Being 'forced' to use self check out

Our local supermarket started using self check outs a few months ago. When we shoppers go during the first hour after opening (between 8 - 9 a.m.) we now have to use the self check outs. Due to COVID, I started going as soon as they open (nearly empty during that time), so had to learn to do it. Someone is close by to assist when needed however. I used to hate using self check outs. Now I've gotten used to it.
 

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Self-checkout is fine if you haven't got a lot of shopping to scan, it's not too busy and the machines are working otherwise, it's pretty chaotic.
I imagine it is cheaper for supermarkets to have self-checkouts than to employ staff but, I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that the shopper benefits from that saving.

in a lot of supermarkets the till staff did more than just scan your shopping though, there would often be someone to help people who needed a hand and a wider aisle for disabled people and wheelchair users. The self-checkouts don't seem very accessible nor is there usually much space.
 
One of the supermarkets here, were selling more carrots
through the self service tills, that they have fitted cameras,
one on each till, a bit like facial recognition, but there, they
get a picture of the customer when they approach it, then
they recognise the purchase, I don't know what happens if
you put the wrong item in and the camera doesn't agree.

Sainsbury's is the supermarket.

Mike.
 
Macfan said:
Local (Southern California) retailers have begun trying to force customers to use self checkout stations by not providing human cashiers. In a store last week, realized no cashiers available, put my items down and walked out. Guess we know where I stand on the issue. It should be interesting, can't wait to see how the dust settles on this one. I guess the choice is self checkout or online shopping :coffee:. Don...
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All the local grocery stores are self checkout around here ... at first I balked at the idea, but not anymore.
I go thru those like an expert now ...:ROFLMAO:


If something causes a problem and I can't get it to go thru the pricing process, I put it aside, and surprise! .. 'help' always comes running to fix the issue.
 
Here in Toronto my Wife and I shop at 3 different major supermarkets, Loblaws, Sobey's, and Metro. Why 3? We scan the on line flyers on Tuesday and make a list of what we will buy. By doing that we know which store has the best discounted prices on items we need to buy. All 3 stores are within a 5 mile radius of our house. We use the self check out all the time. Not because there are no cashiers, in fact the Loblaws store has 6 cashiers on duty at all times. We just like doing it ourselves, as a 2 person team. BTW> here in Canada there is a national program supported by the Retail Council of Canada that stipulates that if the shelf price does not agree with the cash register price....YOU GET IT FOR FREE up to the amount of ten dollars. Over 2250 retail companies are involved in that program, here in Canada. JimB.
 
Speaking of supermarkets, I was at Costco today and pleasantly surprised to see the store well stocked with Christmas items. Many artificial Christmas trees all decorated and lit up. Christmas gifts, toys, cookies, chocolates and door wreaths on display.

I only had to pickup a couple of items but walking through the wine area, I noticed they already have their famous Eggnog available. It's called Kirkland Traditional Holiday Eggnog Wine Cocktail. I love it so I grab a bottle. It is spiked with 13.9% alcohol. Going to have me a glass tonight. Christmas in September. LOL.

Staying on topic, I used self-checkout and there were like 5 attendants circulating between the machines. First thing I scanned was the Eggnog and the machine said that I would need assistance. Didn't have to flag down one of the attendants because a light above started blinking. Attendant came over right away and asked: "Are you sure you're over 21?" Before I could answer, he overrode the machine and smiled.
 
chic said:
I used to use self checkout when they gave the customer the whole aisle to do it in, but now they have this tiny area where it's such a hassle with no belt and nowhere to put all your purchases I stopped and went back to human checkout.
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Chic the self check outs in our local supermarket, which is relatively small compared to it's larger sister, are just stations...no isles. So customers take their items out of the cart to be scanned and must leave them on the relatively short "belt" until after checking out. The machines used to have this annoying message "Please remove your items", repeated several times until every last item is removed (I put them back in the cart). Last time I went, the one I used didn't do that. Maybe the managers realized how annoying it is.
 
I have used self checkout twice. First time, I was 'directed' to the SC by a smiling staff member who clearly missed her calling as a flight attendant. The process to get my shopping through that thing took so long I vowed never again. Second time was forced due to all the manual checkouts crashing - no idea why the SC's were still working but none of the manual checkouts were. I had to wait a ridiculous amount of time for one to become available, watching people trying to work out how to use them was entertaining, until it was my turn.

No matter what I did, the thing mocked me, refused to acknowledge that I did not wish to use a bag (I had my own) and repeatedly told me to remove the item from the basket, when I hadn't put an item in the basket. Last straw was arrogantly being instructed to request assistance. I'm afraid I slapped it, across the face, declaring "I will NOT request assistance and, further, I am leaving right now and YOU can return all this stuff to the shelves!"
 
