Do you use self check lines? I do when the other lines are full. I consider it practice and getting experience and something I can put on my next resume if I were to apply for a checker job at WalMart.

My wife hates self check. She says it takes away jobs. Just one of the things we dissagree on. There is one person there to help and to check ID if booze is in your cart.

If you purchase a bottle of wine and scan it be sure to put it in the bag and do not lift it up from the table because the checker will have to come back again and "Unlock" the tab again.

Nope you get no discount for doing the work the store charges you for.

__________________
14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I like em.They're faster except for one store I frequent where everyone seems to be using them for the 1st time.That one is painful.

I don't use them for the same reason your wife doesn't like them.

__________________
SWCA #1917

I avoid them. Always end up being more hassle than necessary. I'd rather wait in line an extra minute in a full service line than the machine continuously telling me to place an item in the bag when I've already placed it in there five times!

I use them all the time. It's much faster, I can keep an eye on the prices better and the goods get bagged EXACTLY the way I want.

__________________
"I also cook."

I NEVER USE THEM.

PEOPLE need JOBS

MACHINES don't pay TAXES or INTO SOCIAL SECURITY.

THINK ABOUT IT.

__________________
NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

If they offer a 10% discount, on top of the 5% military discount, and 5% senior citizen discount, and not hold me up when I scan a bottle of wine or a case of brews, then I might consider it. Otherwise, the retiree who's having to work as a cashier or bagger because his social security check is 1/10th of what some congressman gets who leaves office after only 4 years, gets my business. Besides, I already double bag my own paper since most of these kids can't or won't learn how to do it right.

You are falling into their trap...first it was "pump your own gas" then it was "self service meat department" along with many others now "self check out"...where will it end? I'm sure you got a 10% DISCOUNT for self checking?? No??

Pretty soon they will have you unloading it from the truck.


Pete

__________________
Don't tread on me

Most WM's in my area, or at least the 2 I am forced to use, have done away with the self checkout..
Lowes and HD offer a 10% military discount, not when using self check out..Self check out never did seem like a good idea from a business standpoint..Can't put my finger on why....
Mybe because people are not scanning all their items?

I like for people to serve me, and I enjoy tipping the checker, and the bagger. I'm just an old fashioned plutocrat. Of course, if I'm in a hurry, I just shoplift.

__________________
Halfway and one more step

Yup. They bring out the ******* in me.

I try them when I have just a few items, then when it tells me to bag the item I just bagged I get ticked, grab my stuff and walk over to a regular check-out. That leaves a mess for the attendant to clear, I know.

I'm a slow learner...

Tom

Maybe the stores that use them SHOULD BE ASSESSED A TAX equal to the cashier's wage level of taxes and their FICA tax for a social security contribution.

__________________
NRA Pistol/Rifle Inst. RSO

Be careful where your logic leads you;

If I don't bus my own table at a fast food joint, do they hire more people to clean the tables? No. The place just has dirty tables.

If I go to the self check at Wal Mart, do they hire less people? No. The people working there just have to do a little less work.

Besides, around here, the vast majority of people working at Wal Mart are not U.S. nationals. I ask them all the time; Q: "where are you from" A: "India" (or some other such answer). Q: "how long have you been here?" A: "not long" (or some variation on 'a couple years or less'). All this in the middle of the biggest downturn in decades. Nope, Wal Mart can still find a way to import and hire immigrant labor with massive unemployment.

__________________
But then, what do I know?

Self checkout NEVER works for me. When I want to jam the system with a cart load, I use self checkout. Eventually a stupidvisor, and a manager/sheager show up to straighten things out. I just keep smiling, ask if it's break time, and ask if this is their first day at work. Sometimes you just got to have fun in the available locations. I consider it a form of higher-level pay back, and always ask for a discount because of my inconvenience -- loud enough so the other happy shoppers hear it.

Old guys just have all the luck!!

__________________
S&WHF 366

I used to install self checkouts and repair them as I worked for the company that builds most of them. That company still has the most self checkouts in Walmart, Home Depot and many other retailers. You scan your item and put that item in bag that's held by a bracket mounted to a shelf recessed into the counter. That shelf is mounted to a scale hidden in the counter below. When you scan your item your price is looked up in the store data base. The weight stored in the data base associated with your item is also sent to your checkout lane along with the price. After you scan the item the scale is looking for the weight associated with that item to be placed in the bag that's on the scale. If you don't follow the procedure an error comes up.
While in theory the systems are a boon to retailers, they've been out there 10-12 years and I still see people having to be coaxed to use them even when traditional checkout lines are long. The early models had "problems", so for along time I avoided them as a customer. The new ones are just about foolproof.

__________________
SOS USA

I use them and the stores around here force you to use them by not having enough registers opened with real people. My local Home Depot has bout 20 cash register lanes and they will open 2, everybody goes to the self check.

__________________
Back to back World War Champs.

Lowes has self checkout. They always have someone there to assist you. So no one loses a job. I don't see much point in it except for people who want to check themselves out. Usually I'm a lot slower than the checkers.

