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I was a bookkeeper since 1974. Back then it was hand written everything, totalling, posting, calculating payroll. A huge room of bookkeepers and a typing pool. We had adding machines but noting better. When i retired i could do more work than 20 with better results. No typos, no typing pool, everything always balanced. I happened to be highly skilled and paid very well, but a couple dozen people weren't needed.
Even housewives were replaced by machines. Nobody beats carpets or washes clothes on rocks down at the river. Pumping water or getting it from rivers and carrying it in to heat on the stove isn't done. Food and clothing is store bought. Ice houses, smoke houses, canning, tending livestock, butchering, tending plow houses and gardens are now hobbies not chores. I don't want to go back 300 years to the good old days.
I bet you still go to bathroom and wipe the same way that has been done long ago. LOL. I still wash clothes and dishes by hand despite having machines that can do the jobs for me.
Things will go faster once rfid becomes more pervasive, but there is a maximum speed limit for conveyor belts because of loss prevention considerations. The machines all have scales which match the weight against the number in the database for that product to make sure someone isn't scanning a tissue box barcode and putting filet mignon on the belt instead. The scale can only measure so fast and it's one item at a time
You aren't countering my argument at all. The system is suited only to the slowest and dumbest user, with no path or reward for anyone who is capable of swifter action and judgment.
It's not a replacement for checkers. But we're being increasingly forced to use it anyway.
Initially u did not use self checkout. Tried and had issues knowing what to do next.
Joined Sam's club about a year ago and go in when they open often only one checking out and there is someone to help everyone using it. But I qiikly saw a great simple clear process. Big advance was the wireless scanner so you don't have to lift up items to be scanned
Now I prefer this to a person checker. The Walmart superstores near me have wireless scanners that work the same as Sam's club has. Walmart neighborhood market doesn't have the wireless ones.
People costs are out of hand in our country. I just paid $250 to replace a power board in my refrig. I feared it was going to be a compressor gone bad costing $900 to replace. A new basic refrig at Sears outlet was $850 to 900 delivered installed. We need productivity gains and automation to keep things affordable. We really need significant productivity gains so prices can drop and people can live better on the same pay
Initially u did not use self checkout. Tried and had issues knowing what to do next.
Joined Sam's club about a year ago and go in when they open often only one checking out and there is someone to help everyone using it. But I qiikly saw a great simple clear process. Big advance was the wireless scanner so you don't have to lift up items to be scanned
Now I prefer this to a person checker. The Walmart superstores near me have wireless scanners that work the same as Sam's club has. Walmart neighborhood market doesn't have the wireless ones.
Sam's club does make self checkout easy, but better than that is their scan and go app. You scan items on your phone as you put them in the shopping cart. When you are done you 'check out' on your phone. When you get to the exit you show them your phone which has a barcode displayed on it and they scan that with their own scanner and you're on as you approach the door you "check out" on your phone, a barcode is displayed which you show the person who checks receipts at the exit they hold a scanner up to your phone and they glance in your basket and you're on your way.
I never go through the self-serve line if I have produce. Not every cucumber or tomato has a number on it to input... and for some reason I've had trouble with their sub sandwiches. Once I had a sub which wouldn't scan and I finally did and it registered twice. Called the attendant over and she couldn't fix it. I had to trek all the way down to customer service, get in line there, and have someone credit my extra sandwich.
Sometimes an item with a sales discounted amount won't scan correctly either. I know which times I can use the self-scanner and which times I can't. But I always feel a little guilty I'm taking someone's job when I do.
Years and years ago in a town up north I used the one gas station which still pumped gas. When I moved, I had to learn to pump my own. Now I laugh at myself when I think about that. I guess I'm not the quickest to adopt new trends, but even I'm getting there. And I agree, Sam's self-checkout machines are superior.
This is a great thread as it shows the future of the global economy. Repetitive non skilled jobs will be automated where it can be. Specialists will always be highly valued. If you can build custom items or perform a specialized skill set those will receive a higher salary and be in demand. People will be willing to pay for custom items (furniture) or a repair/service technician for say hi-fidelity audio or turntables.
Frankly, I am afraid that Walmart will overwork and underpay the robots. Hopefully, they can unionize and negotiate for a living wage, no more than a 40-hour work week, vacation, and healthcare benefits -- as well as a fifteen minute break every four hours of work.
Less jobs for payroll department, Human Resources, and loss prevention as the biggest shrinkage is from the employee theft.
It’s not the atmosphere that’s appealing. It’s the Everday Low Prices.
Yup, if I shopped somewhere else my groceries would probably be close to double. Hell I remember when my wife worked at Publix chicken breast would go on sale from like $4.39/lb to $3.79/lb. at Walmart it’s always $1.99. Our family goes through about 6-7lbs of chicken a week. That alone is an additional $70/month or $840/yr.
Welp, looks like companies rather have robots do jobs than give into $15 minimal wage hikes, as predicted.
I don't think that's such a wise way of thinking of it. Take a look at your lawyers, accountants, teachers...they are next. The middle-class will be totally gone and it will just be rich/poor. Either the system will crumble and/or we will have to totally re-adjust everything that's been taught to us for centuries.
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