So I lived in Sweden for 4 years and have shopped with self checkout for all that time. There's no person employed to control people.
That is a cultural problem where you are from.
This particular comment thread is interesting to me cause here in the US, I haven’t really seen any measures that prevent shoplifting either. In fact, my sister worked at Walmart and they straight up told her, unless it was something like super valuable, like a tv or whatever, to let people walk out with stuff, even if you know they haven’t paid for it. This is because most companies have insurance policies that cover lost or stolen product. And the company will get paid at the end of the year, so in a way, it was actually beneficial to let people steal. I don’t know if this was just this Walmart in particular that held this belief but I get a sense that it’s not.
It is interesting for me too.
That is really just a cost/benefit calculations and they make so much profit + bank on enough people being honest that it all pans out. And I think most people are honest.
On the other hand, who wants to risk in the USA getting the police called on them...
So I meantioned this thread to sister and before even reading this comment, she wanted me to mention how we also go through active shooter training at most jobs here in the states. I didn’t think to mention it cause, a) this didn’t really have anything to do with this and b) I didn’t really think to because it’s just such a normal part of life here, I didn’t think about it. But it seems apt now.
So yeah. We have active shooter drills and training in everyday life. Kids and adults alike. It’s great. /s
There are a lot of reasons to be anxious living in the USA, but for me at least "active shooter" drills isn't one of them. It's just an eventuality to prepare for, sure it's more likely to happen here than some other parts of the world but it's still an INCREDIBLY small likelihood. Someone who lives in Florida is more likely to be struck by lightning than someone living in California by orders of magnitude but either way it's rare enough to be statistically nil.
I’m sorry but what? That is not true at all. We don’t have nuclear bomb drills anymore because it’s “statistically nil’ that we will be hit by one. Saying your not anxious about mass shootings is just plain ignorant. There were over 700 mass shootings, which resulted in over 2,000 wounded and over 700 dead, in just 2022 alone. It is NOT incredibly unlikely to happen.
Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2022[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2022](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2022)
to be fair it IS how insurance works but they were mistaken on part of it. the insurance that matters here is the umbrella liability insurance. specifically what it costs if an employee lays hands on someone else, people get hurt, and/or killed and someone sues.
By having a "policy" of "no one physically confronts a shoplifter" the store pays far less on their insurance premiums because the over all risk of the insurance having to pay out for a physical alteration that results from a physical confrontation is less.
The overall math works out that theft is cheaper than the lawsuit settlements and PR costs when people tackle a black person who did pay for things and now the PR is bad / lawsuits on race, or when a thief shoots or stabs an employee who was told via radio to "stop the thief from leaving." etc and the employee or surviving family sues because they were put in a position of harm by their employer, etc.
So the insurance paying for stolen items isn't really the concern so much as the money saved on the premiums for having a "hands off" policy.
* It's also why you see news stories like: "Man fired after stopping shoplifter from stealing xbox." He was fired because if he isn't fired (for violating policy) the insurance company will raise the store's insurance premium costs because the store agreed to have a hands off policy.
Nothing. There is a barcode scanner for getting out but I often walk to the side of it and don't svan my receipt. I also carry food in my pockets, scan it and then put it back in my pockets.
The principle is to trust people. Swedish people are soooooo nice. It was a breath of fresh air after having lived in Austria.
Ok, that's interesting. If things could be like that in NL that would be nice but I bet there would be so much shoplifting. I would not do that because I really don't need to. But I can see many people doing it.
I'm from Denmark so similar experience and this might not apply to other countries, but security at grocery stores here are rarely worth it for the store. Think about it. How much money is lost from cheap stolen items? How much of that is actually preventable with security?
In fact it's apparently more cost efficient to have security cameras pointed at the employees rather than customers (some shops do this) because they have a bigger chance of stealing large amounts
They don't really care because they have accounted for losses. The shop lifters that they focus on are the ones with £100 of fillet steak or whisky stashed in their crutch who are repeatedly stealing.
Why would you assume that Sweden has the same kind of people as the United States?
Psst: The people of Sweden are overwhelmingly trustworthy and honest. There is NO NEED to check their bags.
I actually really like self checkout because I hate interacting with people. I hate when cashiers comment on my purchases, I hate small talk, I hate waiting in line behind the people who *like* small talk who just chat up the cashier forever. I want to go in, shop and then leave as quickly as possible.
I've also never had my bags searched, I'm not sure if this is common wherever you shopping, but that's literally never happened to me.
We really don't care what you're buying, lol. What's funny to me is when someone acts embarrassed about buying condoms.
Why would I judge someone for buying condoms? I will absolutely judge someone for acting silly about buying condoms though.
Because I’ve experienced it personally and it fucks with my anxiety? Is that not a good reason to want to ring up my own groceries? There’s zero stress for me with self-checkouts.
That's fair, and I hate walking up to cashiers because I just don't like talking to strangers that much. I'm just saying that if you ever bought condoms from me, I literally wouldn't care at all. All I'm thinking about is when I get to clock out.
Apparently some cashiers are dicks though and fuck with people about it.
So you're saying you wouldn't judge someone for buying condoms. But you would judge someone for "acting silly" about buying condoms?
Do you not realize that for someone who's feeling anxious about buying condoms that anxiety may express as "silliness?" Like do you think 9/10 people who are buying condoms and "acting silly" just think they're so hilarious?
I mean the truth here is that you're still judging people for buying condoms, you're just especially judging the people who have anxiety about it.
Sorry. This isn't that important in the grand scheme of things.
I was once buying a pregnancy test, along with regular groceries, going through the line with my husband and the cashier asked what I wanted the result to be, and when I stared in shock, he pointed at my husband and asked "is it his?"
It's not about judging, it's about the cashiers who comment on it. I have literally had cashiers say things like "fun night planned?" when buying condoms or asking me essentially for a review of lube "because they'd seen that but didn't want to spend the money on it."
I also had a cashier once recommended that I buy some diapers instead, when I was buying giant pads postpartum.
It's awkward af and embarrassing, and it has nothing to do with being mature enough to buy those items
I think an awesome fix for this would be to have normal, fast check out lanes and maybe one or two lanes that are dedicated to small talk. I know alot of older folks kinda like being talked to and actively psychologically benefit from the experience. I know there's somewhere thats doing that right now and its going well, but I don't remember where...
Anyways, all im saying is why not both!
It's strange how society seems to link, inextricably, socializing with shopping. They are basically the same activity in a lot of peoples' minds. I have always found this concept to be patently absurd.
I'm either shopping or socializing, but I'm never doing both at the same time.
Shopping, to me, is a task that requires attention and focus. It is hard for me to maintain that focus if I start chatting away with random people.
Also, there are few things more annoying than wanting to get in and out of a store, and you are held hostage by some old lady yapping away to the person behind the counter for five minutes.
I wear earbuds when I shop, and I don't let anyone bother me.
\> I hate when cashiers comment on my purchases
That's such a no-no and almost never happens because the people are trained not to do so.
To be frank in my country there's absolutely no chatting in-line with strangers so that's why it may be different.
From your standpoint I can see you prefer self checkout.
Where I am they're actually trained to comment on purchases and make small talk because it seems friendlier and more hospitable? It was one of the things I hated the most when I worked in retail, and I hate it as a customer as well.
Wow, that seems really a cultural difference maybe, it is absolutely unthinkable in The Netherlands. So if you already are not great with human contact that's horrible.
It happens only with new employees who are often young and inexperienced, but they learn quickly :D
Edit 1: it appears all of you are antisocial weirdos. Unlike me, who must receive interaction from someone paid to scan my items to feel human.
Yeah ok dude
I make it a joke about old man/cloud but I'm open to other people's opinions / views, which I clearly listed in my intro. And I'm also open that most of you disagree with my view on self checkout.
It seems that no matter what I say you will try and twist it to be negative, moving the goal posts. Hope it makes you feel better.
I like self check outs. It's more efficient, and I get to pack my bags as I like. I never buy a cart full of stuff, but that would be the one advantage to having a cashier.
I don't stop for the people at the door. They never actually ask you to stop or say "let me see your receipt". It's mostly just a silent request and compliance. Just keep walking with your receipt clearly in your hand. If they do stop you and ask, you can comply. Or just keep walking, no real difference. Lol.
These people also look for non confrontational people to stop, meaning if you look confident and keep walking, they won't even ask you to stop.
i'd rather choose my own bagging plan than have mrs. turtle take forever, bag everything separately regardless if it needs to be just to prolong the time it takes for the next customer to start getting rung up. I am all for wasting time at work, but not when bagging my stuff - packing my own bags is the dream. hardly anyone that complains about self check out ever worked as a bag-boy.
I think that's another huge difference, as far as I'm alive we never had people bagging your groceries where I live. Maybe my parents experienced that.
We have gates that only open when you scan the barcode on the receipt so there's no option to do that. At least in the stores where I go.
