Walmart & the self checkout...

Sunny said:
I read an article about the amount of theft and cheating on those self-checkout machines. It's apparently very commonplace. The stores know about it, and largely don't care, as the machines save them money anyway.

It's amazing, the tricks people come up with to cheat the system. Some people actually change price tags and labels, so it scans a cheaper item! I suppose if they are caught, it's very hard to prove that they're the ones who did it.

So, the self-checkout machines really are a kind of honor system.
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You can change price tags and present it to a cashier as well. They are too busy to notice or fool around. They just scan what they have in front of them. ATM machines are here to stay and so is self checkouts and paying with cash or checks is obsolete. But there will always be cashiers or attendants. And there is always someone full time updating prices in the computer system and after hours as well .
 

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Judycat said:
At least you didn't say, "You can always shop online." :mad: Grr.
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I'm with you on that.
The nearest small mall is preparing to shut down because allegedly nobody needs or wants retail stores anymore. Heck we don't!!! There are plenty of people who either can't or don't want to shop online, plus many people simply enjoy shopping at their favorite brick-and-mortar places.
 

MarciKS said:
It looks as if they're going ahead with it according to this recent article.
https://www.theblaze.com/news/walmart-self-checkout-new-fayatteville

I frankly have no desire to support this. Putting people out of work & making customers basically do their work for them. That's a crock to me.
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One of the stores I went to often years ago had a self-checkout option, but had regular cashiers, too. I did self-checkout when I was in a hurry or only had a couple of items. It could have been Walmart, I'm not sure.
 
JB in SC said:
This is too funny, the local Walmart can’t keep the six self checkout machines running now. There are at least three or four employees around the things all the time trying to figure out how to get them to work (n)
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Judycat said:
At least you didn't say, "You can always shop online." :mad: Grr.
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i have shopped online once. I like holding the item in my hand before I buy it. I'm in the minority. Self checkout has its faults. That nagging voice telling you to put the item in the bagging area. Shut up already. I'm trying to get the damned bag open.(n)
 
JaniceM said:
I'm with you on that.
The nearest small mall is preparing to shut down because allegedly nobody needs or wants retail stores anymore. Heck we don't!!! There are plenty of people who either can't or don't want to shop online, plus many people simply enjoy shopping at their favorite brick-and-mortar places.
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I'd rather shop in store but not in the middle of a frickin pandemic. I got an email survey from Sam's Club & told them I'd be happier if they hadn't botched my one & only attempt to order online & if someone would mail me my membership card since I don't wanna go into the store in the middle of COVID. Plus I don't know if they do curbside here.
 
JB in SC said:
This is too funny, the local Walmart can’t keep the six self checkout machines running now. There are at least three or four employees around the things all the time trying to figure out how to get them to work (n)
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Technology is not always better. Faster is not always better.
 
It's really hard to keep up with technology now. Everytime you change computers or cell phones or whatever, there's a new learning curve.
But there's no going back is there? People without computers are at a disadvantage.
For instance, booking a flight and picking and choosing days and prices and seats.
 
The three Walmarts around where I live/work all have self-checkout options as do the grocery stores I go to.

I have no preference. I just look for the shortest line/wait time and go there.
 
Although I'm not a big fan of self checkout in general, one of the things I do like about self checkout is being able to pack my bags just the way I want.

When cashiers or their helpers (usually younger ones) quickly pack my bags in order to rush me through they often fill them way too much. I then find them difficult to carry. Occasionally items will either fall out or get crushed (eg. bread) as a result of store employees "speed" packing the bags.

In the past I have told them repeatedly but either they don't really listen or care. Now, after leaving the cashier I always my rearrange my grocery bags to make them more manageable.
 
Lashann said:
Although I'm not a big fan of self checkout in general, one of the things I do like about self checkout is being able to pack my bags just the way I want.

When cashiers or their helpers (usually younger ones) quickly pack my bags in order to rush me through they often fill them way too much. I then find them difficult to carry. Occasionally items will either fall out or get crushed (eg. bread) as a result of store employees "speed" packing the bags.

In the past I have told them repeatedly but either they don't really listen or care. Now, after leaving the cashier I always my rearrange my grocery bags to make them more manageable.
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I always ask them to bag my bread separate & hand it to me that way I don't have that problem. Nothing makes me more mad than them smashing my bread. But I still don't like that they are in essence telling us...here...we're sick of it....take care of yourself.
 
I don’t mind self check, as long as they discount my purchases. Since that will never happen, I will continue to avoid self checkout as long as possible. BTW, I DO NOT go to Walmart. I stopped that years ago.
 
Smokey613 said:
I don’t mind self check, as long as they discount my purchases. Since that will never happen, I will continue to avoid self checkout as long as possible. BTW, I DO NOT go to Walmart. I stopped that years ago.
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I haven't been since before the pandemic & frankly not missing it. Have a good day all.
 
