Do you use those self-serve checkout kiosks when you go to stores?
I do. Only because I'm an introvert and don't like much social interaction. π
shareYes, I get more discounts on those.
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MovieChat Forums > General Discussion > Do you use those self-serve checkout kio...
In Europe, if you're at all worried about the cost of living crisis ( yes we have that here too - its not all Biden's fault) you'd be shopping at Aldi or Lidl , where they dont have those self service machines.
I do it in stores where I want to avoid cashiers who are instructed to upsell credit cards or "rewards programs." When I go to the checkout line I just want my items scanned and the transaction completed. I don't want to listen to some stupid sales pitch.
Normally I would be strongly opposed to using the self-serve lines because it puts people out of work. But I get tired of their insidious banter like, "How would you like to save $20 on today's purchase?" which means conning you into filling out a credit card application.
Does it really put people out of work though? I think that's a myth.
shareI can remember when some retailers like Target had 20-24 checkout lanes. Granted, they weren't 100% staffed the entire day, but that was a lot more than they have now. My local Target has four self-serve units and I think twelve traditional staffed lanes. I'll have to count this next time I go there.
This means getting by with half the number of cashiers compared to what was needed in the past. Those positions were cut somehow.
I think its better overall for society if people arnt doing jobs machines can do .
Eventually , ideally , machines will do everything for us and nobody needs to work .
Before that can happen though we need to change the system of
work = money = things .
It amazes me , given the machines and automation we have now that we dont all get the after noon off - but it seems society wants to stick to the system off "work all day every day cos thats how its done"
If you told a farmer 150 years ago we invented Tractors and combines that could plough and reap 50 acres in a day - he'd be like "wow I could do my years work in a day and relax"
Then you'd have to explain to him that , for reasons unknown , if he doesent work the same amount of days he starves.
It amazes me, given the machines and automation we have now that we don't all get the afternoon off - but it seems society wants to stick to the system of "work all day every day 'cos that's how its done."
That's the corporate greed factor. A job that took eight hours to complete is now being accomplished by a machine that can achieve the same task in four hours. The CEO, president and their cronies on the board of directors see this as an additional four hours in which they can cram in more work, making life more difficult rather than easier for the employees, all while lining their own pockets with the increased profits.
The huge jumps in minimum wage is putting cashiers out of work. Employers donβt want to pay someone 15 dollars an hour to do something you can do yourself.
I get that a lot of people reading this live somewhere where minimum wage is still like 7 dollars, but the push to increase minimum wage in other areas is what made employers look towards alternative options.
I hate those things! The store is forcing customers to work as cashiers without compensation.
I try to avoid them.
I agree! Itβs like the Japanese restaurants that offer a hot stone entree on the menu. Hey! You get to cook the food yourself! Fun!
shareYou only have to scan what you buy, and no one is forcing you to buy anything. You want someone to pay you to buy your own groceries? Your food stamps are payment enough.
shareThat's not true.
You have to scan when they don't work properly 90% of the time. I end up having to call a "worker" half the time because of their broken-down scanners. That means I'm wasting a lot of time waiting for a "worker" to come.
Then, ringing up bags which aren't supplied, anyway. Placing items in bagging area. This appears to cause the machine to freeze so I call a "worker" over, again. More of my time wasted.
Using two machines in order to pay. Packing my own bags.
The above is cashier work. Anyway, these stores thought they were saving money by not hiring workers, but they are being mobbed robbed. Two stores ended up shutting down.
I tend to go to their competition with cashiers.
90% of the time? Maybe you should ask the employees to show you how to use it, instead of pulling them over and trying to get them to do it for you.
I hate to break it to you, but self checkout is here to stay. You are only handicapping yourself by being resistant to it.
Cashiers have to scan an item repeatedly because scanners don't work properly.
Different types of scanners in different stores so there's no consistency. No, I don't want to be trained for a job when I'm not getting a paycheck. And I don't want to work after work.
True. But, there are a lot of stores in my areas so I have no problem finding competition with people. A few stores are great. They ring up everything, they bag it and then say thank you. Very pleasant experience.
Yeah, often. OCD means I love packing my own bags most of the time and it's often busy when I go so it's a time saver.
shareAlways:
Much quicker than using the old fashioned kind with a checkout person although old people seem to have an aversion to using them.
Always.
I've only ever had 1 problem, and that was at Walmart, I paid cash and was due $10.00 change. The machine reflected this, a clerk came over and had to summon a supervisor. I waited 10 minutes, after which I picked up 10 packs of gum for a $1 apiece, showed the clerk, and told her "we're even" and left.
In the UK they are pretty much universal (except Aldi / Lidl) to the point that they greatly outnumber human checkouts which may not even be staffed.
They now getting fitted with cameras and tablet screens to show they are filming you. It makes me uncomfortable not because I'm trying to nick stuff, but because I don't want to see my sour face reflected back when buying milk.
I'm sure they don't need to show you what they are filming but it's probably an extra deterrent.
The face cam is mostly a deterrent. Itβs absolutely zero use when it comes to monitoring the transaction. There is usually a camera directly overhead for that.
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