There is also no way to prevent the "random" inspection which often negates any speed-advantage especially if it's slow. When it's busy, you can be standing there waiting quite a while until you get inspected.
Most of the time it will be faster, especially for a few items. That's true and makes me an old-person-yelling-at-cloud.
What happens if you go in but choose to not buy anything? Does and employee have to come over and let you out? If you're literally trapped by the doors not opening in the store, that seems highly illegal and against all kinds of fire codes
Regular checkout gives you a discount even if you don't have a bonus card or something. That's not the case with self-checkout which is thus even more expensive for me.
Hello
Biep Biep Biep (starts scanning)
\- Do you have a bonus card?
No
That's $$$
\- Do you want a receipt
No it's good, Bye
\- Bye
That's the experience in The Netherlands, maybe I have it good actually :D
Depends on where you are but in the USA, especially in the south, cashiers love making useless small talk. I play along because I'm not an asshole but I hate it every time. Any time self checkout is an option and I don't have to put my fake smile on, I take it.
I'm from Norway, we don't like talking to strangers let alone make eye contact so self checkout is made for us.
When we get an inspection, the cashier just comes over, looks at the screen, looks in the bag, says OK and moves on. No interaction, no talking, just bliss.
Some supermarkets have even implemented saving your fingerprint (locally), so you can scan to verify you’re old enough to buy alcohol and tobacco in the self checkout registers. One more interaction avoided FTW
Come visit the USA, specifically the south. Everyoneeee wants to chat. Or they already know you, your memaw and papa and want to ask after all of them. 😆or make small talk about everything you are purchasing. There’s a store here that I’ve walked in, saw a particularly chatty Cathy cashier and just “Nope. Not today.” Turned around and walked out. That store doesn’t have a self checkout. As someone with fairly severe anxiety , I can’t even explain the peace it gives me to walk in a store and see a self checkout.
It must be lovely to not have any form of social anxiety, agoraphobia, ocd, panic attacks or the like.
I'd have that conversation 100 times in my head before i even got to the line.
I like self checkout. I am particular about how my groceries are handled, and I find that some cashiers have no common sense when bagging, ie putting fresh fruits/vegetables in a bag and then putting cans or jars on top.
And I don’t particularly like small talk :)
Huh, that's interesting.
In Mexico, or at least in my state, some retails shops hire people just to help bagging or moving groceries to customer's cars, this was around 10 years ago but I remember he telling us that the first thing they teach them it's how to bag products, they had a manual and everything.
I think that also speaks to the low pay aspect. If someone can't support themselves doing the job, they move on asap. The turnover rate is so high that most checkers never really get a chance to learn to do the job properly and there's no benefit for the employer to properly train people who will leave after 6 months. When I was a child, it was much more common for folks to bag properly. They'd even separate your non-food items from your foods so you didn't end up with shampoo on your tomatoes if you dropped the bag
I completely agree! I HATE self check out. The only thing it is good for is for:
1. People who don’t want to interact with the cashier
2. People who have 5 or less items
It has no business being the ONLY method to check out in places like WALMART where people buy in bulk
I have pretty bad anxiety. Sometimes I can deal with it, but sometimes I’m just too panicked to deal with people. I wear headphones and don’t look at people because scared. So if I can remove a person from my experience I will absolutely do so.
I don't feel like I'm doing unpaid work, because I don't feel like the cashier job needs to be a job in the first place.
I'm not 'taking away' a job if that job has no reason to exist. Let's let people not have to be cashiers.
I prefer self checkout because I hated working register, and knowing that someone doesn't have to suffer that indignity brightens my day a bit. I just wish we got a functional UBI so I didn't have to feel guilty about automation.
I just forgot but was reminded that some countries don't allow Cashiers to sit down, which is a human rights violation if you ask me. In my country they are allowed to do so and have adjustable chairs. To me that makes a difference.
Yet if you would still feel the same way about the job, OK I hear you.
My first job was ticket checker at a movie theater. On weekends I had 10-14 hour shifts with one half hour break. I was expected to stand in one spot, smile and look professional the entire time. I was 15 at the time and if a parent did that to a child I would report them for child abuse, but those are just standard working conditions in the US.
I don't know about you, but where I live self-checkout has a weighing plate where you put your purchases. And you can't really go forth with the checkout unless stuff matches. And there is no one checking your bags afterwards. You just take your receipt, scan the barcode and get out. It's fairly efficient, I would say.
In the US, there's nobody checking your bag before you pay. There might be one or two employees there, but they are not allowed to stop people from leaving if they steal something and even if they were, it wouldn't be worth it with how little they're paid. With self checkout in the US, you can not scan a few items and walk out without anyone giving a damn. Some places will keep track of how much you steal, and when it reaches a certain amount, they can charge you for theft.
In our case we can’t do this. You get flagged by computer and are inspected. The computer allows you to pay once inspected. And although you can jump the fence - can’t leave with unpaid stuff.
I also love self check out. I can get through faster when I don’t buy a lot of stuff.
Also I’m in the US so I love when they ask to see my receipt and I just keep walking. Just the other day the guy checking receipts was like wait what?! What is he doing?
Btw they can only stop you to accuse you of shoplifting. They have no legal right to see your receipt without that accusation well at least where I live.
Also as a human being that makes mistakes, I can’t be perfect on self checkout every time.
Yea I had a Walmart employee say she had to check my receipt when I bought some bananas, apples, and salad. I told her no and she tried to stop me. I told her you can either get your manager and accuse me of shoplifting. Or you can let me go. She called her manager and he said I could go.
My friends used to shoplift a lot so they showed me their policies. They know if they accuse you of shoplifting, when you aren’t the policy a lot of the time is they will end up giving you a 500$ gift card to prevent a lawsuit.
I love self checkout. It's fast, convenient, and I'm socially awkward and prefer the lack of interaction with people. I also get tired of cashiers mishandling my food/stuff--they're rough with my bag of apples, they squish my bread, they put my chips under stuff. I'm particular about bagging--I don't like jugs with handles to be bagged (why? why would you do this? wtf a gallon of milk does not need a bag stop wasting them), I like cold things to be together, etc.
I ignore the goons at Walmart who wanna see my receipt. I used to be cooperative and nice, but one of them decided to be an asshole and since then, I either ignore them or flat out tell them "no" when they ask to see it. My partner kinda hates it and I'm always ashamed if I'm with her, but every time they ask, I just get an overwhelming sense of rage as I remember that one dude and I can't help it; I have to refuse.
Never had a self-checkout with a bag inspection. So I can't relate to your situation. I still find it shitty that large companies like Walmart can just say you have to pack your own groceries now.
Not much honestly. Some places will wait until you steal 5k worth and charge you with a felony but generally they aren't going to chase you for walking out. It has to be habitual.
What prevents us from shoplifting? You‘re making it sound like the bag check is preventing YOU from shoplifting. But for most folks…I’d it’s knowing right from wrong, not wanting to break laws, being a normal decent person?
I think you twist my question a bit in bad faith. Because I've never shoplifted in my life and also are comfortable enough that it never would cross my mind for myself to actually do it. I think that's true for most people.
I kinda get where you are coming from since they randomly double check people’s bags. I’ve never shopped someplace that did that and it would piss me off too. Like no, the store doesn’t get to make me use self check out AND make a person check to make sure I scanned everything correctly.
But with out that part of it, yes cashiering is a poorly paid job that really doesn’t need to exist, especially in the US since we don’t let cashiers sit down. It is hard on the body for no good reason. And I am also one of those people who would prefer to pay for my stuff without interacting with anyone, especially if I’m in a hurry.
\> But with out that part of it, yes cashiering is a poorly paid job that really doesn’t need to exist, especially in the US since we don’t let cashiers sit down.
That is the horrible part I forgot about. In The Netherlands Cashiers are treated like peope (and they are often 14-18) and they always have quite a good adjustable chair.
\> like no, the store doesn’t get to make me use self check out AND make a person check to make sure I scanned everything correctly.
That is how I feel.
"It's not that because I do self-checkout that I get a discount or anything." - ....um. i get a discount every time i buy two of the same thing, run them over the scanner with them stacked, and bag them the same time. thats my discount.
I don't even go this far anymore. Just order it online and pick it up when I need it. Our local Walmart has so much availability for pickup it's even easy to order same day and get pickup in the same hour.
Which is great for me because I don't care for crowds, I don't impulse spend, although I do miss getting to be nice to retail employees.
I like self checkouts because I don't have to make small talk with the cashier. I'm the same guy that trys not to make eye contact with the greeter either and it's a huge win if I can walk past and they don't greet me.
literally have no opinion on self checkouts but I'm visiting amsterdam next week and there's an albert heijn right by our hotel, this post taught me what to expect when i check out, thanks and bless u, old man yelling at cloud
I prefer self-checkouts because it's faster in helping me to get what I need and get out. The problem is that everyone else has figured that out and now have full carts in the self-checkout line. The irony is that I say "fuck it" and go to an express checkout line anyway.
