Supermarket Self Check-Out

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At the Wal Mart closest to my house I have never even seen HALF of the manned checkout lanes open. If it weren't for the self checkouts I would no longer go there regularly. Every manned lane open seems to have customers with overflowing carts.

But, as has been discussed many times, we don't shop at Wal Mart expecting to receive stellar customer service.

I had heard, at least ten years ago, that Wal Mart was in the process of forcing all its suppliers to start including RFID tags on/in their products. The idea there is that your entire cart could be tallied in seconds. That would really put a lot of folks out of jobs.
 
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
That RFID stuff can't come soon enough...

You mean like the chips that the government wants to implant under everyone's skin?

/paranoia
 
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
At the Wal Mart closest to my house I have never even seen HALF of the manned checkout lanes open. If it weren't for the self checkouts I would no longer go there regularly. Every manned lane open seems to have customers with overflowing carts.

But, as has been discussed many times, we don't shop at Wal Mart expecting to receive stellar customer service.

I had heard, at least ten years ago, that Wal Mart was in the process of forcing all its suppliers to start including RFID tags on/in their products. The idea there is that your entire cart could be tallied in seconds. That would really put a lot of folks out of jobs.

Originally Posted By: DBMaster
At the Wal Mart closest to my house I have never even seen HALF of the manned checkout lanes open. If it weren't for the self checkouts I would no longer go there regularly. Every manned lane open seems to have customers with overflowing carts.

But, as has been discussed many times, we don't shop at Wal Mart expecting to receive stellar customer service.

I had heard, at least ten years ago, that Wal Mart was in the process of forcing all its suppliers to start including RFID tags on/in their products. The idea there is that your entire cart could be tallied in seconds. That would really put a lot of folks out of jobs.



Exactly , so we all can just consume and use company credits rather than dollars and live on company housing.
 
I am waiting for Smart Shopping carts which *knows* every item you drop it in. You then just walk out the store without having to empty your cart at the checkout counter :)

There is small little problem of loading and unloading the vehicle but I am sure we could come with removable baskets in the car idea which customers can take home and return back on their next trip. Supermarket already knows where you live, so don't think of not returning the baskets!
 
Yeah, "Please Wait for Assistance" happens pretty much every time I go through one, but the "assistor" is nowhere to be found.

So, I just leave it sitting there griping and move my stuff to another machine. Wal-Mart really needs to calibrate those things more often, if they do at all.
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
You would definitely change your opinion on that, when that great automation feature takes your job.,,


As I already stated, somebody, in fact many somebodies, have a job making the "great automation feature".

And at a much larger pay rate than the check-out clerk.
 
Originally Posted By: Vikas
I am waiting for Smart Shopping carts which *knows* every item you drop it in. You then just walk out the store without having to empty your cart at the checkout counter :)

There is small little problem of loading and unloading the vehicle but I am sure we could come with removable baskets in the car idea which customers can take home and return back on their next trip. Supermarket already knows where you live, so don't think of not returning the baskets!


You actually think that would work in the inner city, ie; Ferguson, MO.
 
Fry's Electronics has the only checkout system I really like. They obviously studied queuing theory. Single line, multiple server. Even when the line is long - if they have enough cashiers working - the waiting time is reasonable. There's no risk of being stuck behind the last person in the U.S. still paying by check in a store, or having to wait for a price check, etc.

I wish more stores would use such a system.
 
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I love self-checkout...and I REALLY love Stop & Shop's scan-as-you-shop. I can check out a full cart in 3 minutes.


I want to be behind yo in line, then. I have never seen such moronic, clueless behavior as what I witness at the Wal Mart self checkout.


Stop & shop has scan as you shop...a handheld scanner that you use as you go. checking out involves only scanning a barcode at the register, scanning my store card, and paying...that's it.
 
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
Originally Posted By: Jarlaxle
I love self-checkout...and I REALLY love Stop & Shop's scan-as-you-shop. I can check out a full cart in 3 minutes.


I want to be behind yo in line, then. I have never seen such moronic, clueless behavior as what I witness at the Wal Mart self checkout.


Stop & shop has scan as you shop...a handheld scanner that you use as you go. checking out involves only scanning a barcode at the register, scanning my store card, and paying...that's it.


Albertsons, in this area, tried that at least ten years ago. I guess it did not pan out because it was gone within two years. It did seem good, in concept, to me.
 
I like the idea of the self checkouts. Whenever I go to Sam's Club, I use the one with the wireless scan gun.

Aldi ... not really necessary. Their cashiers are quick.

Walmart - DEFINITELY use them when I can. The cashiers at Walmart are so slow, and just destroy your stuff. Plus they always lose the stuff.

The problem with the Walmart self-checkout units is they are so annoying. It never registers when you put something in the bag. then you have to have the person who oversees the self checkouts come over. But first, you have to wait for her to stop chatting with 3 other employees about how "unfair" it is that she got an 8 hour shift. So frustrating.
 
I'm surprised at the people who think that the self-checkout machine has taken the job of the cashier, when its actually YOU! who have taken the cashiers job.

The machine is the the same.

Congratulations college boy, you've just been promoted to to the position of un-paid cashier/motorized belt.
 
Speaking of WM self checkouts, here are the issues I have had with them.

1. There is a delay after scanning an item until you can scan the
next item. Note that there are red LED's above the scanning
bed that turn green when you can scan. So, you can't scan as
fast as an actual cashier.

2. Some items - seemingly odd - require "approval" before you
scan them. Windshield washer fluid and Gumout fuel system
cleaner are two such items.

3. If an item is too light to register on the scale (i.e. a
greeting card) you have to touch "skip bagging" on the
screen.

4. The card readers sometimes have issues reading credit/debit
cards.

Other than that, my biggest issues remain the slowness of those in front of me and the availability of the store employee who
has to key in the approval for the aforementioned items.
 
Originally Posted By: DutchBrad
I *Hate* these things. If I am going to do all the work, I want a discount.


^^This!! Self checkout at a grocery store imo would be the same as going to a restaurant and cooking your own food.

Only way I'll ever use self checkout is if I get a discount on my grocery bill.
 
I've used them at Home Depot when buying minimal amounts of stuff and when I'm in a hurry.
My girlfriend and I attempted to use one at a grocery store with a cart full of stuff one time. Never again. Nightmare of confusion. The clerk ended up helping us, and many others. It's a pain in the rear for anything other than basic items. When you start getting into produce and baked goods, etc. it's a whole different ballgame.
The cost of the employees assisting you at a register the regular way is added to the cost of the products anyway....so why not just have them ring you up?
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
I've used them at Home Depot when buying minimal amounts of stuff and when I'm in a hurry.
My girlfriend and I attempted to use one at a grocery store with a cart full of stuff one time. Never again. Nightmare of confusion. The clerk ended up helping us, and many others. It's a pain in the rear for anything other than basic items. When you start getting into produce and baked goods, etc. it's a whole different ballgame.
The cost of the employees assisting you at a register the regular way is added to the cost of the products anyway....so why not just have them ring you up?


Right! I enjoy standing in a line of 3/4/5 other shoppers with carts full of groceries, with screaming kids, waiting to check out with their food stamp card or whatever you call it today.

All the while I could go to the auto lanes and be on my way before the clerk got the first cart done at the other lane.

Makes perfect sense to me!
 
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