Self-Checkout

[Jason]

Now I did mention the "male Karen" and he was complaining about self-checkout on a social media rant. Well, what do you see are the pros and cons of it?

 

[Aaron]

I love the self checkout. People say it takes jobs from people but those shelves aren't going to stock themselves! Plus there are staff always by the self checkout in case anyone needs assistance or someone tries to shoplift.

It makes it easier because I really don't like talking to people.

 

[Paul]

Never used them, never will.

Late last year, there was a meme on facebook where someone asked a supermarket can they go to their staff Christmas party because they've been doing their own service all year.

 

[Arantor]

Well, a supermarket is going to like self-checkouts because the running costs are generally lower than having staff - even allowing for the inevitable thefts that will occur. You need fewer staff to handle as many customers, they don’t need time off, they don’t get sick as much (statistically).

And people like me who don’t particularly enjoy social contact can go in, get my things and go without feeling like I’m being rude.

 

[Empire]

I use them all the time, get some people screaming at them

 

[Dismal_Bliss]

I am not fond of them, but I have gotten used to them. Technology has improved over the years. When these first started becoming a thing, they would glitch all the time and freeze while I had to wait for an assistant. If you so much as bumped the scale or moved a bag to make room for another bag it thought you were stealing. Very obnoxious. But most of these issues have been very much improved.

What I do like is Scan & Go. I just scan my items with my phone as I put them in my cart. Once you earn trust you never get checked again.

 

[Jason]

I don't see the big deal about them and I don't think they're really reducing jobs. The bottom line is it speeds stuff up which is what consumers want.

 

[MrDawn]

Well, what do you see are the pros and cons of it?

If you have a big load, it takes too long to stand there and scan all of that stuff. At that point, I'd rather go with a human cashier.

 

[Arantor]

This is why scan-as-you-go is superior.

Or you could be me, do it all online and let that be their problem.

 

[Cory]

I use self-checkouts almost always because I don't buy a buggy full or close to it when I go shopping. Conveniently, you usually don't have to wait in line and it just seems quicker overall to grab and go and get back to what you were doing.

 

[Liam]

Only use them if I have a couple of items. otherwise I prefer to go to someone. They’re much quicker and bag the groceries way better than I do lol