quote:

All these self check out things are due to bean counters.

true and it's going to increase,

All this complaining about self scanners, and yet not long ago on SF we had a Minimum wage thread, everyone stated that companies would replace the higher wage required people with machines.

Now thats happening and here we are complaining about self scanners.

I like them, it eliminates the bog with chatty customers and cashiers, stops you from being stuck behind someone who's not prepared to pay once the cashiers done, no standing in express behind an idiot with 20 items in a 10 item line.

You can go to a machine, scan my two or three items and be done... Perfect!

I prefer a machine.

We no longer have attendants in elevators to push buttons, and that’s a good thing.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

quote:

All these self check out things are due to bean counters.

true and it's going to increase,

All this complaining about self scanners, and yet not long ago on SF we had a Minimum wage thread, everyone stated that companies would replace the higher wage required people with machines.

Now thats happening and here we are complaining about self scanners.

I like them, it eliminates the bog with chatty customers and cashiers, stops you from being stuck behind someone who's not prepared to pay once the cashiers done, no standing in express behind an idiot with 20 items in a 10 item line.

You can go to a machine, scan my two or three items and be done... Perfect!

I'm with you. I use self checkout the majority of the time.

I like the SAMs club process. Scan with your phone as you are shopping. Press pay. The app ask you to confirm the number of items in your cart. Then Swipe right to pay with any card stored in the app. Walk to front door. The Attendant scans the code on your phone screen and then scans a few select items in your cart, if they match off you go. Note that SAMs does not have any sold by the pound type items that would require a scale.

They can solve these problems by having an actual cashier employed to ring you up. They want me to be my own cashier then I should be getting a discount. What's next? I have to unload the truck too?

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
They can solve these problems by having an actual cashier employed to ring you up. They want me to be my own cashier then I should be getting a discount. What's next? I have to unload the truck too?

It's just possible that their expenses have risen enough post pandemic that it's either raise their prices or use self checkout to bring their finances in line.

I LOVE self check out and use them all the time to the point I am avoidng stores that don't have a good setup of them.

However they are ripe for fraud, especially for operators that trust people in general. The bottom of the basket is the worst offender as I see it all the time where people put stuff in the bottom of the basket and then casually move it with the rest of their items when they think they are not bing watched before leaving where the out door person would probably spot it. I was a bag boy for a supermarket chain back in 1968 and back then they beat the whole "bottom of the cart" thing as part of training. Of course there are other ways to scam but that is a big one.

It doesn't help either that in many places police will not show up for shop lifting complaints unless the amount is rediculously high, several hundred dollars in some places and the best the store can do is to take the items if the thief does not want to pay for them or maybe try and ban them from the store for future shopping.

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:
I have rarely seen the machines down for repairs. Another factor is the machines don't get sick, don't call off, don't go on strike, don't ask for raises, don't get attitudes.

.

Come to my local Meijer store. Two banks of self checkouts, east side is usually closed down, west side is the larger of the two with maybe twelve machines. Usual M.O. is at least two out of order and they recently upgraded the equipment, doesn’t seem to matter. Been here eighteen years and it’s been the same story all that time. I’ve complained to corporate so many times I’ve lost count.

Their stock answer is that they are working to improve it. Yeah, won’t hold my breath. Only reason I go there is nobody else carries some of the things they do in grocery products. They have two other stores but it’s a twenty four plus mile round trip to them.

I often find myself using self-checkouts, but for small purchases, and of items that don't have to be looked up or weighed. Some are better than others. Walmart's and Food City's are OK, but some others, like those of Publix, Kroger and the local IGA, are like "Karens," continually haranguing me. "Please put item in bagging area." "Unexplained item in bagging area." If a large item like a case of drinking water, "Do not place item in bagging area." I probably got some stares when I said out loud to one to STFU. I do however have a new-found respect for cashiers and baggers. It's not as easy as it looks.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

I often find myself using self-checkouts . . . like those of Publix

Does Publix in your area have self-checkouts? I have never seen one in any of the Publix locations in the Orlando area.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:

quote:

Originally posted by Edmond:

If you are a member at Sam's, their scan and go app is very good.

Sounds very similar to Walmart's. In fact, considering they're practically the same company, it probably is the same application.

