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Tonight I went Krogering. Decided to use the self-checkout lane tonight for about 25 items. Had no choice all the other lanes were busy.
No sooner did I scan my second item when a voice belted out "Please put your item in the bagging area." It continues this 23 more times (a sale of 10 cans of organic chick peas for $1 ea is hard to pass up) each time the voice sounded louder and louder (probably my frustration). When this thing detected a 15-second pause, the voice impertinently asked me "have you completed your order?" "Have you completed your order?" Just when I was about to select the button that indicates "pay by check," the voice screamed "an attendant has been notified to assist you!"
I just about wanted to shoot the darn thing, but I typically don't pack heat when I go grocery shopping.
My stress level went off the charts. I paid the young guy at the register. He looked at my receipt and said, "enjoy those beans!" I had to laugh!
Aggravating as *ell, but at least I walked out of there laughing!
We can shut that nagging voice up on our scanners. On the first screen there's a button with a pic of a megaphone. Click on that, a red X appears and is shut up! I love that button. lol
Can't pay by check on our scanners either so have to finish the order at the front register.
I use self checkout when I have few items. It is quicker than congregating in a regular checkout behind carts loaded with groceries. I scan my items, pay by check, and I am on my way.
If I have a cart loaded with groceries, I use a regular checkout.
We can shut that nagging voice up on our scanners. On the first screen there's a button with a pic of a megaphone. Click on that, a red X appears and is shut up! I love that button. lol
Can't pay by check on our scanners either so have to finish the order at the front register.
ARE YOU SERIOUS??? I wish I had noticed that years ago! We've had these self-check scanner lanes for about 3 years. I will have to look for that red X next time before I put in my Kroger # for savings! THANK YOU!
I'm not sure how else they would have a printout of a purchase I made just seconds ago, unless it came from my phone. They don't have one, because it wouldn't be possible, everything is done electronically through the app.
So everyone else who went through an actual cashier has their receipt checked against their purchases at the door, but the person who uses an app on their phone on the honor system is given a pass to just walk out with no verification at all? Yeah, that sounds legit.
Do you really think this app isn't tied into the POS system at the store where you are shopping? That they just take your word that you didn't put four of an item in your cart but only scanned two, either accidentally or fraudulently?
I hate shopping. When I go to the store, I'm there to collect what I want to buy, get through the check-out as expediently as possible, and get out.
I've dealt with too many slow cashiers moving at a glacial pace. I've dealt with gabby cashiers who spend too much time talking to the customers and holding up the line. I've dealt with cashiers ringing up the sale wrong, cashiers who were interrupted to perform price checks and other services for customers while I had to stand there and wait. I've dealt with rude cashiers who obviously woke up on the wrong side of bed. I've even dealt with nosy cashiers who gave me strange or dirty looks if they thought my purchase was strange or unusual. No judgmental cashiers or religious zealots who disagree with what I want to buy.
The only thing I don't like about the self check-out lanes is seeing just how many people STILL can't efficiently use the technology. Some still have issues just swiping their card and pressing the right buttons on the key pad. This can happen in a cashier line, too, but at least the cashier is there to immediately help the person.
The only thing that slows me up at the self check-out is locating the bar code on the package. Sometimes that thing is notoriously hard to find so I stand there like a fool spinning the item around in my hands looking on every available surface trying to find it.
All in all, though, I use the self check-out whenever I can. I don't need a fake smile and an insincere "thank you for shopping at ... " for me to get what I need and go.
However, we just can't keep automating everything or there won't be any jobs left for the bottom half of the IQ pool. Even CEOs are putting out warnings to those paying attention that around 7 million lower-paying jobs will be lost by 2020 to automation.
What are those people supposed to do? Take their 85 IQ to the nearest university and become a computer engineer?
*Disclaimer: No, I'm not saying all cashiers are ... somewhat less than brilliant. I'm saying that there needs to be simple, low-responsibility jobs for those who are only capable of working such a job. Otherwise, you're going to have a large part of the population sitting on welfare through no fault of their own.
When self-checkeout lanes first became available here, back in the late 1990s-early 2000s, I was excited about using them. But then, as more stores got them, the machines seemed to become more difficult to use -- not scanning properly or refusing to scan items. Perhaps some stores started using cheaper versions of self-checkout machines.
Eventually it got to the point where I couldnt use self-checkout without having assistance from a checker to unlock the machine repeatedly. Very frustrating.
Now I'll use self-checkout if I have only a few items. But, if I have a week's worth of groceries, I'll wait in a regular checkout line.
I'm not sure how else they would have a printout of a purchase I made just seconds ago, unless it came from my phone. They don't have one, because it wouldn't be possible, everything is done electronically through the app.
Printouts can happen in seconds....in the time it takes you to walk from the register to the door. They can also be on a screen which is even faster.
This one woman had a HUGE basket of stuff and it took her forever to get it all done while customers in line were getting madder and madder.
We have one grocery store that has NO limit on the number of items you can go through the self-checkout with. This makes no sense to me when there are only four self-checkout registers. I no longer shop at this store.
I love self-checkout. I buy lots of produce, so I'll weigh it and print a label to place on the item's plastic bag. When I get to the register to pay, all I have to do is scan my items and the process goes quickly and smoothly.
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