Posted on 07/08/2011 7:23:09 PM PDT by Morgana
Edited on 07/08/2011 7:25:17 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
One of the nation's major grocery store chains is eliminating self-checkout lanes in an effort to encourage more human contact with its customers.
Albertsons LLC, which operates 217 stores in seven Western and Southern states, will eliminate all self-checkout lanes in the 100 stores that have them and will replace them with standard or express lanes, according to published reports.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Hard to believe people would choose to wait in line. I love the self-checkout lane.
I am by nature a chatty person, however, most checkout persons are only interested in getting you out the door. Seldom do they wish to chat, to busy processing your groceries. I’m talking about the large franchise stores. If I happen to go to a smaller, locally owned store the whole scenario changes, now, chatting is a must ... and fun.
Hate that lady at the check-out with the mustache and the creppy grin. No wonder she has the shortest lines.
Bring back the no contact scanners. Loved them.
I like human beings at the check-out stand. I get really frustrated with the self-checker and need a rescue fairly often. The rescuer is nice, but this comes after I’ve been made to feel like an idiot and/or slow-poke by a dang machine.
The clerks are courteous and can answer questions. Besides, when the kids were little and accidentally broke something in Ralph’s, real human beings recognized me as a regular customer and were gracious about the situation.
Up with People! (oh, wait... that’s a whole other thing...)
You only see her, can you imagine all the faces she sees in a day! LOL!
Yep. If there's no line for a real cashier I'll use them, because I know they can ring stuff up faster than I can. But if the lines are long for the cashiers and short for the self-check, I'll use that. It's all about not spending time in line.
I prefer self checkout.
Two less people touching my groceries.
Almost never a wait.
At the store I go to, you can be merrily using the self-checkout when all of a sudden, for no apparent reason, the voice says, “An attendant has been notified to assist you.” At that point, there’s absolutely nothing you can do. You can’t “cancel.” You can’t “go back.” You’re stuck and have to wait for the “attendant,” who often simply does not show up. When I’m on my lunch hour, I just can’t stand there for 20 minutes waiting for an employee. It’s ridiculous. If they want us to use those self-checkouts, they should at least work properly or make sure an attendant is there at all times.
You are absolutely right. My college-age niece works at a supermarket, and says you would be amazed what people try to steal at the self check-out lines.
Albertson’s may have just lost themselves this customer.
Self check-out is my major reason for shopping there.
I’ll have to start looking for a replacement.
Please don’t slow down my checkout by talking to me or the person in front of me. If I want a friend I’ll get a dog (I have 6). No I don’t want my gallon of milk in a bag.
I might use them if I got a discount but I figure if I’m paying for checkout services I may as well use them instead.
Our store’s really good about keeping lines short tho. They’re quick to open more registers.
The affiliate of the Albertson’s chain here in the Chicago area (Dominick’s) has long belt fed self service lanes, so that’s how I miss being told to put each thing in the bag. But there is room for more things to be bagged that way.
The local Fred Meyer store has eight checkout stands in two lanes. They are always being used with very little problems. I prefer them over cashiers, it is much faster, especially after you figure out the system and rythm of the things. I figure it lowers costs to the consumer. The money saved will go somewhere else in the economy.
I’m one of those people who saves up small change for weeks, combined with my wife’s small change and my mother’s small change, until I go buy something with it using the self-checkout. Now I will have to go back to being one of those annoying people who hands the bucketful of coins to a checkout person.
That's what Trader Joe's does. They actually have bells at the cashier stations. If a cashier notices the lines are getting too long, they ring a bell. Then other employees drop what they're doing and come over and open unused cash registers.
I love TJ's.
How much do you want to bet that the unions had something to do with this??
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I know someone that works in a store that has the self checkouts and I was told that the theft rate through those lines is very high. That’s why someone watches them - not so they can help you but to try to make you think twice before slipping in small, lightweight things that are sometimes very expensive.
Our grocery store has a CoinStar machine that counts change and, if you opt for a gift certificate, there’s no fee for using the service. We usually go with an Amazon certificate, but there are several options to choose from.
Maybe your store has something similar.
Wish there was a Trader Joe’s closer to us. I really think they offer a quality product at a fair price.
I’ll be relocating to the Houston area before too long (I hope) so I was glad to see TJ’s is expanding to TX.
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