Do you like self-checkouts for small amounts of items?

[kitten18]

I have routinely waited in 20 minute self-checkout lines just to get to the front though. It's not just me I'm waiting for.

 

And the bag thing... if you live somewhere with a bag tax, everyone brings their own bags. Those things HATE random bags. So then you have to check out, put everything down unbagged on the weight thing, then bag. It adds time, even if everything is working. I have not seen a single system where the "I brought my own bag" thing worked.

I've never waited more than a couple minutes for a self-check machine.

At the walmart where I shop, the lines for cashiers are 3-4 people long and everyone has a FULL cart. The self check line is never more than 3-4 people waiting for the next available machine and there are 10 machines. And probably 75% of the people in the self check lines have less than 10 items.

 

I use the self-check at Albertsons and there is never a line for self-check there. Always a line for the cashiers.

[mom2scouts]

I hate self-checkouts. They always end up taking longer than if I just stood in line. When my kids were younger and I tried to use them, someone would always pick something up at the wrong time and then the machine would insist I hadn't put something in the bag or had it scanned. Now, there's always something that doesn't scan correctly or it doesn't want to take my money and I end up waiting for an employee to correct the problem. I avoid self-checkouts unless there's not much choice.

[Lady Florida.]

Walmart is the only place in my area that has them. I love them.

[Lady Florida.]

I've never waited more than a couple minutes for a self-check machine.

At the walmart where I shop, the lines for cashiers are 3-4 people long and everyone has a FULL cart. The self check line is never more than 3-4 people waiting for the next available machine and there are 10 machines. And probably 75% of the people in the self check lines have less than 10 items.

 

 

 

Same here. Also there are probably 2 dozen (I've never counted) registers at my Walmart but rarely more than about half a dozen open at any given time.

[poppy]

I will start using them when they provide a discount for giving me the same items with less service.

[Denise in IN]

I prefer self checkout. I worked as a cashier for many years and I might have some control issues when it comes to bagging.

 

This is me, minus actually having worked as a cashier.  I will bag my own groceries, thankyouverymuch!  I don't mind Aldi, though, since their cashiers are super fast and I can still bag it all myself.

[December]

I have routinely waited in 20 minute self-checkout lines just to get to the front though. It's not just me I'm waiting for.

 

And the bag thing... if you live somewhere with a bag tax, everyone brings their own bags. Those things HATE random bags. So then you have to check out, put everything down unbagged on the weight thing, then bag. It adds time, even if everything is working. I have not seen a single system where the "I brought my own bag" thing worked. 

 

Have you tried scanning the item, placing it in the bag and then placing the bag on the scales?  That works for me around here.

[Farrar]

Have you tried scanning the item, placing it in the bag and then placing the bag on the scales?  That works for me around here.

 

Yep. No dice.

 

I mean, sometimes it works. But not usually.

[Ellie]

YES!!! i want to get in and get out, and self-checkouts are usually faster. Unless all the people ahead of me are clueless when it comes to modern technology, or they are checking out their whole week's worth of groceries instead of the 15 or so that they are supposed to check out. :cursing:

[Janie Grace]

Wow, I'm in the minority. Shopping tires me out. When I'm done, I want to stand around aimlessly until it's time to pay and get in my car. I'm lazy, I guess. Plus the scanner things don't like me; it takes me so many tries. And then it will yell things at me like "place the item back in the bag!" when I didn't take anything out of the bag, or "leave the bag in the bagging area" and I need to put it in my cart and start a NEW bag. It always thinks I'm trying to steal stuff! I'm not! Maybe we just have grumpy self-checkout machines around here... 

[Amira]

I haven't seen a lot of self checkouts in our current country. They didn't really have them in Mexico and certainly not in Kyrgyzstan, but I didn't go to regular grocery stores much in either of those countries.

 

As long as I'm not trying to check out right before the call to prayer starts here, there's never a line at the grocery store I go to. They have plenty of checkers because of the prayer rush five times a day. No one wants to get caught in line and have to wait an extra thirty minutes to leave the store. So when it not close to prayers, there are alway checkers waiting.

[MASHomeschooler]

I would prefer it, but ours at Fry's (Kroger chain) always seem to have something that sets off the "wait for assistance" thing, and the assistant is almost always not paying attention or even wandered off, so it doesn't save time unless the regular lines are very long.

[Ali in OR]

Real cashiers are faster where I live. At the store where I do most of my grocery shopping you bag your own groceries, so you get to pack them the way you want them anyway. And by city ordinance there are no plastic bags in our town. You have to bring your own or pay 5 cents for a paper bag. Everyone tries to avoid that extra 5 cents; if they forgot their bags they may decide to carry everything or load it all into their car loose!

[HSMWB]

I can not stand them. They always glitch, my kids insist on 'helping', I'm buying something that needs ID that I didn't realize (like OTC cold medicine or spray paint - sigh), buying produce, want to use my own bags, - the list goes on and on. I actively avoid them and with choose to stand in line and then complain to the cashier face to face :-)

[heartlikealion]

I usually avoid them! Even when I have just a few items I can have bad luck like "you didn't bag your item" or something annoying like that (maybe I did bag it, but didn't weigh enough or maybe it wasn't practical to bag).

 

Last time I went to Walmart I only had a few items, but I needed to redeem Shopkick coupons. I thought it might not work at the self checkout or be a nightmare to figure out so I didn't even try. Honestly, maybe I could have waved my phone's barcode, but not sure if it would have required a hand scanner or what.

 

Dh will choose self checkout at Sam's club where he has a million bulky items. I think he's nuts!! They do have a long conveyor belt at least. The times I went there I had just a couple items and had an issue that required the nearby employee to assist me. And that made me realize the time before that, the other employee mislead me. I asked, "do I need to do anything with my club card?" She said, "no." The second time I went the employee said you need to scan your club card first. So this has me wondering what happened the first time and did I not earn points for that purchase? At least it was only one item! All this to say I have trust issues with those self checkouts.

[Liz CA]

I usually avoid them! Even when I have just a few items I can have bad luck like "you didn't bag your item" or something annoying like that (maybe I did bag it, but didn't weigh enough or maybe it wasn't practical to bag).

 

Last time I went to Walmart I only had a few items, but I needed to redeem Shopkick coupons. I thought it might not work at the self checkout or be a nightmare to figure out so I didn't even try. Honestly, maybe I could have waved my phone's barcode, but not sure if it would have required a hand scanner or what.

 

 

I avoid them as well. DH has gone through them on occasion and it seems to me that frequently there is an issue and a clerk has to intervene. I am not an enthusiastic shopper anyway so it's not worth it to me.

[Melissa in Australia]

self checkouts 

 

I refuse to use them.

 

Unless the shop is offering a big discount why should I be doing their job?

[lailasmum]

I like them. They're definitely better than they used to be. They used to not do major things like take vouchers/coupons which was really annoying but the current ones seem to do everything. The ones in the big DIY store are more difficult to use but I think that's got more to do with the type of products. So much is too light or doesn't have a barcode so you end up needing a person anyway.

 

I hate being talked to by cashiers so for me just checking out is ideal.

Edited November 17, 2016 by lailasmum

[SparklyUnicorn]

self checkouts 

 

I refuse to use them.

 

Unless the shop is offering a big discount why should I be doing their job?

 

I do often think like this.  It depends on the store.  If it is a particularly expensive store where I know part of their price increase is the level of service they offer, then yeah I feel like why should I work harder to pay the same amount.  Although sometimes if I just have one item it's nice to get out of there more quickly. 

[creekland]

No snark, I'm genuinely interested in the other point of view. 

 

For those of you who don't use them in hopes of the store hiring and retaining more employees, do you choose to continue subscribing to newspapers for delivery at your doorstep?  Do you continue buying CD for movies and music?  Would you have continued using horse and buggy paraphernalia as the masses started buying cars?  

 

Yes, we still get our newspaper delivered to our house and we include a monthly tip for our delivery person as well as a Christmas bonus.  We never did buy much in CDs or movies, so that hasn't changed.  We use Netflix discs for movies now and didn't before though - replacing the video store, but we only changed when the video store closed.

 

And we still raise ponies.  Some buy them to drive rather than ride.  ;)  I'd venture to say there are more jobs producing cars than there were with horses though.  Cars also open up a far wider world for us humans to explore (creating more jobs and more community opportunities).  Cars, well, trucks can even haul the horses/ponies to shows, races, and new homes.  I don't think your "more employees" analogy works with this one.

 

Some of us actually prefer community to mechanisms.  We might be rare, but we're still alive and kicking.

[regentrude]

Where are you getting the cotton ones? 

 

Yeah I have some of those Germany bags. They are tiny and they shrink in the wash.  But at least they can be washed. 

 

I got mine from Germany (yes, most of them are small - because people need to carry them. If I load up my big shopping bags, I would not be able to walk several blocks with them).

However, there are also different sizes and larger ones, and they are also available on Amazon.

 

I always bag raw meat in the thin plastic bags before I put that in my regular bags. But everything else is fine as it is.

Edited November 17, 2016 by regentrude

[SparklyUnicorn]

Maybe I'll try making some bags.  I prefer larger bags because I have to walk up 2 flights of stairs when I bring stuff home.  So I tend to grab as much as possible anyway.  A larger bag makes more sense verses several small bags. 

[regentrude]

Unless the shop is offering a big discount why should I be doing their job?

 

'cause you could do it better?

[ashfern]

I hate it. The stores use them so they don't have to hire as many people but the prices are the same. I would be more likely to use the self-checkout if I got a discount. It's annoying too when using coupons and if the item is really lightweight it doesn't register that you've put it in the bag.

[SparklyUnicorn]

No snark, I'm genuinely interested in the other point of view. 

 

For those of you who don't use them in hopes of the store hiring and retaining more employees, do you choose to continue subscribing to newspapers for delivery at your doorstep?  Do you continue buying CD for movies and music?  Would you have continued using horse and buggy paraphernalia as the masses started buying cars?  

 

I sometimes use the self checkout and don't really think about the hiring more employees thing AND I still subscribe to home delivery.  Yes I buy CDs.  Yes movies. 

 

I'm old man...of course I still do these old fart things.  I also hate cell phones.  If I could have a land line I would.  They don't have land lines here anymore.  They are better in the event of a power outage!

 

I do think you intend snark here, but it's ok, I'm not offended.  LOL 

[creekland]

I sometimes use the self checkout and don't really think about the hiring more employees thing AND I still subscribe to home delivery.  Yes I buy CDs.  Yes movies. 

 

I'm old man...of course I still do these old fart things.  I also hate cell phones.  If I could have a land line I would.  They don't have land lines here anymore.  They are better in the event of a power outage!

 

I do think you intend snark here, but it's ok, I'm not offended.  LOL 

 

We're not the only house on our road getting home delivery either... and the movie area of Wally World seems to attract buyers... and there are oodles who opt to stand in line for cashiers even if self-checkout is available.

 

I don't think we're alone.  We might be dissed by those who feel they are more "with it," but that's ok. I've never minded what others think about me.

 

ps  We still have a land line and use it FAR more than our cell phones.  Its reception is better by far.

Edited November 17, 2016 by creekland

[poppy]

Oh I especially hate it at Costco.

 

Load your cart.

Unload every item onto the self checkout machine.

Reload every item into your card.

Unload every item into your trunk.

Carry every item into your house.

 

No thanks. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

We're not the only house on our road getting home delivery either... and the movie area of Wally World seems to attract buyers... and there are oodles who opt to stand in line for cashiers even if self-checkout is available.

 

I don't think we're alone.  We might be dissed by those who feel they are more "with it," but that's ok. I've never minded what others think about me.

 

ps  We still have a land line and use it FAR more than our cell phones.  It's reception is better by far.

 

One reason I prefer to buy physical movies and music is because on more than one occasion I lost access to digitally bought content.  I once bought an on-line game pack (a pretty expensive one) and the company went out of business.  Guess what happened to my games?  Poof.  If I had a physical disk I'd still have the games.  They were bought out by another company who did try their best to honor my purchase, but they didn't have probably half the games in the pack so I only got a few (lame) games.  Stuff like this makes me mad.

[marbel]

Oh I especially hate it at Costco.

 

Load your cart.

Unload every item onto the self checkout machine.

Reload every item into your card.

Unload every item into your trunk.

Carry every item into your house.

 

No thanks. 

 

Our Costco doesn't have it.  But the cashiers there are so fast, I can't imagine I could do it faster, especially with big items.    

 

I do use the self-check at Sam's club, though, when I can.  But the cashiers there are not as good/fast as those at Costco.   Mostly at Sam's I'm just buying take and bake pizza anyway.  :-)

[poppy]

'cause you could do it better?

 

From a risk vs reward perspective, I'll take texting my friends / mastering angry birds........... once slightly smushed loaf of bread every other month is definitely worth not worrying about being my own professional bagger.

 

(I do politely help the lady at the register if she doesn't have a bagger. But I deliberately shop at stores with baggers, for the most part).

[creekland]

'cause you could do it better?

 

I bag my own even with a cashier.  Faster and better.  ;)  I even bring my own reusable bags most of the time.

 

I can't do that at Wally World the way they are set up, but everywhere else it works just fine.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I bag my own even with a cashier.  Faster and better.   ;)  I even bring my own reusable bags most of the time.