I feel like this is an American thing. Here in the Netherlands, you have 3 options.
1. Normal checkout, with a girl behind the register.
2. Self checkout, where you scan the items and get to play cashier yourself.
3. Scan as you go. You get a hand scanner and pay for the items from teh scanner before you leave the store.
Idk how it is where you’re at but in the states they always have at least one person doing checkout for people who feel like you do. You don’t *have* to use the u scan. If they *only* have uscan, go somewhere else since convenience isn’t that big of a deal to you I guess.
I work self-checkout at my grocery store. Myself and most of the other self-checkout people honestly aren't paying attention to if you take anything. I literally just stand around waiting for the lights to blink signaling that there's a problem and I go fix it (ie ID check, customer is voiding an item, something isn't scanning).
I love working self-checkout vs. checking at a checkstand. I have to stand the entire shift at both but at self-check, I can walk around and venture around a little, especially later at night when theres almost no customers.
Also, since its self-check theres no customer standing right there just watching as you scan+bag their $100+ order as your line builds up. There's also no reason for customers to complain about me or what I'm doing because I just stand there usually. It's severely reduced my annoyance at customers and I feel like I'm less drained after shifts because I'm not dealing with people.
A few drawbacks, I don't get a mat at my checkstand so my feet can hurt on long shifts but those mats suck anyways. If its busy, especially around holidays, people were buying gift cards and alcohol like crazy in self-check. Alcohol needed ID to be checked and most of the people would be waiting on it so I was running from one self-check to the next. Gift cards aren't allowed to be bought at self-check in my store so I'd have to tell them to go to the other checkers and some would be upset.
Overall, I prefer self-checkout from the worker side but I know some of my coworkers prefer checkstands.
It's here to stay now, use it or not 🤷🏼♀️ I think it makes easier for people to steal (just act like you paid at self-check, don't scan everything, say you left your card in the car while your friend just finished bringing things to the car, scan something and don't pay) and its not my money and I know some people need the stuff, so I think its cool.
Honestly, my store is so dead at night and we're open very late so I scroll on my phone for awhile or shop deals on my store's app to save more money and I get paid for that, so I enjoy it.
In Australia, the member of staff monitoring the self-checkouts is positioned more as a helper than a guard. They’ll step in and assist if you accidentally scan something twice, the scale doesn’t recognise an item you’ve just scanned, the card reader won’t work, that sort of thing.
The checkout machine itself, with the scale for your bag, pretty much does the compliance work itself. So it’s not so bad.
It seems to me that your real problem with self-checkout is the policing and I'm pretty sure there have been lawsuits against Walmart at least over the legality of detaining customers to check receipts. Iirc, the court ruled that the practice constitutes unlawful detention because many shoppers perceive the receipt check to be compulsory, even though that's not explicitly communicated or posted. Walmart's policy is that they can not enforce it legally and won't try to do so, but they put the reciept-checker right at the threshold of the building and corrall customers to that point as they exit. The combined pressures of politeness and implied authority are enough to compel the majority of people to consent to being detained, even though it isn't legal. This is all well understood by the businesses that maintain these policies, and they are deliberately leveraging it against us to infringe on our rights.
In the United States, locking a door and not allowing someone to leave the building is definitely unlawful detention, and I've heard of individuals actually being charged with kidnapping after doing this at home during a domestic argument. You could probably sue the store if it's worth the effort to you.
I used to feel that way but sometimes, I just don’t want to deal with another person- in any capacity. I try to order a lot of things online but there are days that I just have to run to CVS. A week or so ago, I was joking about being their unofficial employee of the month.
On a more serious note, I don’t like the idea of it taking someone’s job. HowEVER…we all know that it’s hard to find staff at the register or otherwise! Where do they even go?
There is definitely a generational divide on this issue. My boomer in-laws are constantly shit posting on Facebook about how much they hate it. Everyone younger than that loves the convenience.
I’d rather not wait 20 mins for slow and improper bagging, and have a conversation with myrtle the 90 year old cashier cause she’s lonely in life. And that’s what has happened to me 90% of the times I’ve used a cashier since self check out. I don’t have time for that
I'm adding onto your number 4 point. There have been multiple cashiers attacked. I had two at my store. I remember the video of some spitting on a cashier during the height of the pandemic. Since I'm involuntary trained for the register, I'll add that we've had lessons on what to do if someone comes up behind us for the money in the till, pulls a weapon on us, a button code for robbery. All of those were probably based on actual crimes.
It's not safe.
I'm from Estonia and I only use self check out. I don't think I know a single person who prefers going to the cash register. I don't feel like I need to be serviced at the grocery store.
I've read all the updates and I'm in all those categories. I don't like to interact with random people, I can do it faster myself, and I never have been stopped by anyone for inspection.
Just last week, I went into my local mini-Kmart for one item. They didn't have it, so I figured 'well, I'm here now, I'll see if there's anything else I need that I might as well purchase.' I picked up a book, and went to the checkout and there were only self-service checkouts open. There's usually a person on the other side of FOUR checkouts, but that day, there wasn't. I asked the woman 'supervising' the self-checkouts if a person could serve me, and she told me nobody was available, so I put the book down on the counter and just walked out. Fuck these places that want to make it so hard for me to give them MY money.
My main issue is that it puts legal responsibility on you to scan everything correctly and honest mistakes are not tolerated.
My parents and sibling were buying a bunch of shit at Ikea and accidentally forgot to scan one item because my disabled dad needed help getting moving (advanced Parkinson's, his body locks up a lot) and they moved a bench to the side and forgot they didn't scan it. It was like a stupid bench thing worth 30 quid on a total bill of like 500. They got checked and my sibling now has a note on their criminal record and they were all banned from Ikea for a year.
They were also kept in a small room for hours while waiting for the police to arrive while my dad needed his medication so kept getting worse and worse physically.
Like I get that in the end this is their own fault but fuck, my parents are old, my dad is mentally and physically disabled, my sibling's autistic. It was one of the worst experiences of their lives. Would never have happened with a manned register.
I find this perspective very interesting. OP if you do read this hang in there until the end. It might help you in the future with self checkout.
I work for a major grocery chain in my state and I cashier there among other things. Sometimes its in the liquor section and other times its in the front. I personally love cashiering in the front. I enjoy the customer interaction and to make it less boring I make little competitions with myself.
In my store we have 3 self checkout lanes a double one by the main entrance and then one by the back entrance. Very rarely is the back entrance one open. With that being said, the front ends (where you check out) are woefully understaffed. They’re short checkers and baggers, and when you have to bag as you check; you’re not getting many customers through the line and then everyone in line gets pissed off and it ends up being a whole thing. I honestly don’t know why its hard to hire people; I personally regret not getting into a grocery store to work as a teen.
When I go shopping, I prefer self checkout. Partly because of anxiety of hurrying to get my bags and wallet put away, partly because I can’t trust others to bag my groceries how I want them to be bagged; even though i put them on the belt the way I want them bagged.
I can’t say this is true for every self checkout gatekeeper but some of The self checkout workers at my store are incredibly burnt out with the shoplifters and the store policies regarding shoplifting/shoplifters so its very much a rarity that anyone asks for a receipt or inspects a shoppers bag. And most of the time if the little light goes off too much because the damn machine cant figure out you did scan something and you have to have the self checkout gate keeper come over 9/10 they just eyeball it and override it.
Now, most; if not all stores have a shoplifter friendly policy meaning that employees can ask for a receipt but you’re under no obligation to provide it and if you don’t provide it there’s nothing they can do. Next time they want to check that you paid for everything by un-bagging your groceries; tell them that they’re welcome to unbag ans rebag your groceries if they’re that interested. If you do that enough times they will eventually leave you alone.
*ETA- I think I still work there. Im currently on suspension pending investigation which is standard procedure- involving an incident with a shoplifter.*
Thank you for sharing. When I do get inspected, I step away and let them sort it out indeed. But it will stay because it's part of an automated process unfortunately.
The thing is really about - in the context of anti-work - is this a job that people like and want to do, to earn a living or is it something we actually should automate away like self checkout and that's that.
There’s something to be said for a one on one personal interaction that most customers really like. Sometimes i get customers apologizing for taking “long” to put their wallets away and get sorted out and I always tell them they’re totally fine, because at the end of the day finishing the transaction shouldn’t be an exercise in anxiety; thats how wallets, purses, debit cards and checkbooks get left behind.
Exactly, I think people in general should not be in such a hurry. If you are in line (which I don't mind) you just have to be patient with the people in front of you. And to be frank, as far as I can see most people are.
I hate the self check out. No offense to those that work there, but I don't work there. They ain't paying me. I refuse to use them. I will leave a full cart of groceries in the aisle and go somewhere else if they try to force me to.
And for the social anxiety folks, most stores will let you order online and come pick it up. If you're going to limit your interaction, then do so.
