Self Check-outs
 

Your Thoughts..................

To all the Supermarkets and big commercial stores that operate 'Self Check-outs'....... You are heading towards almost exclusively self-checkout now.

Yesterday I went shopping at one such store and the lady checking receipts at the exit was stopping everyone.

I didn't choose to participate in that nonsense, I had already filled my cart, emptied my cart and scanned the items, refilled my cart and so I just skipped the exit line and left.
I heard her saying "Umm - Excuse me “ as I kept walking and raised the receipt above my head, leaving the store.

You can either trust me to do self-checkout, or you can put your cashiers back in place like it used to be.
• I'm not interested in proving that I did your job for you.
• If you want me to be a cashier with no training then that's your problem not mine.
• Keep employing young people and give them job opportunities.

YOU DON'T PAY ME TO SCAN MY OWN SHOPPING.
YOU DON’T GIVE ME STAFF DISCOUNT FOR WORKING FOR YOU.

Signed ......All of us
People we need to share this statement its basically about PROFIT to the stores AND putting People out of a JOB....!!!

We avoid self checkouts.

When they give us a discount for doing this might be interested otherwise why help put cashiers out of work?

Duh stores are already complaining their loosing money thru self checkout thefts.

No to self check out
 

I try to avoid self checkouts as I feel like I'm taking jobs away from someone. These should be great jobs for high schoolers and young people THAT WANT TO WORK!. I used to work in grocery retail and the market had to install cameras above each register to prevent theft - or at least in some cases put dummy ones up - and this did help. I suspect the reason the stores will give is that it reduces costs which I suspect it does so we are all to blame for wanting lower costs. This is the same as the order kiosks at the fast food places.

Are those your own thoughts or did you find it on the internet? If the latter, you ought to give some credit to the source.

Unfortunately, it seems as though young people have no desire to fill these types of jobs. Add into that the fact that mimimum wages were forced to be raised here in Florida, companies have countered with alternative ways to continue without employing as many workers as before.

There was a time when no one pumped their own gas. You drove up to the pump and the attendant came out to your car. You told them what you wanted, they pumped it, then you gave them money and were off. Things change. Today, there is only one state that requires attendants and in most states you cannot find a Full-Service line.

Prices did not go down when gas stations no longer had attendants but I will bet prices are higher for those stations that still do.

Self checkout appears to be the future. I can imagine the day when there is a service charge to go through a manned checkout line.

Self checkout and all the other "selfs" are great if you can see what you are doing. I have advanced macular. I can use my home computer with no problem, but not the self checkout computer with all the pretty little pictures of fruits and vegetables. So what happens to people like me ........ I have been asked to self checkout in Publix and have told the person that I cannot see to do it and the reply "Oh, I'll do it for you", so if you are going to do it for me why can't I go through the regular checkout and have someone help me?

That's because we're not TRAINED on self checkouts should be your response.

Sorry use self checkout whenever possible, why because no waiting, I can pack my groceries correctly. Saves time than standing in the cashier line.

But I get it can’t tell you how many try self checkout, don’t have a clue how to do it, and waste everyones time. So I am so glad most posters use a cashier.

Of course if you shop Sam’s BJs or Costco they check your basket no matter what.

[QUOTE=snbrafford;2248648]I try to avoid self checkouts as I feel like I'm taking jobs away from someone. These should be great jobs for high schoolers and young people THAT WANT TO WORK!. "

Aye. There's the rub.

But they do it correctly and professionally. They hold the receipt and check off items against the receipt. We have no problem with that.

Actually unless it’s BJs where they check every item in your cart, everyone else looks for expensive couple of items and sends you on your way.

Didn’t know there was a professional way to check a receipt. It that an associate Or bachelor degree in professional receipt checking.:clap2:

[QUOTE=ThirdOfFive;2248688]The sad part with young people today is their math skills.
Could they add and subtract without a register that does it for them?

