Customer service at the grocery

July 21, 2026, 10:10 AM

joel9507

quote:
Originally posted by sourdough44:
I’m recently back from the self checkout at Walmart.

And that's not what it used to be either.

For loss-prevention reasons, they instituted a limit of 15 items max in self-check self-check recently.

July 23, 2026, 08:17 PM

smlsig

quote:
Originally posted by oldbill123:
At my Costco self checkout, an employee scans your card then items. Checkout is just swiping the credit card at the machine. They have a scanner that attaches to their pointer finger and it is linked to their tablet

We had accounts at the three big wholesale clubs and although they all have their pluses and minuses we found the Sam’s Club Scan and Go to be amazingly easy to use as we go through the store. When we’re ready to leave just a quick swipe and it’s charged to our CC and out the door we go. It cal literally save 15 minutes standing in line and processing our items. I read in the WSJ that Costco is trying this process out but so far it’s not available near us.

July 25, 2026, 08:01 AM

selogic

quote:
Originally posted by smlsig:
quote:
Originally posted by oldbill123:

We had accounts at the three big wholesale clubs and although they all have their pluses and minuses we found the Sam’s Club Scan and Go to be amazingly easy to use as we go through the store. When we’re ready to leave just a quick swipe and it’s charged to our CC and out the door we go. It cal literally save 15 minutes standing in line and processing our items. I read in the WSJ that Costco is trying this process out but so far it’s not available near us.

The Sam's Scan and Go is great

July 25, 2026, 09:39 AM

Anush

quote:
Sam’s Club Scan and Go to be amazingly easy to use as we go through the store

Does not work for me as my wife changes her mind several times and I must return the items to the shelf.

July 25, 2026, 12:00 PM

12131

^^^^ But that’s a customer problem, not a store problem.

July 25, 2026, 12:12 PM

.38supersig

Publix self checkout around here is for cards only.

I pay with cash and shop elsewhere.

July 25, 2026, 12:24 PM

12131

quote:
Originally posted by tatortodd:
HEB…………Kroger

Same here. Both are within a mile from the house. No contest. Kroger sucks. The only time I have to go to Kroger is every few months to pick up a cosmetic related item the wife wants that HEB doesn’t carry.

July 26, 2026, 07:34 PM

selogic

quote:
Originally posted by Anush:
quote:
Sam’s Club Scan and Go to be amazingly easy to use as we go through the store

Does not work for me as my wife changes her mind several times and I must return the items to the shelf.

It only takes a few seconds to delete an item .

July 27, 2026, 09:19 PM

lyman

35 years in the biz,
about 24 at Winn Dixie and the rest at Kroger,

most of that time management, including Store MAnager

we (both companies) struggled to find good help, and good asst managers and dept heads,

locations mattered, burbs were sometimes the worst, unless you had country folk nearby,

city or hood stores were always a challenge

July 31, 2026, 06:50 AM

bendable

Self check out is where I take my $24.00 in pocket change , four times a year.

August 01, 2026, 08:37 PM

Black92LX

We have had a Publix for a bit now and my issues have been resolved!

I too have left a full shopping cart in the checkout lane of a Kroger as they refused to open a checkout lane.

We tried the pick up thing and it is just not possible for us.
We have two Celiac boys and they would always substitute gluten free things that were out of stock with non gluten free.
Also produce, meat, and fruit was always crap.

I did a Whole Foods delivery a couple times when it was free with the App when Amazon took over.
I chose a 7-8am delivery time as it was summer and I did not want everything out in the heat.

They started shopping at 3:30 AM and would send notifications for substitute products that were out.
Ended up being awake from 3:30-4:30am answering messages

August 03, 2026, 04:51 PM

sjtill

Herein NorCal (we've moved back from San Diego) Safeway has one manned checkout line and a lot of semi-idle people hanging around. Forced to choose between self-checkout or waiting. Sometimes the only manned line is the express line. Who wants to do self-checkout with 50 items?

Trader Joe's OTOH has NO repeat NO self-checkout lines; they double-bag with a smile.

_________________________
“Good intentions will always be pleaded for every assumption of authority. It is hardly too strong to say that the Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. –Daniel Webster (1782-1852)"

August 03, 2026, 06:45 PM

V-Tail

quote:
Originally posted by sjtill:

Herein NorCal (we've moved back from San Diego) Safeway has one manned checkout line

Come to Florida. The local Publix here has plenty of attended checkout lines, frequently there are some with no customers and the cashiers are standing outside the lines, motioning for customers to check out. The bagger will often help move things from the cart onto the conveyor. It's hard to beat Publix for customer service.

August 04, 2026, 10:42 AM

calugo

I understand your frustration but you really just wasted an hour of your life and didn't accomplish anything plus you still need to go shopping. Before I walked out I would have just used the self checkout lane and been on my way.

August 04, 2026, 11:31 AM

Schmelby

quote:
Originally posted by calugo:
I understand your frustration but you really just wasted an hour of your life and didn't accomplish anything plus you still need to go shopping. Before I walked out I would have just used the self checkout lane and been on my way.

Well, with 60 items and a lot of produce a scanner and bagger can get me out in three or four minutes. With self checkout I have to look up every produce code that the checkout people have memorized, large items that won't go on the little scale to be weighed and the attendant has to come over, I'll be there 20 minutes. Where is my discount for saving them money so they don't have to hire another employee?
When I shop I usually buy for 7-10 days.
At regular hours Meijer management will open another lane if they see more than two or three people in a lane. At Kroger, there can be five management types in customer service watching one lane with seven people in line and no help, I think it's because Kroger is still unionized. Someone would file a grievance.
I wish we had Publix but that will never happen in Cincinnati.
Just a rant about customer service in general.
I don't know if I wasted an hour, I'm retired, I have all day!

August 04, 2026, 11:36 AM

SpinZone

quote:
Originally posted by calugo:
I understand your frustration but you really just wasted an hour of your life and didn't accomplish anything plus you still need to go shopping. Before I walked out I would have just used the self checkout lane and been on my way.

Sometime you have to just cut your loses and move on.

“We truly live in a wondrous age of stupid.” - 83v45magna

"I think it's important that people understand free speech doesn't mean free from consequences societally or politically or culturally."
-Pranjit Kalita, founder and CIO of Birkoa Capital Management

August 04, 2026, 12:06 PM

HRK

quote:
Originally posted by Schmelby:
Well, with 60 items and a lot of produce a scanner and bagger can get me out in three or four minutes. With self checkout I have to look up every produce code that the checkout people have memorized, large items that won't go on the little scale to be weighed and the attendant has to come over, I'll be there 20 minutes. Where is my discount for saving them money so they don't have to hire another employee?
When I shop I usually buy for 7-10 days.
At regular hours Meijer management will open another lane if they see more than two or three people in a lane. At Kroger, there can be five management types in customer service watching one lane with seven people in line and no help, I think it's because Kroger is still unionized. Someone would file a grievance.
I wish we had Publix but that will never happen in Cincinnati.
Just a rant about customer service in general.
I don't know if I wasted an hour, I'm retired, I have all day!

Two Northern KY Locations, be a little drive but hey you're retired, right?

Northern Kentucky Locations
Publix at Triple Crown Shopping Center: 430 Richwood Road, Walton KY

Publix at Cold Spring Pointe: 5401 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring KY