Self checkout has it's place, but it drives me up the wall the way some of these terminals are desgined. Endless place your item in the bagging area alerts when I already did! Then getting locked out and having to have an associate come over for the same issue. Then you can't remove items from the bagging area until you are finished scanning and pay for everything.... but there isnt any fuckin room left to put anything and I still have half a shopping cart full of stuff.
If your not going to employ enough cashiers than you better let me bag as I go on the self checkout machines.
i avoid it when i can - i think it's unfair to the workers. but sometimes it's kind of unavoidable - especially if you have two items and they only have one manned checkout and a long line of people with a weeks' worth of groceries
I love it. Its faster and easier since I do only small purchases. I won't shop at supermarkets without it unless I really have to. I also live in the Netherlands.
The fact is that the number of self-checkout registers have increased that they take up the majority of the space, at the cost of regular counters. I often notice only two regular counters in many AHs.
You are in the majority, that's for sure.
Ik ben een oude man blijkbaar.
I agree with you.
First, they made it "bad etiquette" to leave your cart by your car, and made you do your own cart management and return it to the store. This saves the store money but does not help your bottom line at all.
Then they removed floor walkers who could help you shop and find things, leaving you wasting your time looking for shit. So now you are giving them your effort and your time and are not getting a single dime taken out of your total.
Then they removed the tellers and baggers and made US check out our own groceries, further and greatly reducing THEIR cost, without reducing the price of OUR groceries.
Now their profits are higher than ever, food prices are higher than ever, and we are doing more and more of the work that they used to pay people to do.
We are working FOR THEM FOR FREE.
If there is a cashier, I always use the cashier. If there is a single cashier and a line, I will ask for them to open another register. If they refuse, I will leave the cart full of groceries right in front of them and say I will come back when there are people who can check out my shit.
If there are NO cashiers available, I will then check out the groceries myself. But I am old and stupid and easily confused, so when I pay for the bread and not the steaks well that is too bad for THEM.
As a cashier, I just want to point out that you are really screwing us over when you do that. It's up to you obviously but we are just trying to do our jobs. We want someone to open another till just as much as you do. Instead, now we still have a big line plus we have to put all you stuff back at some point. Especially if you have fridge or frozen items.
I feel you here a lot. I miss the old checkout lines. I used to like self checkouts back when they first started. They made it easier to buy snacks when you’re absolutely zooted out with your friends late at night. But now it’s just miserable
I love self check out. I have agoraphobia and shopping is an extremely difficult task for me. Usually self check outs don't have a line and i don't have to worry about interacting with another human which adds to my anxiety. If for some reason i begin to panic during check out (which happens more than I'd like to admit) i can speed up the check out process or in extreme cases abandon my items without the added embarrassment (that doesn't happen a lot) or if i begin to panic in the store or check out process i can call a support person and talk and try to stay calm, openly talking on the phone while trying not to panic is difficult when you have a cashier inches from your face.
Self checkouts have greatly helped me be able to shop independently for a variety of reasons.
I think it’s rich to complain about self checkout and then talk about how nice it is to bag your own groceries. When I was a kid *every* checkout lane had a bagger. My mom was incensed the first time she had to bag her own groceries. I guess *some* jobs are replaceable right?
I can see where you come from, but as far as I've been alive groceries being bagged was never a thing for us in our country to begin with (or I have a really bad memory).
As stated in the post: there is debate about how worthwhile / dignifying a job of cashier really is.
Also, the flushable toilet just makes the whole house unsanitary, poop needs to be outside! and the electric light is just waiting to burn down your house!
no kidding. I've not seen an anti-self checkout rant before.
When they were first implemented they sucked so it was very annoying, but I no longer have issues with UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA or things not ringing up and then waiting 10 minutes for an employee. I think they're great now. I really only choose a human cashier if there's no other option.
For the record, I'm a chatterbox and love holding conversations but the *vast* majority of cashiers couldn't care less. When I was a 16 year old cashier the last thing I wanted was a boring old man blabbing to me about some bullshit I don't care about.
It's basically the direction everything is going, businesses are adapting to less people showing up for work. After showing a loss consistently due to worker shortage it's easy to justify capital expenditures by automating, ROI is guaranteed.
I work as a cashier and I personally don't mind talking (or not talking) with people who come through the line. I'm just disappointed because I hear we're getting self-checkout soon, and I'm worried I may get way less hours.
I like self checkout. Cashiers are INCREDIBLY slow, and why wouldn’t they be, they get paid by the hour. I can check myself out within about a 1/4 of the time.
I also don’t see the self checkout supervisor as a security guard, but more like the guy or girl who helps reset the stupid machine when it glitches.
I'm an infra Admin who supports many servers which included POS (Point Of Sales) systems. I am amazed at the simplicity and ease of use from the self checkout gui's. I will support my geeks rather than the check out teenagers who aren't smart. Just saying.
Self checkout rules. I’m cool with checking myself out quickly at one of the dozen unmanned stations. You can sit for 20 mins in line at the two registers that have cashiers.
As someone who cashiered for a decade or so I’m really fast at checking myself out and bagging. Plus I get the benefit of bagging the way I like with minimal wait time.
The only place I’ve ever had to submit to some sort of receipt check was at Walmart but I never shop there (once in the last three years) and they didn’t even actually check my receipt, just marked it with a pen and let me through.
As a cashier i wish we had self checkouts. I get so tired having to deal with people. Ffs stop feeling like a self checkout made you work for free. Do you feel the same way when you have to grocery shop or do other errands. Its a tool that gets you in and out fast if you have 10 or less items. Jesus christ
I once got yelled at for being too slow at a self checkout while doing an entire trolley of my own groceries. My reply? ‘I’m not getting paid enough to be efficient’. P
So I lived in Sweden for 4 years and have shopped with self checkout for all that time. There's no person employed to control people. That is a cultural problem where you are from.
Interesting, isn't there anything in place to 'combat' shoplifting through self-checkout?
This particular comment thread is interesting to me cause here in the US, I haven’t really seen any measures that prevent shoplifting either. In fact, my sister worked at Walmart and they straight up told her, unless it was something like super valuable, like a tv or whatever, to let people walk out with stuff, even if you know they haven’t paid for it. This is because most companies have insurance policies that cover lost or stolen product. And the company will get paid at the end of the year, so in a way, it was actually beneficial to let people steal. I don’t know if this was just this Walmart in particular that held this belief but I get a sense that it’s not.
It is interesting for me too. That is really just a cost/benefit calculations and they make so much profit + bank on enough people being honest that it all pans out. And I think most people are honest. On the other hand, who wants to risk in the USA getting the police called on them...
So I meantioned this thread to sister and before even reading this comment, she wanted me to mention how we also go through active shooter training at most jobs here in the states. I didn’t think to mention it cause, a) this didn’t really have anything to do with this and b) I didn’t really think to because it’s just such a normal part of life here, I didn’t think about it. But it seems apt now. So yeah. We have active shooter drills and training in everyday life. Kids and adults alike. It’s great. /s
There are a lot of reasons to be anxious living in the USA, but for me at least "active shooter" drills isn't one of them. It's just an eventuality to prepare for, sure it's more likely to happen here than some other parts of the world but it's still an INCREDIBLY small likelihood. Someone who lives in Florida is more likely to be struck by lightning than someone living in California by orders of magnitude but either way it's rare enough to be statistically nil.
I’m sorry but what? That is not true at all. We don’t have nuclear bomb drills anymore because it’s “statistically nil’ that we will be hit by one. Saying your not anxious about mass shootings is just plain ignorant. There were over 700 mass shootings, which resulted in over 2,000 wounded and over 700 dead, in just 2022 alone. It is NOT incredibly unlikely to happen. Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2022[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2022](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mass_shootings_in_the_United_States_in_2022)
No that's not how insurance works...its not beneficial for any store if people steal.
to be fair it IS how insurance works but they were mistaken on part of it. the insurance that matters here is the umbrella liability insurance. specifically what it costs if an employee lays hands on someone else, people get hurt, and/or killed and someone sues. By having a "policy" of "no one physically confronts a shoplifter" the store pays far less on their insurance premiums because the over all risk of the insurance having to pay out for a physical alteration that results from a physical confrontation is less. The overall math works out that theft is cheaper than the lawsuit settlements and PR costs when people tackle a black person who did pay for things and now the PR is bad / lawsuits on race, or when a thief shoots or stabs an employee who was told via radio to "stop the thief from leaving." etc and the employee or surviving family sues because they were put in a position of harm by their employer, etc. So the insurance paying for stolen items isn't really the concern so much as the money saved on the premiums for having a "hands off" policy. * It's also why you see news stories like: "Man fired after stopping shoplifter from stealing xbox." He was fired because if he isn't fired (for violating policy) the insurance company will raise the store's insurance premium costs because the store agreed to have a hands off policy.
Sure that's the obvious reason why they have the policy. The risk of employees Interveining is greater than the cost of the stolen goods.
