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'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

bbc.com

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Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#21

Post by AlexandrB »

monero-xmr wrote: post #11

It’s not an absolute thing. If you have someone staffing 6 of them to assist with errors and prevent theft, then it can speed up people trying to get in-and-out. If you have a giant cart of groceries, then someone who’s an expert at scanning and bagging will make everything go much faster. People like speaking and projecting in absolutes, but the truth is mixed.

It's not just expertise, but division of labor: while you unload the cart another person can be scanning in parallel. Plus checkout lines are optimized to make scanning fast - unlike most self-checkouts. If I have more than a handful of items I prefer the speed of a regular checkout.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#22

Post by NoboruWataya »

I would say at least 1 time in 5 I encounter some kind of issue with the self-service checkout at my local supermarket. The scale won't work, or it doesn't detect when I've put something in the bagging area, or a barcode isn't recognised, or something else. And that's leaving aside the times I try to buy alcohol (or NA beer...) and need approval.

And then I have to stand there like a twat for 20 minutes trying to get the attention of a member of staff because there is one staff member for 20+ machines and everyone is having the same issues.

The technology may or may not have delivered for shareholders, but in my experience it hasn't delivered value for customers. Perhaps the bigger question is why we put up with stuff like this.

Maybe it'll get better in time (though it has had many years to improve already). I used to despise the passport machines in the airport, now I merely dislike them.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#23

Post by karaterobot »

I haven't used self-checkout voluntarily: if you go to Lowe's or Target too early, they don't have anyone on the checkout line yet, so you don't have a choice except to come back in an hour. But the experience is bad, and it exists solely to save money by putting people out of a job, with the side effect of making customers do free work. If they all go away tomorrow, good riddance.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#24

Post by Ekaros »

monero-xmr wrote: post #11

It’s not an absolute thing. If you have someone staffing 6 of them to assist with errors and prevent theft, then it can speed up people trying to get in-and-out. If you have a giant cart of groceries, then someone who’s an expert at scanning and bagging will make everything go much faster. People like speaking and projecting in absolutes, but the truth is mixed.

I agree, I usually buy single bigger bag worth of stuff at one time. So self-checkout monitored by one person is most of time option that feels speediest. As there really isn't line. Not that when I walk past normal tills they are too many people there.

The other chain here does lot worse with both checkout and tills. Somehow always having lines...

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#25

Post by cuttysnark »

UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA

If one is buying in a hurry, or just a handful of things, or maybe "sensitive" items at the pharmacy, self-checkout is a nice-to-have. Apart from that, it's been a PITA that I can only assume is even worse for people who don't spend their lives working with computers, debugging systems or finicky UIs/bad apps.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#26

Post by asimpletune »

noodlesUK wrote: post #16

I think the error of self-checkout was installing self-checkout terminals as a replacement for traditional checkouts as opposed to a speedy option. Particularly in grocery stores, I really enjoy scan-and-shop style self checkouts, as I am able to pack my bags as I go through the store. I can then present myself at a till, pay, and leave. That actually saves me time. What I don't enjoy are paranoid self-checkout machi…

Here in Italy there are huge super markets that are scan and shop. My 80 year old family members go and do it without any issues. It’s actually kind of nice.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#27

Post by eesmith »

nxobject wrote: post #9
eesmith wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Almost entirely US focused. There's one UK mention: "In the UK, supermarket chain Booths has also cut down on the number of self-service kiosks in its stores, as customers say they're slow and unreliable." linking to https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-lancashire-67373472 That says "Booths is believed to be the first UK supermarket to move away from using self-service tills, which have become increasingly common in r…

Which is interesting, since it’s the BBC…

... in the "International business" section.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#28

Post by farmdve »

noodlesUK wrote: post #16

I think the error of self-checkout was installing self-checkout terminals as a replacement for traditional checkouts as opposed to a speedy option. Particularly in grocery stores, I really enjoy scan-and-shop style self checkouts, as I am able to pack my bags as I go through the store. I can then present myself at a till, pay, and leave. That actually saves me time. What I don't enjoy are paranoid self-checkout machi…

Almost my sentiment. Quite often pre-packaged items that need to weight a certain amount are slightly more or slightly less resulting in the terminal err-ing out.

The self checkouts over here are regularly supervised by employees and regularly they need to intervene especially for alcohol.

Re: 'It hasn't delivered': the failure of self-checkout technology

#30

Post by noodlesUK »

heads wrote: post #10

M&S colossally fucked up with their contract. It has an unbelievably frustrating amount of scan lag. An absolute classic example of one person buying a product on behalf of the end user and completely screwing up. I really hope someone got fired for that one. Waitrose on the other hand did away with any kind of weighing device. Can’t have an unexpected item in bagging area if the bagging area isn’t expecting anything…

The M&S tills are funny. I've identified what the issue with them at my store is: the scanner doesn't beep when it sees an item, it beeps when it can no longer see an item. I'm pretty sure someone configured the scanners wrong so that it's set to trailing edge rather than leading edge.
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