Self Check Out Lanes

If I have a few things I don't generally mind. But full cart, no way! We have one grocery store here that changed companies and they actually took out all the self check outs lanes. That was surprising. Sometimes it is convenient but most of the time they are just a pain. When I go shopping I usually make the most of it and get a decent amount of things!

I love your response to save a job!

 

I have a love/hate relationship with them. I love them at our Target (small neighborhood Target) as I'm usually only getting an item or two. There are tons of them open and lots of staff to help. CVS is like that too for the most part.

BUT....
(and here comes my pet peeve list)

When I do need to go through an actual line with an actual person, it takes forever because everyone in that lines needs something special or they would have used self check out. Like the other day, I was at CVS and picked up a gift card, so I needed to go to an actual cashier.... tons of self check out and the one cashier. I had about three people in front of me, but it took forever because one was buying cigarettes, one had a return and the other was picking up a photo order (no separate photo department, so that one cashier had to go find the photos). So not only are they taking jobs away, but they're making the job more difficult for those that are still there!

And my other pet peeve is when people take full carts through the self check out. I've always thought of the self check out as an "express lane", not a regular check out. I'm not even sure why you would want to take a full cart through a self check out. I honestly don't mind waiting if it means I can just put my stuff on the conveyer belt and pick up full bags at the end. I also genuinely enjoy the majority of the cashiers at the grocery store that I go to.

Our grocery store tried self check out for a while and then took it out... the kids were little and would constantly lean against the bagging are and the thing would flash and yell "unexpected item in the bagging area"... I think my kids are scarred for life.

 

I do use them about 50% of the time depending on the store. At one grocery store I will use them but the other I won’t. I do at the bigger grocery store chain as I’m usually only getting a few things but question why I do it nearly every time as I almost always get “unexpected item in the bagging area” so need to wait for help anyway. At the grocery store I go to more often I don’t use them as 3 out of 4 machines only accept card payment and I shock horror use cash plus the store is owner operated so like the service I get.

 

My use varies by store - some are easy to use, well others are weird and problematic (Target's have problems for me). The last time I used Targets it rang things up twice, etc. as I guess I waved the item around too much.

Anyway - funny self-check out story - So my son the Boy Scout and another scout were shopping for a camping trip. We usually dropped them off and then picked them up later. Well, the son told me they went through self-check out but he was surprised by how expensive the celery was. Turns out that when it asked for the quantity, rather than putting in 1, they counted each stalk and put in 17. Like who buys 17 bunches of celery at a time?

I don't remember if we asked for their money back or not, but we still laugh over how self-check out can create some interesting problems.

 

17 stalks of celery please! too funny @BevG !

I will almost never use the self checkouts anywhere because yes, I want those jobs saved. Most are women and those jobs have benefits which is becoming more and more rare for pink collar workers.

 

I very seldom use them and only if I have a couple of items. I'd much rather interact with an actual person, even if I have to stand in line for a bit. It's usually my luck that there's an issue with something I have or something goes wrong and someone has to end up coming to help me anyway . Also, I know I'm a dinosaur, but I still use checks *gasp* for groceries most of the time. At WalMart it's just as easy as using a card, no writing involved. I don't own a debit card and only use my credit card if I can get some extra points for it. And I am totally for saving people's jobs!

 

This is exactly why I choose not to use self-checkout lanes. I don't care how many people are in the line, I'll wait for a cashier. I like to chat with them and give them a smile, knowing that many people don't bother to be nice to them.

On a side note: did you know if you compliment a Home Depot employee that they'll receive a $50 gift card? I was told this by a store manager. You have to do the online survey, then put it in the Other Comments section (or something like that). It's not clear. But if someone goes out of their way to help me, I make sure to do this!

 

I never use them. I tried, in the beginning, but no more. I know people who use them all the time, but not me.

 

we won't use them unless there is no other option. In the one store that has moved to only self scan I make a point of getting someone to assist me.

 

I've only seen self-check outs at my closest grocery store, Giant, and Target, and yes, I use them. I don't do most of my grocery shopping at Giant -- usually I'm just running in to get something we need for a recipe my daughter just decided to try or a couple of things we suddenly need -- so it's easy to do the self-checkout. Wegmans, where I do most of my grocery shopping, doesn't have any self-checkouts yet. At Target, it depends on how much stuff I have and whether lines are long. I think self-checkout is a great idea and I notice there are still always employees nearby, at the ready to help.

 

I love the scan shop - this is where you use a hand held scanner and as you get your item you scan it and put in your bags. You then use the self scan checkout option and scan at the register and it brings up your list. The nice thing about this is I only have to touch the groceries one time at the store plus I know exactly what I am spending which keeps me on budget.

 

Im the same as you, it's not helping jobs & really not helping efficiency (I had no choice at Kmart the other day - 5 items & it went into it's freeze because of 'unexpected items in the bagging area's so I needed 'assistance' 5 times!) -it drives me crazy when people take trolleys/carts thru them, I thought they were a 10 items or less thing too

 

Yknow Jan, I can not even imagine you ever NOT smiling!

 

I have a love/hate relationship with them. I prefer to check out myself if the lines are too long and I know it's going to be faster to do it myself. I HATE when the little sensor doesn't sense an item that is too small and the little lights never turn green to scan the next item then I need to call for help because I can't move on without the light being green. So lame!

 

We had that at a Stop and Shop (not Kroger brand) when I was out East. I loved it! You scan as you go, then at checkout, there was something you scanned and it would transfer the data right to the register! Add in any coupons, and I was out the door. I loved being able to bag my groceries as I go, putting what I wanted together! Not ending up with freezer and dry goods in the same bag.

This is my pet peeve too. I hate that I feel forced to use self checkout because the regular line is one person and 10 people.

I've never done a full cart, but I have done more than 15 items. Our Kroger (Smiths) has 15 item or less self checkout, and self checkout no item count. When there is a super long line (4 full carts) at the regular checkout, and I have a helper, I'll go to self checkout.

 

All of the ones I use are cash or card.

What a great life lesson! I would have never thought about teaching my kid quantities for the grocery store. Way to go mom!

I'm the opposite. If I can avoid the cashiers at Kroger, I will! I swear they all hate their job. I've never seen them smile, and one routinely comments on the groceries that you buy. Not the "Oh, I've never used Tumeric, what do you do with it?" but "4 boxes of cookies? Do you think you need that?" Um, #1 NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! #2 It's called you have a sale, and schools/events insist on store goods. She also rolls her eyes at you if you dare to hand her your card to scan rather than clearing out the donation request, and entering in your phone number. I've also listened to them all complaining about other customers in front of me. So, yeah, Unfortunately, they are not happy, and I don't need that attitude.