I agree with every single comment in this thread so far and I hate self-checkout. However...

...the stores do this to save money. If they have to hire more cashiers, they will raise their prices enough to compensate for the additional overhead. That's Business 101.

If govt mandates an untenable minimum wage, business figures out a way to eliminate jobs: self-checkout, ordering kiosks at McD, Amazon vs brick & mortar. You can't have it both ways.

Remember driving with my uncle when i was a little kid. Had to pay a toll on the parkway near him…10cent tolls. Of course they had the lanes with baskets to throw yoir dime in. He said to me…i always go to the toll collecter…u do t want them to lose their jobs!

Fast forward now….no toll collectors anywhere..all electronic tolling.

Times and technology change. We cant save low level jobs.

[QUOTE=Michael G.;2248699]Your right but this is mainly the fault of our educational system where these skills are not taught

You're correct!

Here's why...Teachers Unions: Are the Schools Run for Them? - Foundation for Economic Education.

I was shopping at a Walmart in NC a couple years ago where they had someone with a scanner checking receipts at the exit. It was a very quick process that could not possibly check the contents in the cart so I asked her what the purpose was. She explained that sometimes people would exit with a cart of goods and a receipt, but the receipt was not dated at the current time/day. So the scan was just checking the time on the receipt.

My opinion is the same as it was a few months ago when someone posted the exact same copy-paste on Facebook:

Signed - speak for yourself.

1. The Walmart you're complaining about isn't exclusively self check-out.
2. The self check-out banks have at least one employee, in some cases more than one, to assist shoppers with those very self check-outs.
3. The self check-out banks also have a front end manager to handle anything that the associates can't handle.
4. You're not "entitled" to shop there at all. They can ask you to leave, or prevent you from entering, any time they want for any reason EXCEPT any that violate discrimination law - "protected classes." Saying "I'm a customer and pay your salary" does not make you a member of a protected class.
5. Walmart, Target, BJ's, Sam's, and Costco all have folks at the exits to check receipts. They always have. They're instructed to check randomly AND to check baskets of things that aren't in bags, or baskets that have things on the bottom shelf, where a cashier (or customer) might have missed (or intentionally tried to steal).
6. Enjoy your boycott, and get out of my line. I prefer the self check-out and you're in my way.

It's a copy-paste from an internet meme. It's a few years old and has recently resurfaced.

Publix has actual cashiers. If you know you have trouble seeing and will need assistance, then next time go into the line with the actual cashier. If you don't, then you are one of the reasons they don't hire more cashiers.

Another view point ;

Labor is expensive and most folks don’t want to work menial jobs. They want paid holidays, sick time, 401k programs and health care. Those are all value added benefits that get added to the cost of the goods that we buy. Are you willing to pay more for those goods to support the working class people? How many of you have called contractors and gone with the cheapest who offered you a quote? How much does he pay his help? What benefits do they get?

Here in the Villages is a labor shortage. Who’s gonna check you out and bag your groceries? Let me hear you complain when you have to wait 15 minutes to make it thru check out. Are you willing to pay more for your groceries to support 15 cashiers and a slew of folks to bag your groceries? Publix is open from 7 AM to 9 PM seven days a week. Do you want to work nights and weekends!

Are self check outs really stealing people’s jobs ??

As far as checking your receipts. Costco does it as a way to protect you. They check receipts at the door to make sure a cashier did not ring up an item twice.

There was also an article that I read the other day about store thefts. It’s up over 26% to a tune of $94 Billion dollars. We all pay for that in one way or another. Sorry that you did not have time to let that person do their job to help cut down on thefts from the store.

My understanding was that he/she started in a cashier line but was asked to move to a self-checkout line.