__________________
Regards, Ron
USASA 1965/69

In the stores I go into they have one body overseeing 4 to 6 self serve units.

__________________
14 S&W Revs none with locks!

Cuts labor costs and I can check out much faster than a bored clerk can.

I hate them, there is always a problem or the person in front of me has a problem. There is no loss in staff, I think it takes more staff to help all the folks who have problems.

Try buying a can of spray paint or other hazardous stuff. All the alarms go of and they need to check to see if you are over 21 and not a can sniffer or something

Besides the cute young lady works at the full service line.

__________________
Still Running Against the Wind

I am usually fairly patient, even when the person ahead of me can't find a card with money or they are sorting through the W.I.C. mess. Today, the lines were long and the carts were full, so my son suggested self -check.

He had a box of goose loads--ding, ding, ding--wait on the clerk. I had a packet of mirror glue--ding, ding, ding--wait on the clerk. Still out of the store in good time. It helped that this first timer had a tutor.

One thing I did notice is that the kiosks are not surrounded by impulse buy goodies like the staffed check-out lines. Similar to pay-at-the-pump gas, no temptation to buy a drink and a doughnut.

I was in a long, full-service line at Home Depot shortly after they had installed the first self-checkout lanes. The cashier overseeing the 4 self-check lines, noticing the long lines, steps out and asks, "Would anyone like to try the new self-checkout?" Nobody moved. "There's no waiting at the self-checkout!" Again, nobody moved. "Doesn't anyone want to try our new self-checkout lane?" A voice from the line replies, "That's why we're all standin' over here, darlin'!"

I like having the option of using the self-check lanes. As others I don't like being forced into using one, Home Depot LISTEN UP HERE. I also find it very frustrating to be behind a first time uses with a full cart of stuff to check out when I'm in a rush, which is most of the time.

A while back I was walking along, pushing my cart in Home Despot. Out in front of the self check stations was a hawker (kind of like they used to have in Naw Lawins bars). So I was pushing my way along to pass her, and she stepped in front of me. I made no super human effort to stop the cart, and she jumped clear (saving her life). She realized the cart was kind of heavy, but she insisted I pull in. I told her "I can't". I have no idea why the middle aged women won't take no for an answer. So she said she'd help. I was pretty grumpy, but then I practice. So in we go.

And she says just lift one of those boxes and scan it. I said no, they weigh too much and there's no way I'm lifting 4 of them an extra time. She was getting upset with me. Guess she doesn't appreciate older men. So she said she'd lift it. And the box only held 45# of DuraFlame fire logs. So she lifts one and kind of sets it down/ drops it on the reader. So it tells her to bag it. I was starting to enjoy this. She did something to skip bagging. I was real interested in seeing if she was going to do the smart thing and just rescan that one or lift the other 135# of logs. She rescanned it each time and put it back on the cart. Yes, 45# boxes are heavy.

So then she said "see how easy it was?" and I said "we're not done". So she says, "just swipe your credit card". Nope, I pay cash. And opened my nearly empty billfold to hand her a $100 bill as I was saying "show me". Of course the machine won't take anything higher than $20s. So by this time we had a minor group of onlookers/laughers. She then took the $100 to a cashier and got $20s. Fed them in and everything was kind of fine. But it wasn't easier or quicker. It took her time and a cashiers time, and she got to lift the boxes (because I'm too lazy and realize the checkers have a hand held gun.)

For many purchases it might be a better way, and for some its not viable. Not just because of the objects you're buying, but also because of the cash you want to use.

__________________
Dick Burg

I refuse to go thru the self check out. Have been steered toward them by the self help helper. When they turn their heads I move on to the nice lady down the way. Yes I am hard headed.

I find them difficult to use, and until the technology improves to make them user friendly, I won't use them.

I was at Wal-Mart the other day, standing in line, and the supervisor comes up to me and says that the self-check registers are open. I said no thanks, and she asked me why. (She was cute, so I didn't mind.) I told her I couldn't work them, and I didn't like them...so, she said she would help me. I told her she could do it FOR me, or else I'd just stay in the line I was in. She said OK and took my basket over to a self-check register, scanned or did whatever, and then helped me process the payment.

In my mind, I still didn't use the self-check...since the self who did the checking wasn't myself.

I have never used self check out and never will. Looks complicated and a good way to look stupid in front of a lot of people when something screws up and you need "helped".

If I want to be publicly humiliated, I'll just go golfing.

__________________
Wake me when it's over...

I use the self checkouts if they are available. If there's a cashier who is open, I'll go to them. I don't have a real preference.

I feel self checkouts should have an item limit though. People with large orders who try to self checkout usually do a lousy job and take forever.... And I'm an impatient man in grocery stores. Or any store really. I guess it's my vice.