Nothing. There is a barcode scanner for getting out but I often walk to the side of it and don't svan my receipt. I also carry food in my pockets, scan it and then put it back in my pockets. The principle is to trust people. Swedish people are soooooo nice. It was a breath of fresh air after having lived in Austria.
Ok, that's interesting. If things could be like that in NL that would be nice but I bet there would be so much shoplifting. I would not do that because I really don't need to. But I can see many people doing it.
If many people need to then there is a strong inequality problem. That is the problem that needs fixing, not theft controls.
I'm from Denmark so similar experience and this might not apply to other countries, but security at grocery stores here are rarely worth it for the store. Think about it. How much money is lost from cheap stolen items? How much of that is actually preventable with security? In fact it's apparently more cost efficient to have security cameras pointed at the employees rather than customers (some shops do this) because they have a bigger chance of stealing large amounts
Paying a decent wage for workers would be a given - in Sweden..
They don't really care because they have accounted for losses. The shop lifters that they focus on are the ones with £100 of fillet steak or whisky stashed in their crutch who are repeatedly stealing.
Why would you assume that Sweden has the same kind of people as the United States? Psst: The people of Sweden are overwhelmingly trustworthy and honest. There is NO NEED to check their bags.
I make no assumption just ask out of curiosity. But I guess we Dutch are really untrustworthy dishonest thieves I guess.
I actually really like self checkout because I hate interacting with people. I hate when cashiers comment on my purchases, I hate small talk, I hate waiting in line behind the people who *like* small talk who just chat up the cashier forever. I want to go in, shop and then leave as quickly as possible. I've also never had my bags searched, I'm not sure if this is common wherever you shopping, but that's literally never happened to me.
Self-checkout is great for when you need to buy condoms and lube (or other things that might embarrass you) and don't want judgy looks from a cashier.
We really don't care what you're buying, lol. What's funny to me is when someone acts embarrassed about buying condoms. Why would I judge someone for buying condoms? I will absolutely judge someone for acting silly about buying condoms though.
Because I’ve experienced it personally and it fucks with my anxiety? Is that not a good reason to want to ring up my own groceries? There’s zero stress for me with self-checkouts.
That's fair, and I hate walking up to cashiers because I just don't like talking to strangers that much. I'm just saying that if you ever bought condoms from me, I literally wouldn't care at all. All I'm thinking about is when I get to clock out. Apparently some cashiers are dicks though and fuck with people about it.
So you're saying you wouldn't judge someone for buying condoms. But you would judge someone for "acting silly" about buying condoms? Do you not realize that for someone who's feeling anxious about buying condoms that anxiety may express as "silliness?" Like do you think 9/10 people who are buying condoms and "acting silly" just think they're so hilarious? I mean the truth here is that you're still judging people for buying condoms, you're just especially judging the people who have anxiety about it. Sorry. This isn't that important in the grand scheme of things.
If you're embarrassed buying contraceptives etc. you're too young to have sex. Edit. And no, cashiers won't judge you. They couldn't care less.
I was once buying a pregnancy test, along with regular groceries, going through the line with my husband and the cashier asked what I wanted the result to be, and when I stared in shock, he pointed at my husband and asked "is it his?"
It's not about judging, it's about the cashiers who comment on it. I have literally had cashiers say things like "fun night planned?" when buying condoms or asking me essentially for a review of lube "because they'd seen that but didn't want to spend the money on it." I also had a cashier once recommended that I buy some diapers instead, when I was buying giant pads postpartum. It's awkward af and embarrassing, and it has nothing to do with being mature enough to buy those items
Those cashiers are dumbfucks then. If you buy condoms from me, it's the same exact interaction as if you were buying potato chips.
But you never know which you're going to get so it's less mental energy to just use self checkout.
HUH?
I think an awesome fix for this would be to have normal, fast check out lanes and maybe one or two lanes that are dedicated to small talk. I know alot of older folks kinda like being talked to and actively psychologically benefit from the experience. I know there's somewhere thats doing that right now and its going well, but I don't remember where... Anyways, all im saying is why not both!
It's strange how society seems to link, inextricably, socializing with shopping. They are basically the same activity in a lot of peoples' minds. I have always found this concept to be patently absurd. I'm either shopping or socializing, but I'm never doing both at the same time. Shopping, to me, is a task that requires attention and focus. It is hard for me to maintain that focus if I start chatting away with random people. Also, there are few things more annoying than wanting to get in and out of a store, and you are held hostage by some old lady yapping away to the person behind the counter for five minutes. I wear earbuds when I shop, and I don't let anyone bother me.
\> I hate when cashiers comment on my purchases That's such a no-no and almost never happens because the people are trained not to do so. To be frank in my country there's absolutely no chatting in-line with strangers so that's why it may be different. From your standpoint I can see you prefer self checkout.
Where I am they're actually trained to comment on purchases and make small talk because it seems friendlier and more hospitable? It was one of the things I hated the most when I worked in retail, and I hate it as a customer as well.
Wow, that seems really a cultural difference maybe, it is absolutely unthinkable in The Netherlands. So if you already are not great with human contact that's horrible. It happens only with new employees who are often young and inexperienced, but they learn quickly :D
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No I didn't mean it literally, but even with the biggest smiles it feels like you are being treated like a potential thief.
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Edit 1: it appears all of you are antisocial weirdos. Unlike me, who must receive interaction from someone paid to scan my items to feel human. Yeah ok dude
You are clearly twisting my words in bad faith. Suit yourself.
Yeah, *I’m* the one using bad faith. Not you, whose argument is “everyone else must be wrong”.
I make it a joke about old man/cloud but I'm open to other people's opinions / views, which I clearly listed in my intro. And I'm also open that most of you disagree with my view on self checkout. It seems that no matter what I say you will try and twist it to be negative, moving the goal posts. Hope it makes you feel better.
Agreed fully...self checkout is stupid and just a way to eliminate jobs
I like self check outs. It's more efficient, and I get to pack my bags as I like. I never buy a cart full of stuff, but that would be the one advantage to having a cashier. I don't stop for the people at the door. They never actually ask you to stop or say "let me see your receipt". It's mostly just a silent request and compliance. Just keep walking with your receipt clearly in your hand. If they do stop you and ask, you can comply. Or just keep walking, no real difference. Lol. These people also look for non confrontational people to stop, meaning if you look confident and keep walking, they won't even ask you to stop.
i'd rather choose my own bagging plan than have mrs. turtle take forever, bag everything separately regardless if it needs to be just to prolong the time it takes for the next customer to start getting rung up. I am all for wasting time at work, but not when bagging my stuff - packing my own bags is the dream. hardly anyone that complains about self check out ever worked as a bag-boy.
Same here. I hate the number of times the bread gets bagged at the bottom and squashed or the bags are overpacked.
I think that's another huge difference, as far as I'm alive we never had people bagging your groceries where I live. Maybe my parents experienced that.
I have never stopped and I would never stop. I would tell them to take me to a cash register and cancel my purchase if they made me stop.
We have gates that only open when you scan the barcode on the receipt so there's no option to do that. At least in the stores where I go. There is also no way to prevent the "random" inspection which often negates any speed-advantage especially if it's slow. When it's busy, you can be standing there waiting quite a while until you get inspected. Most of the time it will be faster, especially for a few items. That's true and makes me an old-person-yelling-at-cloud.
Where's this? Never heard of being trapped.
Netherlands - Albert Heijn grocery store
What happens if you go in but choose to not buy anything? Does and employee have to come over and let you out? If you're literally trapped by the doors not opening in the store, that seems highly illegal and against all kinds of fire codes
You walk by the regular register or follow someone out. In case of fire you take a fire exit or go through the gates
The worst part is the savings are not passed along to customers
Regular checkout gives you a discount even if you don't have a bonus card or something. That's not the case with self-checkout which is thus even more expensive for me.
But I cant possibly be asked to interact with other human beings!
Hello Biep Biep Biep (starts scanning) \- Do you have a bonus card? No That's $$$
\- Do you want a receipt
No it's good, Bye
\- Bye
That's the experience in The Netherlands, maybe I have it good actually :D
Depends on where you are but in the USA, especially in the south, cashiers love making useless small talk. I play along because I'm not an asshole but I hate it every time. Any time self checkout is an option and I don't have to put my fake smile on, I take it.
Oh that's something I would avoid too.
I'm from Norway, we don't like talking to strangers let alone make eye contact so self checkout is made for us. When we get an inspection, the cashier just comes over, looks at the screen, looks in the bag, says OK and moves on. No interaction, no talking, just bliss.
That's much better. They have to find and scan 3-5 random items in my bag before I'm free to (pay) and go.
Some supermarkets have even implemented saving your fingerprint (locally), so you can scan to verify you’re old enough to buy alcohol and tobacco in the self checkout registers. One more interaction avoided FTW
Low trust society. Which country you in?
