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Nobody Likes Self-Checkout

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31–37 of 37 posts

Re: Nobody Likes Self-Checkout

#32
I love self-checkout. It is always faster than using a cashier, for the following reasons:

(a) I already know what I'm buying and have a mental map of how to bag it. No sorting or anything required.

(b) I am motivated to get through in a way that cashiers are not. Customers self-sort into shorter lines so cashiers who move quickly just get more customers. No cashier who gets to go home at a set hour is going to move with as much purpose as me (I get to go home as soon as I pay).

(c) Usually there are multiple self-checkout scanners per line. As a result, the line can only be slowed, not stopped, by one person taking forever.

Re: Nobody Likes Self-Checkout

#33
post #27

I enjoy the concept. I don't enjoy the implementations. Many have these plastic bag hanger things similar to what's been used at checkout for decades. They make using your own reusable bags awkward if they're a bit on the large side (many are). Kroger is notorious for this. Some Target self checkout as well (but not all). Home Depot seems to be the best implemented, but man, they have to put a lot of trust into their…

Oh man. I miss the Home Depot scanner now. It's even better than the Target one. I love just being able to leave everything in the cart and shoot them with the scanner. It's like a little video game built in to the shopping experience.

The scanner just feels right in your hands. Ergonomic, weighty, with the full power of modern capitalism behind it. It's wonderful.

Re: Nobody Likes Self-Checkout

#35
post #2

....apart from the rest of the civilised world. Self check out has teething problems mainly because users need get trained on how to do it but once you grok it, you never go back - its simply faster, more efficient experience.

Not sure it's faster. I worked as a cashier for awhile at a grocery store. A 2 person team, one scanning/keying in items and one bagging, is a ton faster then you doing it all yourself. Customers who would do this were great. The worst ones were the ones who just sorta stared at you as you rang up then bagged their groceries for them while complaining about long lines. The other big speed enhancement is memorization…

Replacing 1 cashier/bagger with 1 self-checkout station is definitely slower.

Replacing 1 cashier/bagger with 10 self-checkout stations with 2 attendants? That'll probably be faster, especially once majority of the shoppers get used to the new system.

Re: Nobody Likes Self-Checkout

#36
Self check out at Whole Foods is great. I think they’re using AI to detect produce because there are suggestions that are often accurate. I bring a backpack and like to organize it by packing big heavy things first.

Re: Nobody Likes Self-Checkout

#37
The self checkouts are grand on the condition that they get rid of a lot of the security stuff, I'm sick of needing approval to buy a bottle of beer or it failing because it didn't like how I did something
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