Rant: Self checkout lines...

[UglyCasanova]

Originally posted by: PowerMac4Ever

Originally posted by: Linux23

Originally posted by: dparker
How do they keep people from skipping stuff while they are scanning? To me it sounds like a huge risk to the company, way to easy to steal.

they have a cashier/attendant at the end watching over everthing.

Plus, I'm sure the security alarm will go off if you try to walk out with an unscanned item.

Nope. We put security stickers (they are these stickers with some kind of metal on the back. when you walk through the alarm it sets it off if not scanned. I used to put them on my coworkers backs when they weren't looking) on all expensive items. Any expensive meat or alchohol will have it. The small stuff won't though. It'd be to expensive to put it on everything. A roll of those stickers cost almost $100.

 

[TheNemesis]

At every store I ahve been, most things won't set off anything at the door. I work at a Grocery store and today I ran the Uscan(self checkout) from 2-1030. I didn't realize it took away peoples jobs, but people are still needed to work in the stores. I also think that it will cause people to find more purposefull jobs(Which checking is FAR from that. You repeat the same things over over and over and over and over and scan things over and over and over and over and then you go home. Anyways, they are not meant for big orders because everything must stay in the bag(on the scale). In the system everything has a set weight so after you scan it, it waits for the item to be put in the bag/on the other scale so it can know if you added something or wahtnot. If the weight is off it freezes for the customer and it must be "approved" by the operator. It's a decent system, if stupid people would learn how it worked. They are unable to follow simple instructions, and unable to listen to directions from a machine. The people that know how it works get in and out very quickly.

 

[TheNemesis]

Eh lots of little grammarl errors in my post, but honestly I don't care at this point...

 

[UglyCasanova]

Ok, now it makes more sense. If it knows how much it should weigh, that's a pretty good security feature.

 

[amdskip]

They are good if you are buying condoms, tampons, etc

 

[deerslayer]

My friend used one at wal mart and got $50 back in change and he was only supposed to get $5. He loves them now.

 

[FeathersMcGraw]

Originally posted by: AMDman12GHz
I will not use them unless they give me a discount, for 2 reasons

#1. They are taking jobs away from people, so therefor they have to pay less wages, and should offer me a discount.
#2. I am doing the empoyess job, therefor saving them and again they should pass the savings on to me..

The discount for using self-checkout is the savings in time I get from not having to wait behind a mother of four doing her weekly shopping. Even "express" checkout lines are anything but, since most have stopped being cash only and have started accepting credit cards, checks, and debit/ATM cards.

 

[Jzero]

yeah yeah i guess they're ok if you wanna use em, but my store always has tons of cashiers available, lines never get too bad. 2 people at the most, usually.

Must be nice...at the Target nearest me, they have 25 checkout lines of which 5 or less are open at any given time. I've never waited LESS than 10 minutes in line, and I avoid buying single items there because it's not worth waiting in line for 10 minutes just to get a pair of boxer shorts.

If they had self checkouts, I'd probably shop there more b/c at least I would not have to waste 10 minutes waiting in line to checkout in addition to whatever time it took me to shop.

 

[jaeger66]

I use them all the time. Of course, I do my shopping at odd hours so I don't have wait behind the idiot with the loaded cart and 5 screaming kids who has to scan everything 3 times because she got knocked up at 15 and had to drop out of school and is therefore mentally unequipped to operate any device more complex than a flashlight. Well, maybe I did get stuck behind that once or twice.

 

[Linflas]

Originally posted by: dparker
I work at a grocery store, and the express lane works if people quit trying to abuse it.

People abuse it because the checkers cannot or will not refuse to check through people over the limit. I have seen people with 20 items go through the 10 item or less cash only lines here at our local supermarket and pay by check to boot. If it were my supermarket I would realize that by not offending one customer that cheats I am likely offending the 5 customers behind him that play by the rules.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

I tried using them at a local kmart, the systems were rather buggy and insisted that I bag 24 packs of soda (which don't really fit into bags). I just said screw it and went to a cashier.

 

[Murphyrulez]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
I tried using them at a local kmart, the systems were rather buggy and insisted that I bag 24 packs of soda (which don't really fit into bags). I just said screw it and went to a cashier.

You don't really have to bag it, just set it on the scale next to the bags. At least all the places I have been in, there are two bag holders, then a space about 2 feet wide to set stuff, or to set a full bag....

Hey. Those 24 cans put you over the 12 item limit!!!