__________________
- The Federalist #46 -

I refuse to use them. Luckily we only have them at Home Depot and only one set of lanes. Whenever I am asked I respond,"When you pay me to do the work I will". It has gotten so bad they have maybe 1 person a day actually use them.

__________________
H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

If I want to be publicly humiliated, I'll just go golfing. [/QUOTE]


Or post something dumb on S&W Forum as I do now and then. Hate it when I do that.

I went by Home Depot one morning about 6:15 on the way to work. Picked up a couple of items and carried them up to the front and started looking for a person at a register. A lady standing behind the self check outs tells me I have to use one of them. I placed the items on the counter and told her no I don't. I left without the items.
Went to Lowe's later in the day and got what I needed and thanked the lady for waiting on me.
I don't use them.

They have not been faster for me unless I only have a couple items. The silliest was at a trendy restaurant. They had grills in the table top. They brought out some raw meat, you grilled it yourself. I could do that at home!

What I wanna know is, how come there's no self checkout at my bank?

__________________
Life Is A Gift. Defend it!

They call 'em ATMs

__________________
- The Federalist #46 -

Washington doesn't have ATMs?

As far as I'm concerned I'd rather there be a human being with a decent paying job to deal with than a damned machine. I guess in the Wally World of todays retail business the less human interaction the less you have to pay, sounds like a sound business practice. Eliminate all sales people and have everything delivered to check-out on a basket, or order everything on your damned phone and have it delivered to your place of business or home in a day, save a ton of money on paying people, they are such a pain in the *** you know.

I do. I dislike talking to the workers so I use the self checkout. Makes my shopping experience go by faster

Sent from my nexus 7 tablet while I'm away from my real computer

__________________
Don't look, reload and shoot!

First and only time I used one was at "Home Bend-Me-Over" er...um, Home Depot. I bought (tried to buy) 4 pair of safety glasses for my shop. It rang up as (4) 8 foot aluminum ladders. I retried and it came up as 8 aluminum ladders. It ultimately ended up with a visit to the customer service desk and a trip to the local hardware guy. So, I'm not a big fan.

If something is that messed up I want to be able to look someone square in the face and give them my very best hairy eyeball glare. Something gets lost in the translation with a machine.

I use them all of the time and never have a problem. In the early days of self checkout problems were fairly common. Seems the bugs have been worked out. Keeps labor costs down which results in lower pricing and because so many are afraid of them I pass through the store pronto as there is rarely a line.

Dick-you're just not getting with the program. I respect that.

__________________
Forum consigliere

As often as i can! I dont want to be asked if i want to sign up for anything or do i want to get free stuff or give out my phone# or zip code. I can live with it but when there is a machine that takes 20 seconds, i'd rather use that.

Have you guys shopped at walmart lately? The lines are 50ft long and half the shoppers want a price on some nicknack they found on the floor with no tag on it. The cashier is clueless and calls a manager who calls another who then goes to find the item but doesn't know what isle its from since it was just laying around. They ask the customer but he/she doesnt remember because they were zoned out while walking the isles so now the manager and the customer start retracing his or her steps. And all because of a $3 pot or decorative mini basket for change. And even when the line moves smoothly, and i use that term lightly, it still takes forever. Some of you retired guys might not mind standing around but i got things to do. I wanna be in, out and done. For this same reason i will NEVER EVER go shopping with women...EVER! One "quick look" turns into a 1/2 day wasted sitting on a bench at a store.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

I use whichever looks like it will get me out of there fastest!
Steve W

I made a comment to one of the managers at Home Depot not too long ago about how it seemed there were more people in the departments to help locating things. He said since the self check outs helped to reduce the number of people in needed the front to man the check outs he could put them on the floor to help the customers. IF that is the trend I have no problem with the self check outs.

When I left the cash register bidness 10 years ago they working on RFID and multi laser systems that allow full carts of stuff to be read via RFID or scanned without emptying the cart. Since last year I'm seeing Walmart employees scanning dept. inventories via RFID handhelds. Retail wars are full on. The largest chunk of overhead for retail stores is employee salaries and benefits. Look for more self checkouts using newer devices not seen yet and fewer employees.

__________________
SOS USA

I use them all the time but then I do everything perfectly.

at our Wal Mart. The clerks there are less friendly than the machines, or seem so to me. I normally have less than 6 items, so I would rather not wait in line.

My local supermarket does not have them and I buy everything I can there. The clerks and sackers are all friendly and always smile.

I'll not go further in order to avoid the political issue.

__________________
the world is round everywhere

Thank you!

I have understood that for a long time. You never put the little basket on the scale, you don't try to self-check with a greeting card, etc... Once you understand that, oh, and don't have too many things, they work fine.

__________________
But then, what do I know?

I agree with your wife that it takes away jobs and thats why I dont use them.

I've only used the ones at the grocery store and only when I have a few items. (never fruit or anything that needs to be weighed. It's faster than most expresshole lanes.

I do see how this can eliminate jobs and benefits. Reducing employee hours is also reducing benefit payouts.

__________________
Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired