Inefficiency puts people out of work not advancing technology. By staying efficient and profitable these merchants are continuing to provide jobs for their employees. If you don’t think this is true just think American auto industry.

I use the self checkouts all the time. Faster for me. I hate Wal-Mart and their damned lines! (Why do they have 25 cashier stations, but only two are ever open???)

I use self checkouts at Home Depot, WalMart and a couple of other places. I’ll only do so when I have a relatively small number of items that all have clear UPC codes. I find them much more efficient, even if the cashier needs to come over to help.

Most stores have trouble finding enough qualified and reliable employees today and this is just a response to that, I believe.

I don’t think it puts people out of work. It actually creates more work because no matter how easy you think it is to use those self-checkouts, there is always a problem and a store clerk has to be called over.

if you bring your own reusable, canvas bag, you won’t have to hear “paper or plastic?” again either!

I’m on board with #2 and #3. I use the self scan check-outs all the time at my local grocery store. I usually limit it to 10 items or less, but if you get people in front of you who know how to tie their shoes without drooling on themselves it’s usually way faster here.

Since many people avoid them, if I am running in for 3-4 items I can walk in, get my items, check-out, and be out of the store. I don’t have to listen to the old lady in front of me chit chat about how large her cats hairballs are and I don’t need to play nice guy with a cashier.

Effeciencies can open up other opportunities just as technologies can. But, rarely does a company offer to help the “displaced” with learning how to use the new technologies or be a part of them.

Wal-Mart is one of the most frustrating when it comes to the self-check out or people check out. They have tons of stations that have no one in them. I highly doubt it is because they can’t find people to hire. And many times only a few of the self-check outs are working. Service seems to be down and prices higher. Doesn’t seem like a good deal for anyone except the stockholders.

I like the self-checkouts. I rarely go through the lines that have cashier’s. When I find a mistake, it can be fixed there. Also, the coupons go through without a hitch unlike the cashier’s who argue with you about something on the coupon. Also, you don’t have to put up with an attitude from the machine.

ChrisCD, I wonder if that has less to do with lack of staff, technology replacing workers, or other sources and more to do with the low US dollar?

Considering you get far less goods when buying with USD from China (Yuan) than two years ago (something like 8.5% less) the Walmart folks have to make up the difference somewhere. That will come out of cutting costs or increasing prices. Since ‘Roll Forwards’ rather than ‘Roll Backs’ haven’t appeared in the flyer yet I assume they are trying to do the same work with less people.

1) Home Depot here has 4 self checkouts and one cashier manning them. Every time I’ve been there, the cashier has anticipated every problem, and generally been right there before I could turn to ask for help. It’s the most efficient self checkout process I’ve seen (the 4 registers are set up in a box, with the cashier near the front-middle).

2) I prefer using self checkouts because I dislike talking to the cashiers sometimes, and because I dislike anyone else bagging my stuff (bag people have a tendency to get confused/annoyed/belligerent if you try to take over the job). I was a grocery store cashier for 3 years, and bag things faster and better than most baggers (I had to bag and be cashier 95% of the time).

Adoption of the technology is slow and many people are not yet efficient at bagging their own groceries. As people get used to the idea, I think the ROI on the activity will improve. Especially as it takes one attendent to run four automated checkout machines.

-4MySales

I use the self checkouts every chance I get as well. Sometimes I don’t feel like dealing with the cashiers anymore than they feel like dealing with the customers.

Most of the stores around here do not have self checkouts. There is only one place where I go maybe once every 2-3 months. I tried the self checkout once, scanned a few items successfully and then ran into a problem and had to wait for an employee to help. I found it a very frustrating experience and decided never to use the self checkout again.

My grocery store has about 15 checkout lanes and it seems that there are never more than three open, even when lines are 10 deep. Why has this become standard practice at so many businesses? I have many reasons for not shopping at Wal-Mart anymore, and the obscenely long lines (30+ minutes is not uncommon) are definitely on the list.

I have no problem with self-checkouts, but I almost always avoid them because something always goes wrong. You bring up an interesting and thoughtful point about how those who could theoretically benefit most from self-checkout are unable to use them. I hadn’t considered that before.

There are two competing grocery stores in my area, and although the one with self-check is a few blocks further, I go there. I only purchase a few items at a time (which i believe is the store’s intended use) and can usually get in and out of the store in 5 – 10 minutes.

I think the self checkout is very easy and works like a dream provided you have worked retail when you were younger and are comfortable with the scanner. I tend to save 25-50% of the time checking out, not counting the line. The only main problem is when you get someone not technical proficent trying to use them.

I use self-checkouts when possible for the reasons mentioned by others, but fairly few stores in my area offer them.

The next time the lines are so long, why not try politely asking a cashier (or a person in Customer Service) to call up additional cashiers?

When I cashiered at CVS, the policy was crystal clear (not that we didn’t ignore it sometimes): if there were three or more customers in ANY given line, the cashier had to page for an additional cashier, even if that meant that a manager had to ring up customers. Try reminding people of that policy the next time you’re standing in a long line at CVS.