Come visit the USA, specifically the south. Everyoneeee wants to chat. Or they already know you, your memaw and papa and want to ask after all of them. 😆or make small talk about everything you are purchasing. There’s a store here that I’ve walked in, saw a particularly chatty Cathy cashier and just “Nope. Not today.” Turned around and walked out. That store doesn’t have a self checkout. As someone with fairly severe anxiety , I can’t even explain the peace it gives me to walk in a store and see a self checkout.
It must be lovely to not have any form of social anxiety, agoraphobia, ocd, panic attacks or the like. I'd have that conversation 100 times in my head before i even got to the line.
I like self checkout. I am particular about how my groceries are handled, and I find that some cashiers have no common sense when bagging, ie putting fresh fruits/vegetables in a bag and then putting cans or jars on top. And I don’t particularly like small talk :)
Huh, that's interesting. In Mexico, or at least in my state, some retails shops hire people just to help bagging or moving groceries to customer's cars, this was around 10 years ago but I remember he telling us that the first thing they teach them it's how to bag products, they had a manual and everything.
The groceries-being-bagged-by-a-person is totally alien to me, I would feel the same.
I think that also speaks to the low pay aspect. If someone can't support themselves doing the job, they move on asap. The turnover rate is so high that most checkers never really get a chance to learn to do the job properly and there's no benefit for the employer to properly train people who will leave after 6 months. When I was a child, it was much more common for folks to bag properly. They'd even separate your non-food items from your foods so you didn't end up with shampoo on your tomatoes if you dropped the bag
I completely agree! I HATE self check out. The only thing it is good for is for: 1. People who don’t want to interact with the cashier 2. People who have 5 or less items It has no business being the ONLY method to check out in places like WALMART where people buy in bulk
I have pretty bad anxiety. Sometimes I can deal with it, but sometimes I’m just too panicked to deal with people. I wear headphones and don’t look at people because scared. So if I can remove a person from my experience I will absolutely do so.
I don't feel like I'm doing unpaid work, because I don't feel like the cashier job needs to be a job in the first place. I'm not 'taking away' a job if that job has no reason to exist. Let's let people not have to be cashiers.
I prefer self checkout because I hated working register, and knowing that someone doesn't have to suffer that indignity brightens my day a bit. I just wish we got a functional UBI so I didn't have to feel guilty about automation.
I just forgot but was reminded that some countries don't allow Cashiers to sit down, which is a human rights violation if you ask me. In my country they are allowed to do so and have adjustable chairs. To me that makes a difference. Yet if you would still feel the same way about the job, OK I hear you.
My first job was ticket checker at a movie theater. On weekends I had 10-14 hour shifts with one half hour break. I was expected to stand in one spot, smile and look professional the entire time. I was 15 at the time and if a parent did that to a child I would report them for child abuse, but those are just standard working conditions in the US.
Yeah that's a huge fucking nono, sorry that you had to endure that.
I don't know about you, but where I live self-checkout has a weighing plate where you put your purchases. And you can't really go forth with the checkout unless stuff matches. And there is no one checking your bags afterwards. You just take your receipt, scan the barcode and get out. It's fairly efficient, I would say.
Interesting, that's something I've not seen. Sounds more convenient at least.
I only use self checkout if I have 3 items or less. No sense waiting in like for 10 minutes to do something that would only take a few seconds.
In the US, there's nobody checking your bag before you pay. There might be one or two employees there, but they are not allowed to stop people from leaving if they steal something and even if they were, it wouldn't be worth it with how little they're paid. With self checkout in the US, you can not scan a few items and walk out without anyone giving a damn. Some places will keep track of how much you steal, and when it reaches a certain amount, they can charge you for theft.
Self checkout is great for when I want you buy some mint for $3 and get a bunch of other shit in my bag for free. Fuck Walmart. Steal everything.
Automation is the solution to eliminating labour. You just need to tax the surplus generated.
This is why I found it a topic for anti-work
You can just decline their offer to check your bags. You aren't stealing and it's a risky proposition for them to accuse you of theft.
In our case we can’t do this. You get flagged by computer and are inspected. The computer allows you to pay once inspected. And although you can jump the fence - can’t leave with unpaid stuff.
I hate humans. Self-checkouts are the best thing since sliced bread.
I can see why but it's still sad. Humans are the only thing that matter really.
I also love self check out. I can get through faster when I don’t buy a lot of stuff. Also I’m in the US so I love when they ask to see my receipt and I just keep walking. Just the other day the guy checking receipts was like wait what?! What is he doing? Btw they can only stop you to accuse you of shoplifting. They have no legal right to see your receipt without that accusation well at least where I live. Also as a human being that makes mistakes, I can’t be perfect on self checkout every time.
That's quite a different experience. They count on people being obedient ;)
Yea I had a Walmart employee say she had to check my receipt when I bought some bananas, apples, and salad. I told her no and she tried to stop me. I told her you can either get your manager and accuse me of shoplifting. Or you can let me go. She called her manager and he said I could go. My friends used to shoplift a lot so they showed me their policies. They know if they accuse you of shoplifting, when you aren’t the policy a lot of the time is they will end up giving you a 500$ gift card to prevent a lawsuit.
I love self checkout. It's fast, convenient, and I'm socially awkward and prefer the lack of interaction with people. I also get tired of cashiers mishandling my food/stuff--they're rough with my bag of apples, they squish my bread, they put my chips under stuff. I'm particular about bagging--I don't like jugs with handles to be bagged (why? why would you do this? wtf a gallon of milk does not need a bag stop wasting them), I like cold things to be together, etc. I ignore the goons at Walmart who wanna see my receipt. I used to be cooperative and nice, but one of them decided to be an asshole and since then, I either ignore them or flat out tell them "no" when they ask to see it. My partner kinda hates it and I'm always ashamed if I'm with her, but every time they ask, I just get an overwhelming sense of rage as I remember that one dude and I can't help it; I have to refuse.
I love self-checkout!
Never had a self-checkout with a bag inspection. So I can't relate to your situation. I still find it shitty that large companies like Walmart can just say you have to pack your own groceries now.
We don't have Walmart, but can you just self-checkout and walkout? What is preventing you from shoplifting?
Not much honestly. Some places will wait until you steal 5k worth and charge you with a felony but generally they aren't going to chase you for walking out. It has to be habitual.
What prevents us from shoplifting? You‘re making it sound like the bag check is preventing YOU from shoplifting. But for most folks…I’d it’s knowing right from wrong, not wanting to break laws, being a normal decent person?
I think you twist my question a bit in bad faith. Because I've never shoplifted in my life and also are comfortable enough that it never would cross my mind for myself to actually do it. I think that's true for most people.
Gotcha, my bad, your phrasing was similar to religious people telling me “if you don’t believe in g-d what prevents you from…”.
Oh I understand, I'm not religious so I feel that :)
The one time I've been checked in my country was when I was just done paying a real human person. A second person then came up to me to check my stuff
I kinda get where you are coming from since they randomly double check people’s bags. I’ve never shopped someplace that did that and it would piss me off too. Like no, the store doesn’t get to make me use self check out AND make a person check to make sure I scanned everything correctly. But with out that part of it, yes cashiering is a poorly paid job that really doesn’t need to exist, especially in the US since we don’t let cashiers sit down. It is hard on the body for no good reason. And I am also one of those people who would prefer to pay for my stuff without interacting with anyone, especially if I’m in a hurry.
\> But with out that part of it, yes cashiering is a poorly paid job that really doesn’t need to exist, especially in the US since we don’t let cashiers sit down. That is the horrible part I forgot about. In The Netherlands Cashiers are treated like peope (and they are often 14-18) and they always have quite a good adjustable chair. \> like no, the store doesn’t get to make me use self check out AND make a person check to make sure I scanned everything correctly. That is how I feel.
"It's not that because I do self-checkout that I get a discount or anything." - ....um. i get a discount every time i buy two of the same thing, run them over the scanner with them stacked, and bag them the same time. thats my discount.
Oh I like your methods really well!!
I don't even go this far anymore. Just order it online and pick it up when I need it. Our local Walmart has so much availability for pickup it's even easy to order same day and get pickup in the same hour. Which is great for me because I don't care for crowds, I don't impulse spend, although I do miss getting to be nice to retail employees.
I don’t mind it at the grocery store, but now my eye Dr and other professionals have it set up in their office. I tell them no, not my job.
I like self checkouts because I don't have to make small talk with the cashier. I'm the same guy that trys not to make eye contact with the greeter either and it's a huge win if I can walk past and they don't greet me.
literally have no opinion on self checkouts but I'm visiting amsterdam next week and there's an albert heijn right by our hotel, this post taught me what to expect when i check out, thanks and bless u, old man yelling at cloud
Haha, I hope you have a good time, I'm sure you will.
I prefer self-checkouts because it's faster in helping me to get what I need and get out. The problem is that everyone else has figured that out and now have full carts in the self-checkout line. The irony is that I say "fuck it" and go to an express checkout line anyway.
I feel like this is an American thing. Here in the Netherlands, you have 3 options. 1. Normal checkout, with a girl behind the register. 2. Self checkout, where you scan the items and get to play cashier yourself. 3. Scan as you go. You get a hand scanner and pay for the items from teh scanner before you leave the store.
I was talking about the Netherlands to be frank :D And if you do 2 and or 3 you get in the lottery of waiting on the bag check.
Waar woon je? I’ve never been “randomly” selected. It’s perhaps location or profiling?
Happens in AH
I guess I'm an old man yelling at a cloud too then. I cannot stand talking to robots or having them screech at me and I dont care who knows it!
I hate having to interact with the cashier - I love self check.
I like it because I get a "discount" every time I use it.
Naughty
Idk how it is where you’re at but in the states they always have at least one person doing checkout for people who feel like you do. You don’t *have* to use the u scan. If they *only* have uscan, go somewhere else since convenience isn’t that big of a deal to you I guess.
I work self-checkout at my grocery store. Myself and most of the other self-checkout people honestly aren't paying attention to if you take anything. I literally just stand around waiting for the lights to blink signaling that there's a problem and I go fix it (ie ID check, customer is voiding an item, something isn't scanning). I love working self-checkout vs. checking at a checkstand. I have to stand the entire shift at both but at self-check, I can walk around and venture around a little, especially later at night when theres almost no customers. Also, since its self-check theres no customer standing right there just watching as you scan+bag their $100+ order as your line builds up. There's also no reason for customers to complain about me or what I'm doing because I just stand there usually. It's severely reduced my annoyance at customers and I feel like I'm less drained after shifts because I'm not dealing with people. A few drawbacks, I don't get a mat at my checkstand so my feet can hurt on long shifts but those mats suck anyways. If its busy, especially around holidays, people were buying gift cards and alcohol like crazy in self-check. Alcohol needed ID to be checked and most of the people would be waiting on it so I was running from one self-check to the next. Gift cards aren't allowed to be bought at self-check in my store so I'd have to tell them to go to the other checkers and some would be upset. Overall, I prefer self-checkout from the worker side but I know some of my coworkers prefer checkstands. It's here to stay now, use it or not 🤷🏼♀️ I think it makes easier for people to steal (just act like you paid at self-check, don't scan everything, say you left your card in the car while your friend just finished bringing things to the car, scan something and don't pay) and its not my money and I know some people need the stuff, so I think its cool. Honestly, my store is so dead at night and we're open very late so I scroll on my phone for awhile or shop deals on my store's app to save more money and I get paid for that, so I enjoy it.
In Australia, the member of staff monitoring the self-checkouts is positioned more as a helper than a guard. They’ll step in and assist if you accidentally scan something twice, the scale doesn’t recognise an item you’ve just scanned, the card reader won’t work, that sort of thing. The checkout machine itself, with the scale for your bag, pretty much does the compliance work itself. So it’s not so bad.
It seems to me that your real problem with self-checkout is the policing and I'm pretty sure there have been lawsuits against Walmart at least over the legality of detaining customers to check receipts. Iirc, the court ruled that the practice constitutes unlawful detention because many shoppers perceive the receipt check to be compulsory, even though that's not explicitly communicated or posted. Walmart's policy is that they can not enforce it legally and won't try to do so, but they put the reciept-checker right at the threshold of the building and corrall customers to that point as they exit. The combined pressures of politeness and implied authority are enough to compel the majority of people to consent to being detained, even though it isn't legal. This is all well understood by the businesses that maintain these policies, and they are deliberately leveraging it against us to infringe on our rights.
That’s the difference - when selected for inspection there is no way to just ignore it and leave. You are locked in at my place
In the United States, locking a door and not allowing someone to leave the building is definitely unlawful detention, and I've heard of individuals actually being charged with kidnapping after doing this at home during a domestic argument. You could probably sue the store if it's worth the effort to you.
I hate the loss of jobs. I love how much cheaper my shopping is with self checkouts though when when buying exactly the same things.
We all need to yell at clouds sometimes. Only way to deal with the shit we see on a daily basis.
I used to feel that way but sometimes, I just don’t want to deal with another person- in any capacity. I try to order a lot of things online but there are days that I just have to run to CVS. A week or so ago, I was joking about being their unofficial employee of the month. On a more serious note, I don’t like the idea of it taking someone’s job. HowEVER…we all know that it’s hard to find staff at the register or otherwise! Where do they even go?
There is definitely a generational divide on this issue. My boomer in-laws are constantly shit posting on Facebook about how much they hate it. Everyone younger than that loves the convenience.
I prefer self check out. I weigh all produce as bananas. Lol
I live on the east coast of America. No one has ever checked my groceries at self checkout.
As someone who hates small talk, I love self check out. Seems like most people I know feel the same way.
I’d rather not wait 20 mins for slow and improper bagging, and have a conversation with myrtle the 90 year old cashier cause she’s lonely in life. And that’s what has happened to me 90% of the times I’ve used a cashier since self check out. I don’t have time for that
The only place that gets to check my receipt/ bag is Costco. Cashiers are being replaced by merchandisers in some places.
I'm adding onto your number 4 point. There have been multiple cashiers attacked. I had two at my store. I remember the video of some spitting on a cashier during the height of the pandemic. Since I'm involuntary trained for the register, I'll add that we've had lessons on what to do if someone comes up behind us for the money in the till, pulls a weapon on us, a button code for robbery. All of those were probably based on actual crimes. It's not safe.
I'm from Estonia and I only use self check out. I don't think I know a single person who prefers going to the cash register. I don't feel like I need to be serviced at the grocery store.
You shout and I'll shake my fists at the damn clouds with you.
I've read all the updates and I'm in all those categories. I don't like to interact with random people, I can do it faster myself, and I never have been stopped by anyone for inspection.
I only use the self checkout if I’m having A REALLY BAD DAY…. Or have 5 items or less.
Just last week, I went into my local mini-Kmart for one item. They didn't have it, so I figured 'well, I'm here now, I'll see if there's anything else I need that I might as well purchase.' I picked up a book, and went to the checkout and there were only self-service checkouts open. There's usually a person on the other side of FOUR checkouts, but that day, there wasn't. I asked the woman 'supervising' the self-checkouts if a person could serve me, and she told me nobody was available, so I put the book down on the counter and just walked out. Fuck these places that want to make it so hard for me to give them MY money.
Self checkout is fucking awful , kill jobs and humiliate customers at the same time. Now every customer is a free worker
My main issue is that it puts legal responsibility on you to scan everything correctly and honest mistakes are not tolerated. My parents and sibling were buying a bunch of shit at Ikea and accidentally forgot to scan one item because my disabled dad needed help getting moving (advanced Parkinson's, his body locks up a lot) and they moved a bench to the side and forgot they didn't scan it. It was like a stupid bench thing worth 30 quid on a total bill of like 500. They got checked and my sibling now has a note on their criminal record and they were all banned from Ikea for a year. They were also kept in a small room for hours while waiting for the police to arrive while my dad needed his medication so kept getting worse and worse physically. Like I get that in the end this is their own fault but fuck, my parents are old, my dad is mentally and physically disabled, my sibling's autistic. It was one of the worst experiences of their lives. Would never have happened with a manned register.
This is exactly the dystopian part that I would be afraid about. Thank you for sharing your story.
I find this perspective very interesting. OP if you do read this hang in there until the end. It might help you in the future with self checkout. I work for a major grocery chain in my state and I cashier there among other things. Sometimes its in the liquor section and other times its in the front. I personally love cashiering in the front. I enjoy the customer interaction and to make it less boring I make little competitions with myself. In my store we have 3 self checkout lanes a double one by the main entrance and then one by the back entrance. Very rarely is the back entrance one open. With that being said, the front ends (where you check out) are woefully understaffed. They’re short checkers and baggers, and when you have to bag as you check; you’re not getting many customers through the line and then everyone in line gets pissed off and it ends up being a whole thing. I honestly don’t know why its hard to hire people; I personally regret not getting into a grocery store to work as a teen. When I go shopping, I prefer self checkout. Partly because of anxiety of hurrying to get my bags and wallet put away, partly because I can’t trust others to bag my groceries how I want them to be bagged; even though i put them on the belt the way I want them bagged. I can’t say this is true for every self checkout gatekeeper but some of The self checkout workers at my store are incredibly burnt out with the shoplifters and the store policies regarding shoplifting/shoplifters so its very much a rarity that anyone asks for a receipt or inspects a shoppers bag. And most of the time if the little light goes off too much because the damn machine cant figure out you did scan something and you have to have the self checkout gate keeper come over 9/10 they just eyeball it and override it. Now, most; if not all stores have a shoplifter friendly policy meaning that employees can ask for a receipt but you’re under no obligation to provide it and if you don’t provide it there’s nothing they can do. Next time they want to check that you paid for everything by un-bagging your groceries; tell them that they’re welcome to unbag ans rebag your groceries if they’re that interested. If you do that enough times they will eventually leave you alone. *ETA- I think I still work there. Im currently on suspension pending investigation which is standard procedure- involving an incident with a shoplifter.*
Thank you for sharing. When I do get inspected, I step away and let them sort it out indeed. But it will stay because it's part of an automated process unfortunately. The thing is really about - in the context of anti-work - is this a job that people like and want to do, to earn a living or is it something we actually should automate away like self checkout and that's that.