I don't use those self check outs. I wind up trying to smash them. I've gone after one of those ******* lousy. no good******* machines. I'm not against them. I just want them to actually WORK. For example, if you scan a can of peas, and put it in your sack, the damn thing beeps, says you have caused on error and wants you to rescan the peas, BUT you've already scanned them, and you are going to be charged twice for the same can. The machines do not have enough computing capacity in them to account for various products. fruits, can goods, large products, veggies.. They are OK if you have 1 or 2 standard products- anything more than that and they freeze up.
There are too many variables that a human cashier can overcome, but a machine with a limited capacity cannot. To put it another way, the ****** machines don't work.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I don't use those self check outs. I wind up trying to smash them. I've gone after one of those ******* lousy. no good******* machines. I'm not against them. I just want them to actually WORK. For example, if you scan a can of peas, and put it in your sack, the damn thing beeps, says you have caused on error and wants you to rescan the peas, BUT you've already scanned them, and you are going to be charged twice for the same can. The machines do not have enough computing capacity in them to account for various products. fruits, can goods, large products, veggies.. They are OK if you have 1 or 2 standard products- anything more than that and they freeze up.
There are too many variables that a human cashier can overcome, but a machine with a limited capacity cannot. To put it another way, the ****** machines don't work.
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Huh. I’ve never had a problem. The only issue is when I scan alcohol and then have to wait for the attendant to come over and Look at my ID to verify that I’m over 21.

Seriously??? You can’t see the gray hair and wrinkles from your post 10 feet away?? 😒👵
 
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Ronni said:
Huh. I’ve never had a problem. The only issue is when I scan alcohol and then have to wait for the attendant to come over and Look at my ID to verify that I’m over 21.

Seriously??? You can’t see the gray hair and wrinkles from your post 10 feet away?? 😒👵
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Two stores in town with different policies for alcohol purchases. One has trained staff who recognize age and the other who has to key in your birth date.
 
Ceege said:
I don't have large orders to check out and the 5-10 items I do get are just right for the self-checkout. They have one employee there to help if you have a problem. Now, a large amount I could see as a problem for some people. But, I have gotten large orders in the past and checked them out myself easily. The only downside I see to this is putting people out of a job. And, I really doubt if the prices will go down any because of it.

Government complains if people don't have jobs, but look the other way as jobs are taken from people in the name of technology. If people are not needed for work anymore, how do they earn money to buy life's necessities? Will we be driven to a universal basic income? https://www.thebalance.com/universal-basic-income-4160668
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Thanks for that link Ceege...that's a very good article worth some thought!
 
Ronni said:
Huh. I’ve never had a problem. The only issue is when I scan alcohol and then have to wait for the attendant to come over and Look at my ID to verify that I’m over 21.

Seriously??? You can’t see the gray hair and wrinkles from your post 10 feet away?? 😒👵
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I don't drink alcohol but I've had the same problem with tobacco and vaping products at one store. It started before the age was increased to 21. The worst of it was when the cashiers were in their late teens or young adults, and seemed to really get a kick out of denying a sale to a senior just because I currently have no valid ID- their extremely rude and condescending attitude/behavior. :mad:
 
"Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated." Still, I will resist for as long as I can. I'm old and now tired of being herded to places I don't want to go. Stay home. Wear a mask. Teleconference doctor appointment. and on and on. After a while, enough is enough. Don...
 
Macfan said:
"Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated." Still, I will resist for as long as I can. I'm old and now tired of being herded to places I don't want to go. Stay home. Wear a mask. Teleconference doctor appointment. and on and on. After a while, enough is enough. Don...
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Resistance is futile. Surrender while there is still time. Teleconference with my doctor? I take my blood pressure at home. I tell him my blood pressure is higher than I'm used to. He says take one more of those water pills and make an appointment to see me in two months. I didn't do it.
 
I really don't mind using self-checkout if I have just a few items, but then again I enjoyed playing "store" in kindergarten! Self-checkout keeps me out of those lines where the people ahead have full shopping carts, and are likely to move at a snail's pace through the checkout. As the self-checkout requires you to do not only your own scanning plus bagging while inserting cash or card and retrieving any change, I'm inclined to do it only with a dozen or fewer items. More than that and the time saved isn't worth the labor and bother...
 
I always choose a self-check out because it is faster for me and I can't stand a long time waiting. Sometimes if my boyfriend gets in line before me, then we will be waiting in a line for a cashier. So I sit on the seat on my rolling walker. I like packing my groceries in my bags instead of having someone else handling them. I scan and bag his purchases for him too. I like to do it and have been doing it since their first self checkout was put in.
 

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