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The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

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Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#41

Post by Thorrez »

jedberg wrote: post #17

I must be a rube, because I've never stolen from one of those things. When it makes a mistake I call the attendant to correct it. Mainly because I support the idea of automation and want it to work well. Maybe it's just the reliability engineer in me that wants to call out the bugs and have them fixed. Or maybe it's the former security engineer in me who got paid to find the flaws in these systems and my ethics deman…

>I really like the self checkout machines and being in control of how long the transaction takes instead of up to the whims of which cashier I've chosen

But if there's a line for the self checkout machines, you're not at the whim of a cashier, you're at the whim of some customers who many not know how to operate the checkout machines well.

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#42

Post by _nhynes »

MarkSweep wrote: post #31

> Shopping can be quite boring because it’s such a routine, and this is a way to make the routine more interesting. Maybe there is an opportunity here to somehow make shopping or self-checkout more thrilling and thus reduce shoplifting. Maybe add some features from a slot machine and give random discount or free items. Gamify the checkout experience so people want to buy more.

My guess is that expected payout would be too low to keep opportunistic shoplifters from doing their thing since most self-checkouters who aren't stealing would also get the discount. Otherwise this is a great idea.

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#43

Post by itronitron »

Shivetya wrote: post #19
isoprophlex wrote: post #9

I'm not sure if the money my supermarket saves by getting rid of humans (and the humans' incomes) translates to cheaper groceries for me. I'd believe it if there were somehow a fine for using a human checkout. But there isn't. So every once in a while four bell pepper somehow scan as three. Accidents happen, full plausible deniability.

I am all for these setups because I can check out faster in many cases and I can bag it as I want it bagged. saving money or not its the convenience which sold me

> I can bag it as I want it bagged

This exactly, in the US the norm is for cashiers (or baggers) to put just 2 or 3 items in a single plastic bag, and if you bring your own reusable bag they usually have no idea how to deal with that, unless you get a pro-level cashier who will then pack things in nicely.

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#44

Post by kaybe »

jedberg wrote: post #17

I must be a rube, because I've never stolen from one of those things. When it makes a mistake I call the attendant to correct it. Mainly because I support the idea of automation and want it to work well. Maybe it's just the reliability engineer in me that wants to call out the bugs and have them fixed. Or maybe it's the former security engineer in me who got paid to find the flaws in these systems and my ethics deman…

The best interaction I had with one of these machines went like this.

It said 'Press button to start'. I did. It stated 'now giving back change' and proceeded to dispense 17,xx€. I was then able to scan my items (2 jars of jam) and pay for them (~4€) (and got my change back too). Fantastic interaction, really.

I gave the wrong change back to the cashier in the other lane though. I'm not sure how often that happens, I could have taken the money and just left, easy.

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#45

Post by matz1 »

koala_man wrote: post #21
jedberg wrote: post #17

I must be a rube, because I've never stolen from one of those things. When it makes a mistake I call the attendant to correct it. Mainly because I support the idea of automation and want it to work well. Maybe it's just the reliability engineer in me that wants to call out the bugs and have them fixed. Or maybe it's the former security engineer in me who got paid to find the flaws in these systems and my ethics deman…

I hope society will one day reach a level of honesty and trust where we can just leave stores unlocked and unattended at night.

It think it will go that way but not because level of honesty increase but because the survielance tech becoming so advance that it can quicky identify you if you stole something

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#46

Post by elliekelly »

MarkSweep wrote: post #31

> Shopping can be quite boring because it’s such a routine, and this is a way to make the routine more interesting. Maybe there is an opportunity here to somehow make shopping or self-checkout more thrilling and thus reduce shoplifting. Maybe add some features from a slot machine and give random discount or free items. Gamify the checkout experience so people want to buy more.

That's a really good idea. A carrot instead of a stick.

I've heard of a few "sticks" in the last few months that don't seem nearly as fun/customer friendly as yours: facial recognition to identify/charge thieves after the fact and AI that analyzes body language and identifies shoplifters through their (supposedly) suspicious behavior in-store.

I'd also be curious whether the "honesty eyes" concept[1] would put a meaningful dent in self-checkout shrinkage.

[1] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5120662.stm

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#47

Post by kaybe »

alkonaut wrote: post #23

In all stores I know, there are randomized inspection of say every 30 customers. Missed something tiny and you might be reprimanded and you’ll get tighter inspections for many months to come (until you had several inspections without issue). If you are found to have made some kind of fraud that is obviously a mistake then you’ll be stripped of the “privilege” of self-checkout as well as probably reported to police an…

How do they keep track of people?

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#49

Post by namibj »

nkozyra wrote: post #28
jachee wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a 24-hour Kroger near where I used to live that would routinely shut down the last human cashier around 10PM, which was about an hour too early. This resulted in a nightly backup at the two self-check lines they'd leave open, sometimes taking 20+ minutes to check out. Even as someone who prefers to self-checkout: It was a mess.

This is by design. Target often runs large metro stores with TWO cashiers. I once went into the Target on 14th St in Manhattan and saw just a single human. Most customers are already conditioned to go through the self checkout.

How are 20+ min waiting to do it yourself desirable for the store? Especially if done on a routine?

Re: The Banana Trick and Other Acts of Self-Checkout Thievery (2018)

#50

Post by jedberg »

Thorrez wrote: post #41
jedberg wrote: post #17

I must be a rube, because I've never stolen from one of those things. When it makes a mistake I call the attendant to correct it. Mainly because I support the idea of automation and want it to work well. Maybe it's just the reliability engineer in me that wants to call out the bugs and have them fixed. Or maybe it's the former security engineer in me who got paid to find the flaws in these systems and my ethics deman…

>I really like the self checkout machines and being in control of how long the transaction takes instead of up to the whims of which cashier I've chosen But if there's a line for the self checkout machines, you're not at the whim of a cashier, you're at the whim of some customers who many not know how to operate the checkout machines well.

Very true. Luckily in every place I've ever been, they seem to follow proper queuing and have a single line for all the self checkout, so the wait usually isn't very long.
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