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: TheNemesis
At every store I ahve been, most things won't set off anything at the door. I work at a Grocery store and today I ran the Uscan(self checkout) from 2-1030. I didn't realize it took away peoples jobs, but people are still needed to work in the stores. I also think that it will cause people to find more purposefull jobs(Which checking is FAR from that. You repeat the same things over over and over and over and over and scan things over and over and over and over and then you go home. Anyways, they are not meant for big orders because everything must stay in the bag(on the scale). In the system everything has a set weight so after you scan it, it waits for the item to be put in the bag/on the other scale so it can know if you added something or wahtnot. If the weight is off it freezes for the customer and it must be "approved" by the operator. It's a decent system, if stupid people would learn how it worked. They are unable to follow simple instructions, and unable to listen to directions from a machine. The people that know how it works get in and out very quickly.

Doh, i went the other day and tried it, I kept taking the bag of meat and putting it into my cart,and then went to fill another bag,the machine kept freaking out because the weight wasn't on the scale!:|
i tried 3 times,and every time i put grocieries into a bag i Instantly picked up the bag and put it in my cart{so i won't forget my stuff! }
well the young person each time that watches 4 of these
"self"checkouts came over each{3} time to tell me please leave the grocieries on the "counter"
because it weighs it all to keep people from stealing,

After the 3rd time i said #$%^&*, and went to a line with a Human,where; they have a person Bagging the stuff,and as soon as the bag is full..... They set it in your cart!
{tough to change when your over 40}
i might try again someday!

 

[cmdavid]

kroger uses em..

 

[Orsorum]

I love those things.

They're an amazing innovation; the ROI on those things must be huge - they probably cost a bit to develop and maintain, but the fact that they're replacing three human workers saves a bit of money.

 

[MrBond]

The discount for using self-checkout is the savings in time I get from not having to wait behind a mother of four doing her weekly shopping. Even "express" checkout lines are anything but, since most have stopped being cash only and have started accepting credit cards, checks, and debit/ATM cards.

Credit/Debit cards can be faster then cash because you don't have to wait for change. The reciept I sign prints off first, while i'm signing that one, the reciept I get is printing. No extra time spent getting me change, and I'm out in a flash.

I don't usually use the self checkouts with more then 4 items, but last saturday I made an exception because there were only 5 checkouts open and probably 25 people waiting in line. The four self checkouts were open and I had 14 items, so I just used those. It's a pain in the ass with that many items, but I was still out faster then then any person who was waiting in line when I started.

 

[Pacfanweb]

When they start giving you a discount for doing the work of checking out and bagging your own stuff, then I'll start using the self-checkout lines.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: Killbat
At least people in your area know what they are and how to work them. Whenever I got to Kmart there's a 56-year-old guy wandering around asking if those four registers are open.

That was me!!

 

[Argo]

Originally posted by: Jugernot
Why ohhh why do people with a FULL shopping full of groceries do the self checkout lines? These things are there as a compliment for the express lines and aren't made for more than a few items each.

Two guys today were taking up two computer screens (4 total on this side of store) to checkout one freaking cart at the grocery store!! Took them like 10 minutes! If they had just gone through the regular checkout line they would have been done in half the time....

Stupid people, I tell you!

Jugs

Because I choose to do so. You got a problem with that? Well, I have problems with people who have problems with the stupidest things. I like using self checkout counters and it's my damn right to do so.

 

[chiwawa626]

Originally posted by: notfred
Self check out lines? Is that like the 5 finger discount line? Huh?

Yeah ive never heard of such a thing? Im in the bay area, anyone else out here heard of em?

 

[ElFenix]

i hate the things. when they work they work well but you have morons trying to operate them so they're slower than a regular line by quite a bit. plus the things don't work 25% of the time.

 

[RambleOn]

nevermind

 

[ultimatebob]

I like them for two reasons:

1) I get to scan and weigh my OWN items, so I know that they get priced correctly. The stupid checkout kids kept doing things like pricing my donuts as pastry items, and pricing my regular bananas as organic. It doesn't sound like much, but it can add a buck or two to my weekly grocery bills.

2) Watching 45 year old housewives and 75 year old geezers try to figure out the machine is great entertainment! It's even better when someone has to come over and help, when the person has a basket full of condoms and lubricant. True story!

 

[Keego]

They're fast, I like them.

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
I like them for two reasons:

1) I get to scan and weigh my OWN items, so I know that they get priced correctly. The stupid checkout kids kept doing things like pricing my donuts as pastry items, and pricing my regular bananas as organic. It doesn't sound like much, but it can add a buck or two to my weekly grocery bills.

2) Watching 45 year old housewives and 75 year old geezers try to figure out the machine is great entertainment! It's even better when someone has to come over and help, when the person has a basket full of condoms and lubricant. True story!

Was it the 75 year old geezer that had the basket full of condoms and lubricant?