Have supermarkets reached peak self-scan?

BBC ^ | Aug 25 | Emer Moreau

[RandFan]

After years of encouraging shoppers to scan their own groceries, some supermarkets are checking out a move back to traditional tills.

Asda said it would put more staff on checkouts, while Morrisons admitted it might have "gone too far" with self-scan. Northern upmarket chain Booths has got rid of them altogether.

The dreaded "unexpected item in the bagging area" announcement is among a list of customer complaints about self-service tills.

But some shoppers told the BBC they're happy to skip the queues and the chit chat if it speeds up their shop.

The debate over staffed versus unstaffed tills has continued to rumble on as the number of self-scan tills has increased over the past 20 years to some 80,000 in the UK.

[Disambiguator]

If somebody steals from you, they are stealing from you the time you took to create the $$ to purchase said item(s). Time is your life.

[TigersEye]

The dummy looking at the license doesn’t set the store policy, as silly as it may seem.

That wasn't my point. My point was that they're depending on the lowest paid most abused worker to protect them from those severe penalties. An employee who risks almost nothing by mistakenly approving a stolen ID and, unlike a computer, has no way to detect a forged ID.

[Chickensoup]

So have I.

I had to go in recently and there are check outs at Walmart during the low stimulus time from 7 to 9 am. No music either. At my local store

[Fuzz]

Still not murder. Hyperbole isn’t necessary.

[PeterPrinciple]

An employee who risks almost nothing by mistakenly approving a stolen ID and, unlike a computer, has no way to detect a forged ID.

---

When I buy beer at the grocery store, they ask for my birth date. I tell them Jan 1, 1899. The young ones look at me funny, but I tell them to put that in the computer. They know it is not right but do what I tell them. Kinda fun.

[TigersEye]

LOL

How does the computer react to that?

[Fuzz]

I still don’t get your point then.

Everything and everyone sucks and people do bad and stupid things?

Good luck finding a solution for that.

[PeterPrinciple]

How does the computer react to that?

---

it just wants 4 digits for the year.

[Omnivore-Dan]

Thank you Phil Murphy, stealing has become so much easier now. Thanks for contributing to increased theft. How come some stores give bags and some don’t? I can buy a 6 pack at the liquor store and they give me a paper bag if I want. Grocery stores can’t?

[TigersEye]

I still don’t get your point then.

That is not at all surprising. I'll try to re-connect the large number of dots I already connected.

If they used a computer to check ID it would save customer time, employee time and be 99.9% accurate if not 100%. ie, no ID checking failures or intentional approval of forged or stolen IDs resulting in 0 risk to their liquor license.

[Fuzz]

There are a number of stores here in NJ that I’m aware of that still give out bags, even plastic ones now even though it’s against the law. Usually mom and pop type places though.

The larger retailers no.

[TigersEye]

Check your receipts. On the bottom it probably prints ...

“You’re older than dirt but we still love serving you!” :)

[ridesthemiles]

ONE STORY:

EVERY TIME SOMEONE USES AN APP TO PURCHASE SOMETHING OR TO GET A DELIVERY-—IT TRIGGERS A REQUEST FOR A “TIP”.

A GUY USED HIS C?C At the SELF-CHECKOUT & IT ASKED HIM FOR $3 TIP.

A TIP TO WHO????

[Songcraft]

You should be able to pay yourself too, and take that money with you.

[ridesthemiles]

ONE STORY:

EVERY TIME SOMEONE USES AN APP TO PURCHASE SOMETHING OR TO GET A DELIVERY-—IT TRIGGERS A REQUEST FOR A “TIP”.

A GUY USED HIS C/C At the SELF-CHECKOUT & IT ASKED HIM FOR $3 TIP.

A TIP TO WHO????

[Fuzz]

Yeah. That I get.

However, an 18 year old can grab a credit card and ID from their parent, buy liquor and pay and the computer couldn’t tell without some facial recognition component, which is probably coming soon.

The penalties for the retailer are much harsher for the sale of alcohol to the minor than for the use of the credit card.

Which is what the retailers use to create the policy.

[Songcraft]

(By the way, if your ID looks like this one, maybe you shouldn't be able to buy that many cases of Nyquil at one time.)


     

[Telepathic Intruder]

Cheat they will. But if they cheat and win, it will be much more apparent this time. It will be much harder for them to deny. Trump has hinted that they won’t be able to do the same thing they did before.

[FamiliarFace]

We did that once on vacation when we had already been to the grocery that day. Someone else in our party wanted something and didn’t mention it until we returned.

My problem with other shoppers buying my food is that they don’t know how to pick out good produce or meat. They just pick up a package and put it in the cart.

I’m more particular than that. I don’t want overripe bananas, bruised mangoes, or meat that looks like it’s a few days old. YMMV.

I have zero problem picking out my fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. Because I know my stores, it doesn’t take me long to shop to get the items I want.

Why should I pay someone to pick out subpar items for me? No, not happening.

[ridesthemiles]

GO early in the day.

EASY to get done in no time.