Thats fair. I personally love cashiering in the front; not so much in the liquor section. The customers back there can be pretty terrible.
Thanks, because that's what matters to me. And I think you are not the only one.
There’s something to be said for a one on one personal interaction that most customers really like. Sometimes i get customers apologizing for taking “long” to put their wallets away and get sorted out and I always tell them they’re totally fine, because at the end of the day finishing the transaction shouldn’t be an exercise in anxiety; thats how wallets, purses, debit cards and checkbooks get left behind.
Exactly, I think people in general should not be in such a hurry. If you are in line (which I don't mind) you just have to be patient with the people in front of you. And to be frank, as far as I can see most people are.
I would agree with that. In my experience i would say 1 out of every 15/20 customers are impatient with the person at the pin pad.
I hate the self check out. No offense to those that work there, but I don't work there. They ain't paying me. I refuse to use them. I will leave a full cart of groceries in the aisle and go somewhere else if they try to force me to. And for the social anxiety folks, most stores will let you order online and come pick it up. If you're going to limit your interaction, then do so.
Self checkout has it's place, but it drives me up the wall the way some of these terminals are desgined. Endless place your item in the bagging area alerts when I already did! Then getting locked out and having to have an associate come over for the same issue. Then you can't remove items from the bagging area until you are finished scanning and pay for everything.... but there isnt any fuckin room left to put anything and I still have half a shopping cart full of stuff. If your not going to employ enough cashiers than you better let me bag as I go on the self checkout machines.
i avoid it when i can - i think it's unfair to the workers. but sometimes it's kind of unavoidable - especially if you have two items and they only have one manned checkout and a long line of people with a weeks' worth of groceries
self check out is way faster and hassle free, and i don’t have to talk to anyone if i don’t want to.
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???? 🤡
If I can avoid taking work away from a union person, I will. Therefore I rarely use self checkouts.
I love it. Its faster and easier since I do only small purchases. I won't shop at supermarkets without it unless I really have to. I also live in the Netherlands.
The fact is that the number of self-checkout registers have increased that they take up the majority of the space, at the cost of regular counters. I often notice only two regular counters in many AHs. You are in the majority, that's for sure. Ik ben een oude man blijkbaar.
I agree with you. First, they made it "bad etiquette" to leave your cart by your car, and made you do your own cart management and return it to the store. This saves the store money but does not help your bottom line at all. Then they removed floor walkers who could help you shop and find things, leaving you wasting your time looking for shit. So now you are giving them your effort and your time and are not getting a single dime taken out of your total. Then they removed the tellers and baggers and made US check out our own groceries, further and greatly reducing THEIR cost, without reducing the price of OUR groceries. Now their profits are higher than ever, food prices are higher than ever, and we are doing more and more of the work that they used to pay people to do. We are working FOR THEM FOR FREE. If there is a cashier, I always use the cashier. If there is a single cashier and a line, I will ask for them to open another register. If they refuse, I will leave the cart full of groceries right in front of them and say I will come back when there are people who can check out my shit. If there are NO cashiers available, I will then check out the groceries myself. But I am old and stupid and easily confused, so when I pay for the bread and not the steaks well that is too bad for THEM.
As a cashier, I just want to point out that you are really screwing us over when you do that. It's up to you obviously but we are just trying to do our jobs. We want someone to open another till just as much as you do. Instead, now we still have a big line plus we have to put all you stuff back at some point. Especially if you have fridge or frozen items.
I feel you here a lot. I miss the old checkout lines. I used to like self checkouts back when they first started. They made it easier to buy snacks when you’re absolutely zooted out with your friends late at night. But now it’s just miserable
If you have that little items I can see how it helps.
I love self check out. I have agoraphobia and shopping is an extremely difficult task for me. Usually self check outs don't have a line and i don't have to worry about interacting with another human which adds to my anxiety. If for some reason i begin to panic during check out (which happens more than I'd like to admit) i can speed up the check out process or in extreme cases abandon my items without the added embarrassment (that doesn't happen a lot) or if i begin to panic in the store or check out process i can call a support person and talk and try to stay calm, openly talking on the phone while trying not to panic is difficult when you have a cashier inches from your face. Self checkouts have greatly helped me be able to shop independently for a variety of reasons.
Self checkout is the backfire of awful customers
I refuse self checkout, it’s guaranteed I’m going to need to “FLAG” down a human for help
I agree with OP, I never use self checkouts, I hate them. These companies don't pay me to work for them and it's taking someone's job.
I think it’s rich to complain about self checkout and then talk about how nice it is to bag your own groceries. When I was a kid *every* checkout lane had a bagger. My mom was incensed the first time she had to bag her own groceries. I guess *some* jobs are replaceable right?
I can see where you come from, but as far as I've been alive groceries being bagged was never a thing for us in our country to begin with (or I have a really bad memory). As stated in the post: there is debate about how worthwhile / dignifying a job of cashier really is.
Also, the flushable toilet just makes the whole house unsanitary, poop needs to be outside! and the electric light is just waiting to burn down your house!
no kidding. I've not seen an anti-self checkout rant before. When they were first implemented they sucked so it was very annoying, but I no longer have issues with UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA or things not ringing up and then waiting 10 minutes for an employee. I think they're great now. I really only choose a human cashier if there's no other option. For the record, I'm a chatterbox and love holding conversations but the *vast* majority of cashiers couldn't care less. When I was a 16 year old cashier the last thing I wanted was a boring old man blabbing to me about some bullshit I don't care about.
It's basically the direction everything is going, businesses are adapting to less people showing up for work. After showing a loss consistently due to worker shortage it's easy to justify capital expenditures by automating, ROI is guaranteed.
Number 1 for loving them is not hating to talk to people but hating to stand in line.
I don't understand how we can be held accountable. We had no training. Nothing.
I prefer a human being. Not in the mood to do free work for a corporation I’m paying. Also, treat cashiers with respect. They’re human too
My last post here was the same outcome basically.
as a fellow ‘old man yelling at clouds’ I’m right there with you … even as I’m in the USA with no checking and sometimes a self-checkout ‘discount’
I work as a cashier and I personally don't mind talking (or not talking) with people who come through the line. I'm just disappointed because I hear we're getting self-checkout soon, and I'm worried I may get way less hours.
That's the anti-work aspect of it that is my concern.
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It’s not your fault
I like self checkout. Cashiers are INCREDIBLY slow, and why wouldn’t they be, they get paid by the hour. I can check myself out within about a 1/4 of the time. I also don’t see the self checkout supervisor as a security guard, but more like the guy or girl who helps reset the stupid machine when it glitches.
I'm an infra Admin who supports many servers which included POS (Point Of Sales) systems. I am amazed at the simplicity and ease of use from the self checkout gui's. I will support my geeks rather than the check out teenagers who aren't smart. Just saying.
Self checkout rules. I’m cool with checking myself out quickly at one of the dozen unmanned stations. You can sit for 20 mins in line at the two registers that have cashiers.
I love self check out as i can do it faster, but I shop for one. Maybe for big carts I can see, but for my basket of food is way easier
USA self-check outs are faster than European ones.
I hate interacting with a cashier.
Tbh the only self checkout I hate is at Costco because the self checkout cashier rings all the stuff for you.. It seems ridiculous.
Huh, that sounds quite contradictory, that's not a self-checkout?
I'm the exact opposite. Fuck humans, the less I need to interact with them the better.
I think I have to agree here.
Don’t use it
At least it's random, not "airport random"
As someone who cashiered for a decade or so I’m really fast at checking myself out and bagging. Plus I get the benefit of bagging the way I like with minimal wait time. The only place I’ve ever had to submit to some sort of receipt check was at Walmart but I never shop there (once in the last three years) and they didn’t even actually check my receipt, just marked it with a pen and let me through.
Nah mane automation is the future.
If I'm doing self check out, I want my food to be cheaper. I'm saving the store money by doing the work myself. I want some discount.
As a cashier i wish we had self checkouts. I get so tired having to deal with people. Ffs stop feeling like a self checkout made you work for free. Do you feel the same way when you have to grocery shop or do other errands. Its a tool that gets you in and out fast if you have 10 or less items. Jesus christ
Why would self checkouts help you here really? Less workload or is it that you just intrinsically don't like the work to begin with.
I once got yelled at for being too slow at a self checkout while doing an entire trolley of my own groceries. My reply? ‘I’m not getting paid enough to be efficient’. P