Self Check-Out
 

So our local Albertsons grocery store has about 8 regular checkout registers usually staffed by one or two checkers. It also has 6 self check-out counters staffed by one person. I only use self-checkout - because it is so fast. They are eliminating the self-checkout. Care to guess why?

The machines have turned surly and insulting to customers and are now striking for more voltage.

Wow, that sucks. Self Check seems to be going strong here at Krogers, HD and Lowes.

Theft?

I get in one sided arguments with those things...
Please scan your item... Place item in bag.... Please take item out of bag and rescan.... It won't scan!!!!! Please place item in bag... And so it repeats.

I read an article on this a week or so ago, Albertsons and some others are getting rid of them because of the customer relationships they want, it is to impersonal. I don't use them, I would if it was cheaper but for the same price I will get someone to bag them and talk to the chick checking me out.

cause Union of Grocery Packers of America says it takes away jobs?

Because you're stuck behind some idiot taking 10 minutes trying to figure out how to pay for his malt liquor and frozen turkey pot pie with food stamps.

Because of that, according to the quote below, some stores are putting them only in more upscale suburban areas where people can figure the machines out. But we don't talk about it because, obviously, that's racist. :rolleyes:

"But there is a re-evaluation to fine-tune self-service only where it makes sense," said Greg Buzek, president of IHL, the Franklin, Tenn., research firm that tracks what retailers spend on information technology. Increasingly, for self-service checkout that's high-volume stores in suburban areas with populations where shoppers are more likely to be tech savvy and most value their time. "

I was told it's due to union pressure.

According to the article I read they were keeping them in younger areas, college areas. Like I said, if they were cheaper than the check out I would use them.

I would love to write the scripts for those things:
"Now get your shcit, take your receipt, and get the fluck out!"

:D Hahahahahaha! :D

That just struck me funny... it was the juxtaposition of malt liquor and tpp that did it.

We have them at the local big box stores. I love them for the small purchases.

Can't stand 'em... and I can't stand places that don't have registers open when needed. Which is why all my walmart stuff gets bought in sporting goods (usually getting ammo as well so I have to go there anyway), and I've walked out of a grocery store leaving a full cart when there were 5 check out people sitting around w/ no lanes open and only self check out available...

I would have thunk Theft also? People printing out their own bar codes and re-pricing their groceries....

No unions. I like them too. I purposely screw things up right off the bat, get immediate attention and am gone way before the line I would have waited in.

Gotta love that.

I wouldn't think that would be possible due to the weight of items being measured. But then I guess you could always stick a generic product UPC code on a brand name item of the same qty.

Are they threatening to strike again?

Reading the title of the thread, I thought it would be about suicide.