The Self checkouts in stores

Self checkouts are one of those things that are great -- when they work right! The trouble is most of the time I spend more time trying to get it done than if I had just gone on in the human line! I hate for the machine to talk to me... turn the d*mn thing down - it's so loud!!I use them if I have cash and an item or two. Most of the time when I use them because I don't want to be around people they don't work properly...

I live in Canada and sadly the self check outs are becoming more frequent as well. Also in Toys-R-Us you now have to scan the prices of items yourself. I refuse to do this. We pay good money and get no service. Jobs are cut and who gets the profits? I was in Toys-R-Us and none of the items that I wanted to buy had a price on it or on the shelf. I finally tracked down a human being and asked her what the problem was. She showed me the scanners mounted on the wall at several places and told me to scan my items. I told her if she would not do this for me I would just leave them. So I did and bought elesewhere. Same as in one grocery store. There were 3 or 4 self check outs and only one counter with a cashier. I waited patiently at the one counter and told the cashier if they closed that counter as well I would never come back. I know one person does not make a difference in a situation like this but if we all refused to do the work for which we paid already in the price of the goods the stores would change their policy. I think the concept of self pricing, self check out is totally evil.

I have this love hate relationship with those self checkout registers. Like you I have had to endure that annoying error and it can be a pain if it pops up more than a few times. But these things are also very convenient to have around too when you're only getting a few things and don't want to wait in line forever to get checked out. So, I really think that they are a great addition but I wouldn't go so far as to say that we should get rid of human cashier and just use these machines. There are a lot of hopeless people out there that should never be allowed to use these machines and it would really slow things down.

Generally, I like self-checkout, but there are times when they can be obstinate and a big PITA! A Walmart near where I live discontinued them a couple of years ago. They never worked right. I went in there one day and the lines were busy except for self-checkout where there was no one waiting. I thought, "Cool!" and jumped on one and my item wouldn't scan. Pushed the help button, waited, no one came, and I jumped to another checkout. That one had issues too, pushed help button, and went to next. Finally got one that worked, and I paid and left, leaving behind a whole slew of blinking help lights. NOW I see why there was no one using them, but they were all open, just no one to monitor them or help, I guess. It wasn't long after that, they were gone. I used to go into a 24-hr. supermarket that just had self-checkout open in the wee hours, but of course, that's when I would always have a problem.

i think that they are a waiste of time. it seems to take forever to scan something. then when it does not. then you have to wait on someone to come help you. then 99% of the time i end up at another one where there is a person.

Count your blessings. I love the self checkouts! The walmart where I live stopped the self checkouts! Too many people were stealing and not paying for all their items. Now I have to stand in line behind screaming kids while the food stamp people argue over how their card should cover the three overflowing baskets and they'll just have to go through each basket to get the things they need until they reach their limit. It was a great way for them to have more registers open since they can only have so much payroll and that means that they didn't steal anyone's job on the first place.

I find myself steering away from any self checkouts in the stores. they never seem to operate as smoothly as they promise. Any time i have used one I have had to go find someone to help me anyways. there is always a gliche to be found somewhere.

I always dislike self check outs but there are sometimes where I can only go to the store early in the morning on the weekend. Therefore that is the only thing that is really open in the grocery store that I go, with one person overseeing it. At least one person is supposed to oversee it, but that rarely works out well. I do think that the day will come when that happens and its a wonder that it has not. At the rate that companies like to cut costs, you would think that this would be the most obvious step to take.

They can be just as convenient as a pain in the rear. As sometimes I can wisk right through them, and then other times I have to wait at least five times to get the cashier to come back and fix the darn machine. It certainly will result in more and more job loss as they feel that the few can handle the overloads, quite a shame though as no machine can never measure up to an employee.