>I have literally never, as in not one single time, successfully completed a checkout at a self-service station in a grocery store without having to call a human employee over.
Sounds like a "you" problem, mate
I average maybe 3 or 4 calls/year (and I self checkout substantially more frequently than not (and across multiple stores that offer the option))
That you've managed to have problems does not negate the fact I have as many bad experiences per year as you've had total experiences this year (this yer alone, I've used self-checkout at least 80 times ... probably a lot more)
Dislike self-checkout you want, but still sounds like a "you" problem, and not a "self-checkout" problem
Neat fact! You don't have to self-checkout at any store I've been to in the last 5 years (unless it's super weird hours ... and even then - you're probably there by yourself, so the attendant's likely to come over to "help" just to have something to do)
I'm using self checkout almost daily, in different stores with different systems. I almost never have any issues. The last time I had to call for help due to an unscannable bar code was at least 6 months ago. Staff is also available to approve purchases that has a minimum age requirement.
I don't recognize the situation that you describe, and I have been using these several times a week for a decade.
You mention paying by cash, which tells me you are probably an American (I pay by card or an app). It could be that your systems are worse, but there's nothing wrong with self checkout in general
I have alcohol delivered to my house because it is the year 2023.
People who have trouble with self-checkouts remind me of drivers who never get an oil change and then complain about how crappy their car is when it breaks down, or people who take more than 25 seconds to complete an ATM transaction.
The self checkout at Costco is almost flawless and convenient.
The one flaw I've found is, don't scan the twelve pack of 1 litre apple juice bricks (assuming you can even lift it) and then try to heft it onto the tray (like every thing else). Because, just as you do that it then tells you "Don't but the apple juice in the tray, like everything else.". A real back breaker.
Pro tip, ask an attendant to scan your apple juice and leave it in the cart.
Don't understand the according-to-this-article common dislike of self-checkout. I love self-checkout, especially when just buying a few things.
Walmart's implementation used to be superpicky about bagging, but even there's has become relatively pain-free in my experience and almost always better than waiting in line. I wish there were more self-checkout lines at walmart.
Why would someone admit their obvious lack of rudimentary skills? The only time I ever have an issue is with grocery stores and produce - but most everywhere else and as others pointed out, at costco, self checkout is a godsend.
In one of the supermarket chains in Norway, we have self-service in that you get a scanner that goes along with the cart. You put bags in the cart when you enter the store, and then scan the groceries as you pick them from the shelf and put them in the bags. When you get to the checkout, you put the scanner in a dock and then pay. Done. Hardly ever fails. It's just so unbelievably much quicker that I dread going in a store without.
As an added bonus, since you're bagging as you put things in the cart, you can now also sort the items in different bags according to where in the house you're going to put the items when you get home, so you'll save time unpacking, too.
And lamenting the loss of store greeters... makes me think that perhaps the real issue here is the same as why some people actually want to tip at restaurants: It's not about getting the job done, but rather the feeling of having other people working for you.
Self-checkout used to be a pain but recently the machines are very streamlined (plus us customers have got used to it and probably adjusted our behaviours too). For me it's usually as fast or faster than one of the staffed tills.
> I detest the garbled insanity of a half dozen machines loudly reporting every little change.
That's one of the things that makes me hate self-checkout. I wish those things would just shut up. At least human cashiers don't loudly announce the price (and sometimes the product) of every thing I'm buying.
If someone from the past arrived here I think this is one of the key areas they might be rightly downright horrified. Most of this world is at least somewhat orderly, blemished maybe but at least has some real point, facilitates things along. This is just a jarring & immediate bad zone, a notable sincere unpleasantness, that simply has no real reason to be so chaotic.
Here in Finland, there's some babbling at the start/end of each stage, but as for scanning each individual item, it just BEEPs when a barcode registers successfully.
Such a stupid article in my opinion. I hate this automatic idea that its all about reducing profits as well, there is also upside to using self serve checkouts for customers.
Did people simply forget when a cashier had to jump on the intercom and call for service because an item wouldn't scan?
It feels awkward to me that I need to unload my groceries onto a belt, so that someone else can pick them up, scan them and bag them, when I can do all of that myself. I completely understand if you're elderly or if you have a lot of groceries, but apart from that, it's better for me as a customer.
Readit News
Sounds like a "you" problem, mate
I average maybe 3 or 4 calls/year (and I self checkout substantially more frequently than not (and across multiple stores that offer the option))
If I need to buy something that requires a human employee (like alcohol), I just use regular checkout.
I've used self-checkout 4 times in 4 different stores in the last week and had a problem 2 out of 4 times. 50% success is not success.
Every store is different:
- Do they weigh stuff in the bagging area?
- Do they scan produce bar codes?
- Does it take cash, or card only?
- Is there annoying lag? (Frequently, yes!)
- Is it going to scan something twice because I hovered, because it lagged?
Also, let me ask:
- Why isn't there space for my cart?
- Why am I juggling stuff in a tiny bagging area?
- Why do the bagging area hooks suck?
- Why is there only one attendant in the stores that have really sucky systems?
- Why are half the self-checkout kiosks closed?
Self-checkout is not made for shoppers. I prefer self-checkout, but I wish good systems were more common.
Dislike self-checkout you want, but still sounds like a "you" problem, and not a "self-checkout" problem
Neat fact! You don't have to self-checkout at any store I've been to in the last 5 years (unless it's super weird hours ... and even then - you're probably there by yourself, so the attendant's likely to come over to "help" just to have something to do)
I don't recognize the situation that you describe, and I have been using these several times a week for a decade.
You mention paying by cash, which tells me you are probably an American (I pay by card or an app). It could be that your systems are worse, but there's nothing wrong with self checkout in general
People who have trouble with self-checkouts remind me of drivers who never get an oil change and then complain about how crappy their car is when it breaks down, or people who take more than 25 seconds to complete an ATM transaction.
no self-checkout options at either
The one flaw I've found is, don't scan the twelve pack of 1 litre apple juice bricks (assuming you can even lift it) and then try to heft it onto the tray (like every thing else). Because, just as you do that it then tells you "Don't but the apple juice in the tray, like everything else.". A real back breaker.
Pro tip, ask an attendant to scan your apple juice and leave it in the cart.
Walmart's implementation used to be superpicky about bagging, but even there's has become relatively pain-free in my experience and almost always better than waiting in line. I wish there were more self-checkout lines at walmart.
As an added bonus, since you're bagging as you put things in the cart, you can now also sort the items in different bags according to where in the house you're going to put the items when you get home, so you'll save time unpacking, too.
And lamenting the loss of store greeters... makes me think that perhaps the real issue here is the same as why some people actually want to tip at restaurants: It's not about getting the job done, but rather the feeling of having other people working for you.
There's a huge section of the store that is now cursed by these absurd idiotic monster's incessant bleetings.
That's one of the things that makes me hate self-checkout. I wish those things would just shut up. At least human cashiers don't loudly announce the price (and sometimes the product) of every thing I'm buying.
Here in Finland, there's some babbling at the start/end of each stage, but as for scanning each individual item, it just BEEPs when a barcode registers successfully.
Did people simply forget when a cashier had to jump on the intercom and call for service because an item wouldn't scan?
It feels awkward to me that I need to unload my groceries onto a belt, so that someone else can pick them up, scan them and bag them, when I can do all of that myself. I completely understand if you're elderly or if you have a lot of groceries, but apart from that, it's better for me as a customer.