Sam’s Club is a little different in that you just pay for your purchases in the app, you skip the registers entirely. It puts QR code on your screen that the person at the exit scans That person counts your items and scans some of their UPC codes to make sure they match. They always scan the meat for example so people can’t scan a lower weight package and put a higher weight package in their cart.

It works fantastic down here with all these technologically challenged folks and their flip phones.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

I often find myself using self-checkouts . . . like those of Publix

Does Publix in your area have self-checkouts? I have never seen one in any of the Publix locations in the Orlando area.

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a self checkout at Publix.

Publix does have an app you place your order through, set a pickup time, pull into a special parking spot when you get to the store, they bring your groceries out to you, and load them in the car. You don’t even shut the car off let alone set foot in the store.

Walmart does this as well. You guys complaining about WalMartians in the aisles are doing it wrong. Between the pickup and free delivery, my wife hasn’t set foot in a WalMart in over two years. As a bonus, the pickup spots aren’t located in the areas the average WalMartian parks, so you don’t even have to deal with that.

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
It's just possible that their expenses have risen enough post pandemic that it's either raise their prices or use self checkout to bring their finances in line.

It's possible that these places are full of shit and already charging what the full market price on the goods. They're just looking to stick a few extra dollars in their pockets by replacing paid workers with someone that is willing to do that same work for free

I get it. More money for them. At least incentivize me with 10% off or something for having to deal with machines that are nowhere near as capable as the actual scanners at the registers. It's frustrating to sit in line waiting for a person to figure out how to scan their 20 items, of course having to rescan each item 3-4 times before it actually registers. I used to work at a major chain grocer and it's night and day between the capabilities of a self checkout and a regular POS terminal. Got produce? Forget about it!

My Krogers has about 12 self checkouts and have one cashier aisle open.
If I on the rare occasion have only a few items fine. But I only go about
every two weeks and might have sixty or seventy items. Are they going to give
me a discount for doing their work? Even when I go through the aisle I have to
start bagging my own groceries. They say they don't have enough employees, but
there are always four or five employees in the store with huge carts pulling
orders for people sitting in their car because they are too lazy to get off
their ass and do their own shopping. I'm sick of it.

quote:

Originally posted by trapper189:

Publix does have an app you place your order through, set a pickup time, pull into a special parking spot when you get to the store, they bring your groceries out to you, and load them in the car. You don’t even shut the car off let alone set foot in the store.

Is there an up-charge for using this service?

quote:

Originally posted by mutedblade:

quote:

Originally posted by Flash-LB:
It's just possible that their expenses have risen enough post pandemic that it's either raise their prices or use self checkout to bring their finances in line.

It's possible that these places are full of shit and already charging what the full market price on the goods. They're just looking to stick a few extra dollars in their pockets by replacing paid workers with someone that is willing to do that same work for free

I get it. More money for them. At least incentivize me with 10% off or something for having to deal with machines that are nowhere near as capable as the actual scanners at the registers. It's frustrating to sit in line waiting for a person to figure out how to scan their 20 items, of course having to rescan each item 3-4 times before it actually registers. I used to work at a major chain grocer and it's night and day between the capabilities of a self checkout and a regular POS terminal. Got produce? Forget about it!

With a profit margin of around 2.2%, I doubt they're full of shit. That's a slim margin.

https://thegrocerystoreguy.com...ser%20to%205%2D10%25.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Is there an up-charge for using this service?

They state it' free for curbside, but you have to enroll in the Instacart program, that states that items bought through the instacart program may have higher prices than if you shop inside yourself.

From Publix web page

Publix (powered by Instacart) connects you with a shopper who picks up the groceries you request and makes them ready for you to pick up, for free, at participating Publix locations. Curbside pickup details, including availability, pricing, payments, ordering, etc. can be found WWW.publix.com/deliveryLink opens in new window in the Help section.

For additional information, please call Instacart directly at 1 (888) 246-7822.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:

I often find myself using self-checkouts . . . like those of Publix

Does Publix in your area have self-checkouts? I have never seen one in any of the Publix locations in the Orlando area.

Yes, the Johnson City, TN store does have self-checkouts.