Macfan said:
Local (Southern California) retailers have begun trying to force customers to use self checkout stations by not providing human cashiers. In a store last week, realized no cashiers available, put my items down and walked out. Guess we know where I stand on the issue. It should be interesting, can't wait to see how the dust settles on this one. I guess the choice is self checkout or online shopping :coffee:. Don...
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Interesting. Never seen a self checkout up here in the North —except purely voluntary in some super markets, but that is nothing new. Labor shortage In the South?
 
Not all self-checkouts are created equal. I was explaining to my husband today what the extra issues were in the store we stopped in today. Too many questions first, small fonts, location the receipt was extracted, *no cash allowed, no gun for heavy items, how are you paying, etc. Some stores will permit you to pay with cash if you flag a customer agents. At this same store a few month ago, a lady couldn’t buy a sale item because she only had cash. She really wanted it but I wasn’t going through the till at the same time.
 
Macfan said:
Local (Southern California) retailers have begun trying to force customers to use self checkout stations by not providing human cashiers. In a store last week, realized no cashiers available, put my items down and walked out. Guess we know where I stand on the issue. It should be interesting, can't wait to see how the dust settles on this one. I guess the choice is self checkout or online shopping :coffee:. Don...
Click to expand...
Saw this in a documentary on China about a year ago. They were showing how customers went into stores and there were no cashiers. They shopped under surveillance and everything was Artificial intelligence-run.
 
Many of the jobs in markets were never designed for people who have families to support. (except cashiers). The same applies to employees of fast food restaurants. Most of those jobs were originally designed for part-time high school students. However, some years ago, a mass movement demanded much, much higher wages. Locally, in California, minimum wages for those jobs is now $15/hr.

In my opinion, the vast majority of those low skilled/ low educated people are NOT worth even $9.00/hr. Heck, they don't even know what items their store sells. A few years ago, in Walmart, I could not locate ironing boards. I stopped a stocker and asked him, "Can you please tell me where the ironing boards are "? His reply ? "WHAT ARE THEY USED FOR?'. Jeez, a stocker working at Walmart who doesn't know what an ironing board is ?

Supermarkets could hire more employees , BUT then the cost of food would be so high that no-one would shop there.
 
Most people who seem ok with Self Check Out are not looking at the long game. This is just the start of a miserable end down the road. Who would have thought one accident in the scanning process or a system error can lead a person to a conviction for theft, jail time, and Attorney fees, and they definitely are not cheap ;) Ive heard some stores offering to drop charges, and using this as a cheap tactic in return for a$250 fine with a case dismissed...

I refuse to shop at self check out stores, that dont have any humans on registers, and I refuse to shop there if the lines are too long, because you have 14 people waiting on one open register, and 9 closed ones while 8 self check outs are available. As a Customer I expect to have my purchases tendered by an employee or the owner them selves, with them bagging the items, and handing me the receipt as any contract would end. Yea tendering a receipt is a contract of sale. If a business does not tender the sale, then no contract has been made.. Its technically automatically theft.. Vending Machines dont count because there is no receipt, and no tender, and no witness, and the machine is actually giving you the product...

As time progresses I see more stores monopolizing, and using a method of having longer lines in a human self check out to force you into using their self checkouts. Its really messed up cheesy tactics... My fear is if every store goes completely self checkout, what do we do as consumers getting the basic human needs, are we really going to allow companies that much control over our lives that put us into unwanted legal situations...

Has anyone really thought about how their actions have a cause and effect on social order where people need jobs to earn income to live life... Service related jobs are a huge portion of the economy, and without them, we will be in a social downward spiral. The next time your a victim of a crime, and someone robs you to pay their bills, remember you used the self checkout line, and robbed them of an honest living because you felt entitled, and wanted it faster, and cheaper..

For now you might get a discount but after everyone is brainwashed like cattle in line to the slaughter house, and they have full control it wont be so beneficial. They don't need implanted chips, all they need to do is make it a privilege to self check out, and if you don't agree with their politics, or views, or fit into society, and fall in line, you wont be allowed to shop.
 
The large Sainsbury's, where I do most of my shopping,
now has 3 different self service tills.
1 Self Scan tills, you get a reader, and scan your items
and pack them into bags on the trolley, the till reads the
scanner and takes card payments only.

2 Self checkout for hand baskets, small shopping cash or
card, payments.

3 Self checkout for large trolley/cart shopping, these take
ages for somebody to scan their items on to a belt then
pay, cash or card accepted, you then need to bag all of the
shopping.

There are manned tills too, maybe 6, these are popular.

Mike.
 

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