I doubt that these people "boycotting" the self checkout lanes are saving any jobs. Technology changes constantly. As someone else said, these low level jobs are being phased out due to changes in technology. I have a relative that works at Walmart up north and with no high school degree, gets almost $20/hour. Obviously it's cheaper for Walmart and ultimately cheaper for us to have self checkout rather than pay cashiers well above minimum wage. Retail is transforming. We are shopping a lot differently than we did even 5 or 10 years ago. And another way to look at it, is these self checkout stations are creating new jobs - people have to manufacture and service and program these checkout stations. One thing I like about self checkout is that I don't have to wait in line very long. And that is a plus for both the customer and the store. For those that don't like it, or have medical issues, you can still check out with a physical person.

I'm one who has trouble with self-checkout lines. I have Reynaud's Syndrome, which numbs the fingertips when exposed to cool environments. Any temp below 76 deg. F. seems to trigger it, so I have to get an employee's help anyway.

Best post of the day. Hands down.

Waiting longer in line for a real checkout person is kind of a self fulfilling prophecy. If there wasn’t so many self checkouts stations, there would be more “live” checkout stations. If going to Walmart, if I am getting one or two items I will use self checkout. If I have a cart full of items or something expensive I will go to a live checkout line. At Sam’s we will use the scan and go app. This is really a time saver. A Sam’s employee is going to check your cart regardless of your checkout method. You might as well skip the line all together.

And the reason that they put in self checkout is that they usually can’t find workers to work the counter.

Do you use an ATM??

Do you use a kiosk to place orders?

I agree with your comments. Companies use a problem in hiring staff as the need for self checkouts. I was in a large Leesburg store today with multiple self checkout options and a few cash registers in the middle of which 1 was open. The customer in front of me had a few items, but as I learned she wanted it rang in 2 transactions. The second transaction needed a price check. During my wait there were 5 employees walking around talking to each other. One of those finally opened another register.

If you insist on customer service from most any company in the USA, you're going to be talking to someone, 1/2 way around the world.

If you call for most any sort of service, you're mostly likely going to be directed to someone's Webpage.

We are becoming a world that is doing its best to eliminate human interaction, in any sort of business.

Complaining on the Internet isn't going to change that direction, nor is boycotting Wal-Mart going to change it. Not embracing new and accepted technology (or progress) is only going to hurt those who refuse to accept it.

Costco and others do it mainly to prevent theft.

Part of the problem.

I never use self-check out. If that is all that is offered I walk out. Stores that will only offer self-checkout will get me to shop on line. Save me the gas, the parking, the time etc etc. No customer service is going to end up with no customers to serve.

Well, well, well, someone certainly thinks they are something special. You do realize that the person checking receipts is just doing a thankless job & doesn't need your haughty attitude in refusing to cooperate. No friendly hometown feeling here!

Self checkout is great if it's an extra option like at Publix or Winn Dixie. I never want to see cashiers go away though. Personally, I often just want to buy 2-3 items and I don't wish to be stuck behind a slow customer or cashier that is going to take away 5 extra minutes that I could spend doing something else more important pickleball, nap, etc.

My theory is that the older you get, the more value that you should value your time because you have much less of it left.

Instead of suffering the horrible indignities of self checkout & being rude to the receipt checker just trying to do her job, why don't you get your groceries delivered? Both Walmart & Publix offer home delivery & curbside pickup. I have used both methods and they are great. With curbside, you just pull in and in moments out comes an employee with your groceries. It's great. BTW, freeing up cashiers by utilizing self checkouts allows more employees to shop for customer's delivery & curbside groceries (and no loss of jobs).

I like that I can see how much I’m being charged for each item as opposed to the cashier who goes so fast I can't tell if I’m being overcharged.

I saved money doing my own checkout.

[QUOTE=ThirdOfFive;2248688]That want to work or need to. People don’t need to work if given everything, ie by their parents.

AMEN!!! I know why Sam’s Club and Walmart started this trend: thieves!! Even so, I am not one of them. I like how you handled this. Maybe if those stores made examples of the thieves and prosecuted them whenever they are caught and our judges threw the book at them thieves would be discouraged. Seems like the honest people bear the burden