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"Please place item in the bag."
"Please wait for assistance."
If you've encountered these irritating alerts at the self-checkout machine, you're not alone.
I prefer self checkout. I like to bag my own groceries so I can keep items together that will be stored in the same place and keep meat separate from other items.
We got self checkouts at Walmart last year. They have changed the programming 3 times so far, have to relearn each time. Plus, you can't get a plastic bag anymore. Have to buy a cloth bag if you want one.
I'm going to demand a raise, since this has become my job.
I used to hate self checkout, and would avoid it and go to a real person on purpose. That changed after a few trips to Walmart where I seemed to constantly end up with the world's slowest checkout people doing the work. You'd think if this was your only job, you'd eventually get half-way efficient at it, but apparently not at the Walmarts that I go to. They take the item, move it all around to find the barcode, scan it, and slowly put it in a plastic bag. Then do the next one, and the one after that. Wash, rinse, repeat. It takes for-ever, and I'm like the 6th person in line just just sitting there getting more and more frustrated at how helpless I actually am in that situation, when I just want to pay for my crap and go home.
Now if I know there's a self-checkout I will try to arrange my items in my cart as I shop so that all of the bar-codes are face-up, so when I get to the self-checkout I can take the laser gun and go bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, push "pay", push "paper receipt only, no email receipt", and then I'm out of there in about 1 minute.
The only place that I go to that seems to have decent checkout people is Aldi. Those checkout people know what they're doing. I can't compete with how fast their hands can move. Speedy scanning is kind of their thing.
Plus, you can't get a plastic bag anymore. Have to buy a cloth bag if you want one.
Well, that's an easy fix. Bring your own bags! I've been doing this for decades. The bags live in my car.
One of our two local groceries now has self-checkout. No bar code guns...you need to shove whatever it is across a scanner window. Hey, I'm not afraid of change and will give something new a try, but those machines really seem to hate me. Every time I try it mine decides to go on the fritz in the middle of the transaction for one reason or another so I have to wait for an attendant to complete the purchase...and with short staffing that can take time. Meanwhile, the frozen stuff's cheerfully thawing. OTOH, I know most of the checkout clerks by now and pick the one who works most efficiently or tends to be the most pleasant.
Sometimes I go through self check-out and end up regretting it. It takes me twice if not 3 times longer to do it myself. But I do also see the value in having these. Sometimes people buy some personal items they don't want the cashier seeing you buy or all the other 5 people in line, so that's when these check-outs come very handy.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Heron31
Totally! I do not need to socialize with someone who is checking out my groceries. Most hated question: "Have you got something fun planned for today?"
For me it was "did you find everything." Lately though, they seem to be straining to say hello, most of the cashiers definitely don't want to be there and it shows. The exceptions are Costco and Trader Joe's, which is one of the reasons most of our shopping is those two places. At the others we do use self-check, but for only a few last minute items usually.
The self-checkout at my Walmart is not picky at all. It won't complain about not placing items in the bagging area. I avoid it at Costco's because of the bulky items. Also, the Costco clerks move faster and you no longer have to remove most items from the cart to the conveyor belt.
Overall I don't mind self checkout but have a few complaints.
1. Multiple items have to be scanned separately. If I have 8 identical items I should be able to press a multiplier button, the number 8, then scan one of the items.
2. Bagging area is too small sometimes. Most will let you leave larger items in the cart, though.
3. Have to call over a worker for approval if buying alcohol. I'll try to catch the eye of a worker and motion them over as I scan other items, then scan it when they get there.
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