 

I can't do that at Wally World the way they are set up, but everywhere else it works just fine.

 

Yeah the bagging situation at Wally World is stupid.  That's one thing I wish they'd change.

 

Although I do use the bags for SOMETHING so not all is lost, but still.  Their set up highly discourages one from bringing their own bags.

[TechWife]

I prefer cashiers because they are set up to scan items quicker. If I only have a few items and the store is busy, I'll use self-checkout. The only exception is Target. I avoid their self-checkout at all costs. I have never had it work right, ever. There is always an issue of one kind or another. 

 

 

[Pippen]

I always go for self-check for a few items, and medium amount of items if the lines are busy. 

 

The store I frequent most just did away with self-check. I was told by an employee it was due to a costly software upgrade. I can get out of there really fast with a few items and it's really irritating me to wait in line and have someone else do what I'd been handling myself. They do bring in more clerks for the busy periods but it still takes me longer. 

[pinkmint]

With my introverted, socially awkward, needing to bag things in a certain order tendencies, I find self check-out hard to resist. Even though it often ends up being quite frustrating with the errors and having to wait for assistance and kids wanting to help, aka make it take longer and fight over who gets to scan stuff. 

[xixstar]

I must have bad checkout mojo at the grocery store because it always enda up with something going wrong and needing an attendant. I feel I am a smart, capable and tech competent person and yet every time it happens.

 

My oldest and I laugh so hard over it because I will swear off them for many months and because of lines or a momentary lasp of memory, I will try it again and BOOM it happens again. I can't stand it.

 

Walmart seems to actually work out. I've used them multiple times with success but I have sworn off grocery stores self check.

[Bluegoat]

FWIW the best shopping ags I have were not bought as shopping bags, they were hand-made by a woman at the farmer's market.

 

I don't find the packing actually ends up better when I do it, though I do like things to be packed well.  With self-ceck, I end up packing weirdly because there is only so much room on the platform, and I can't remove bags to make more.  If I only have a few items, I don't care so much about how it's packed.

 

At the cashier, I put items up with the other things I'd like them packed with.  Some do it better than others, but usually it's not bad.  I avoid the cashiers that make a real mess of it.

[Lady Marmalade]

Has anyone tried Sams' new app that allows you to scan items with your phone as you put them in your cart?  Then you pay through the app and just show the receipt on your phone to the greeter/receipt checker.

 

Wendy

 

I'm thinking about it.  They're really pushing it at my store.

 

I've been using the self-checkouts at Sam's also.  There it is 10 items or less to use the self check, so that actually keeps me from buying all the unnecessary things that I think I want at the time.

 

But, you still have to wait in line at the door to get out of the store when it's busy.  If I manage to shop there in the early morning business hours, it's fabulous- I can be in and out in less than ten minutes if I use the self-check.  I put everything in my cart so the bar code is facing up, and then when I'm at the kiosk it's super quick to scan it all and pay.

 

I think the app might make going at busy times a little easier, but again, you still have to wait in line to get out the door.  At Costco when it's busy they at least put two people at the door checking carts and receipts.  I've never seen them do that at Sam's.  Always one person.

[TranquilMind]

I prefer cashiers

 

Me too. I'm old school.

 

If I wanted to work there, I'd get a job. Otherwise, take care of my groceries for me. 

 

I LOVE Trader Joe's.  They empty the cart AND bag.  After having some surgeries, that helps me when someone else empties the cart.  They will even take them to your car if you have a lot of stuff. 

That's the way you do it.  That's probably why we spend thousands there a year. 

 

[HS Mom in NC]

 

I do think you intend snark here, but it's ok, I'm not offended.  LOL 

 

I didn't. 

 

[umsami]

I love them, but now wonder if I'm helping to get people fired/lose their jobs.

 

The most fun are when you get your own little scanner gun to use, like at Sam's Club. 

[heartlikealion]

No snark, I'm genuinely interested in the other point of view. 

 

For those of you who don't use them in hopes of the store hiring and retaining more employees, do you choose to continue subscribing to newspapers for delivery at your doorstep?  Do you continue buying CD for movies and music?  Would you have continued using horse and buggy paraphernalia as the masses started buying cars?  

 

This ques. doesn't really apply to me, but I wanted to share something kinda related. One store was routinely "self checkout only" after a certain hour in the evening. Dh complained on the phone to someone higher and it hasn't been that way when he's gone back late in the evening. So if someone really wants to see more cashiers maybe make a phone call.

[Tap]

A lot of people have mentioned people losing jobs over self checkouts.....

