *no* consignment. Still no one to take my cart though. Just a sign : please bring back here...

 

[kenny]

People were surprised when Costco came here. They also brought their own carts and there was *no* consignment. Still no one to take my cart though. Just a sign : please bring back here...
[/QUOTE]

Actually this is a cultural misunderstanding. ALDI is a German supermarket. They brought their own equipment. Here, there have never been employees anywhere to return the individual carts (they do have people to manage their cart park, who bring the carts to the different stations, etc) . One was supposed to just do it oneself. People got sloppier and someone invented that consignment system. It's in all European supermarkets now.
No jobs lost.

People were surprised when Costco came here. They also brought their own carts and there was *no* consignment. Still no one to take my cart though. Just a sign : please bring back here...

Here?
Where is your "here"?
I suspect Germany, but perhaps I'm wrong because you didn't mention where your here is.
Sorry if you've mentioned it before, but there is too much for my old brain to memorize here on PS.

I spent 6 years living overseas and have Eurail passed around Europe a few times, including Germany.
When I walked into the Aldi here in California it immediately brought back the European food markets I remember.

Aldi's kinda like a small supermarket, but for people walking from the train to their apartment.
Lots of convenience foods, microwavable meals, and small containers that would be easy to carry on a walk home.
Of course being a big fat American, I drive.
Aldi is kinda the opposite retailers designed for customers who all drive cars.

 

[MaisOuiMadame]

Sorry, I thought it was clear from the context . *Here* is Germany and France.

And yes, different living conditions necessite different offerings. I love Costco so much, because I feel like going on a holiday to the US!
Everything is conviently huge (parking spaces, carts, containers...). Grocery shopping in Paris is a huge PITA. Too many people in too little space, real estate prices are crazy, so the parking lots are small and if you park your car correctly between the lines, you can't open the doors fully.. Add some toddlers to the equation and you get shopping hell.
Yo the original question : no to self check out

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

ive just started internet grocery shopping
a real human pushes my trolley around the store and fills it up from my shopping list into paper bags
then a real human delivers it in a truck to my front door step

its great

 

[lissyflo]

Actually this is a cultural misunderstanding. ALDI is a German supermarket. They brought their own equipment. Here, there have never been employees anywhere to return the individual carts (they do have people to manage their cart park, who bring the carts to the different stations, etc) . One was supposed to just do it oneself. People got sloppier and someone invented that consignment system. It's in all European supermarkets now.
No jobs lost.

People were surprised when Costco came here. They also brought their own carts and there was *no* consignment. Still no one to take my cart though. Just a sign : please bring back here...

Another European here and I agree - the shopping trolley deposits are ubiquitous here and I love them. It generally deters people from leaving trolleys dotted around the car park, which used to potentially scrape cars and block parking bays. And employees are still needed to take the returned trolley stacks from the car park stations back to the shop front. Win win in my book!

I completely agree with those who don’t like automated tills because they take away jobs. I use a ‘human’ till if I’m buying only a few items, but the convenience of being able to scan my own shopping and pack it efficiently (and without stress) as I walk around the shop means that I much prefer to use the handheld scanners and automated tills (where you scan each item as you pick it up and pack it into bags whilst you shop, then pay based on the scanned total at the end) for big shops.

They also make a huge difference environmentally as you have to take your own bags to pack as you shop, so people are encouraged to either reuse plastic bags or to take canvas bags. You can’t just rely on a shop providing plastic bags if yuh want to pack as you go!

 

[Tartansparkles]

It depends

If on my own and buying a few items, I'll opt for self check. If with the kids, then no. (It was a few years ago now, but keeping hold of two under-fives and loading the shopping and bagging it and having the machine give me cheek, was just too much.)

DH refuses to use them on principle. He's stopped buying is favourite Friday pizza treat because the shop (UK, M&S) has done away with all human cashiers. But this is a pointless protest unless he tells the shop why he will no longer buy there (he won't).(Edit, no cashiers in that particular store).

My cousin works with the elderly and she made a good point - older people don't need to buy milk and bread every day, (some) do so because it gives them the opportunity to be out and experience human interaction. By removing the cashier, an older person may miss an opportunity to talk to another human being.

Lastly the bag thing. Most shops have done away with bags altogether, or you have to pay. (Trust me, no Scottish person wants to part with 50p for a bag when they have a boot/trunk full of bags that they've forgotten to bring into the shop!). But the providing of your own bags does seem to imply that you also pack them. I do find that rude, when the cashier stands and watches while you pack your own bag (especially in non-food shops).

 

[Tekate]

Well like em for 3 items, hate them for anything more. If I bring my bags, which I do, they fall off the bag holder, I can never find the lettuce I buy, etc.. less jobs for people but faster for the quick in and out.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

NZ finally went single use plastic bag free but it was really hard remembering to take the reusable bags when i went shopping
at the human checkout they have a rotating frame thing that fits the cloth bags for The check out people to pack the groceries
im dreadful at packing groceries, they do a much better job

way back when i was at high school there used to be a checkout operator and a packer but that luxury seems long gone