 

I wanted to comment on that directly.  I have worked in retail my entire life and have been privy to management end/inner workings for most of it. One thing to consider is that companies have a certain budget  they spend on wages.  If they have more employees, they tend to just pay them less.  

 

Self checkouts may decrease jobs, but it helps the company to pay a higher living-wage to the other cashiers.    

 

Lack of self checkouts, may mean more jobs.... but also a lower pay rate, which means  lower paying jobs for everyone in the store (not just cashiers). 

 

 

[Lady Florida.]

Oh I forgot that both Sams and BJ's have them (we don't have Costco nearby). I use it there too. I haven't used the app at Sams yet but I keep meaning to give it a try.

[stephanier.1765]

I have a love/hate relationship with the machines. So if it is a quick to no wait, then I will choose a cashier over the machine.

[Lady Florida.]

I tried the Sams app today. I LOVE IT! It scans your items quickly and easily. Dh thought we still had to go to the register and show my phone receipt, and was really impressed when I said we could just show it to the person at the door. 

[meena]

I like self-checkouts because I find myself being very diligent about being accurate. I pay close attention to make sure prices ring up correctly, that nothing is double-scanned, and so on. Cashiers may not pay as close attention, not necessarily because they are bad workers, but they may be fatigued physically and mentally after being on their feet and doing a repetitive task for long periods. Sometimes they do get caught up in small talk with customers or bangers and don't notice mistakes (if the small talk is with me, then I also miss the mistake). Or, possibly for a very small number, they just don't care because it's not their money.

 

I also like being able to load my bags super full, with NO double-bagging or to be able to use my reusable bags judgement-free. And finally, at Walmart the self-check line is always extremely fast compared to the regular lines, even the express lines.

[luuknam]

Another reason I don't like self-checkout is that there's often a line, and if there are people waiting I feel pressured to scan and bag my groceries as quickly as possible. If I'm dealing with a regular cashier, it's not my fault if s/he's slow, so I don't feel that same pressure.

[Loesje22000]

It is one or the other here.

Library and Decathlon (Sports and Camping warehouse) are self check only.

Most supermarket have traditional cashiers.

 

Colruyt Group has a different system:

- buyer puts everything in his car (A)

- scanner employer scans everything and puts everything from car A to car B

- buyer takes car B and walks to the printer and pay unit, and pay his bill supervised by a employer (so you pay your own bill)

 

There are several scan units and less print and pay units.

Employers of both units are doing their job standing.

 

Maybe it is usual in more places, but I'd never seen this system before living in Belgium.

[marbel]

<snip>

 

Some of us actually prefer community to mechanisms.  We might be rare, but we're still alive and kicking.

 

I was thinking about this some last night and this morning.  

 

First, I don't think it's a matter of preferring  mechanisms to community. It's a matter of choosing the best method to get a task done.

 

But, beyond that... I was thinking about a local small, nice grocery store.  I can't shop there much because their prices on most things are too high for me, but also they just don't have everything I need.  It's a store that's obviously been around forever.  They have a culture of customer service.  When lines get long, more registers open quickly, the manager is always visible, up front, helping out, even bagging if needed; there's always someone in the produce area to answer questions, the deli is fantastic.   They have very low employee turnover. Most of the cashiers are over 50 (at least) and have obviously been working there a long time. Many have that vibe of the cliche "lifer" diner waitress - which is not a derogatory comment at all.  (I have two dear aunts who fit that category.)  They can talk to customers while keeping the lines moving. They know their stock.  They don't make mistakes.  

 

Contrast that with the big, bargain grocery store.  The cashier staff turns over frequently.  They don't know their stock; I mentioned the problems of unfamiliar produce upthread. They are often sullen and are obviously unhappy to be there. In the worst cases, they call to each other across the lines, gossiping.  They don't like their jobs, and it shows.

 

The nice small store doesn't have self checkout.  if they added one, I bet few people would use it.   Oh yeah, this store hires developmentally disabled people as baggers and runners.  The cashiers are so  kind and loving to them.  It's really nice.  

 

Now I think I have to go buy some stuff there today. Their deli turkey and ham are to die for!

 

Anyway, just a little compare/contrast for the day.

 

ETA: of course not all the cashiers in the big bargain stores are sullen, unhappy people.  And in general it's age-related, I think:  it's the younger people who are the worst.  (In general I think customer service has been declining considerably.)    And, the Aldi I shop at is an exception. Everyone there is always pleasant.  

Edited November 18, 2016 by marbel