The Freddy Does Self Check- Out
I told myself I wouldn't do this, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Aw, heck. I suppose I'd have to try something new for the first time, regardless, so long as it didn't cost any extra money.
I was in Winco today. My back really hurt and the lines were long. I'd forgotten it was the first weekend of the month and was hatin' it. I got in line behind a lady with probably a quarter of the store in her shopping cart, put my bag on the floor and settled- or suffered- down to wait for the line to move.
Then I turned my head and noticed at the far end of all the checkout terminals (same side as Customer Service) a big sign saying "Self Check- Out". Whoa! Hadn't seen that before. Did I miss it earlier on? Connie said she thought they had one for some time, but she doesn't shop there. What would she know? I don't recall seeing it a week ago.I grabbed my stuff and headed over to self check- out. The sign said "around 15 items". I had maybe half that. I've always felt they needed an Express Lane at Winco for folks with just a few things. This fit the bill perfectly, especially considering my back was killing me.
There were three or four terminals there with only two being used. I watched one lady briefly to get an idea of how it worked, then went over to one of the empty terminals.
First question on the screen was whether I brought my own bag. I answered Yes and I thought it asked me to put in the bagging area so it could confirm the bag. I must have got it wrong because a Winco gal that was monitoring the operation came over, grabbed my bag and put it back where it was to begin with- the right side of the station. She said something about a scale needing to weigh it, but I didn't see a scale there. I'm still not sure where the bag was supposed to go. Whatever.
After that I just grabbed the few things I had and ran their bar codes over the scanner. Then I pressed the button saying I was finished. The screen then had me pick what method I'd be paying by. I chose debit card and it prompted me to use the debit card scanner just as you do when you normally buy stuff. I ran my card, did the PIN thing and was done.
Would have been out of there a lot faster had I knew what I was doing, but simple enough. Maybe next time? I've told myself I wouldn't be using these self check- outs if only because I'm concerned about automation taking more and more people jobs. Probably not much harm using it for one or two things, though.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 3:20 PM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Like you, I will not use self check out as it is a job killer. while they have an attendant, that person usually monitors two stations so there is a net loss of one job. It is for the same reason I do not use ATMs. I just plan ahead for the cash I need and go to the bank during the hours they are open.
One person monitors 4 stations, and I love the convenience of getting out the store fast because of all the Luddites who are afraid of technology.
"...because of all the Luddites who are afraid of technology."
Not afraid of technology at all. Simply aware that it has the potential to take many- if not most- jobs away from people. It already has. No more meter readers, for instance.
Those self- checkouts could potentially take the jobs of the vast majority of checkers at Winco (and elsewhere). There would only be a handful left to monitor the self- checkouts. That's a real and pending problem, imo.
A good rule of thumb when conducting business is to use the human instead of the machine because in doing so you work to keep people employed. Machines are all fine and good except when they displace people from earning a living.
Lol! When I read the title of your post I thought you were referring to a prostate exam. You can do that yourself you know. Topic for a future post, maybe?
Anyway, I'm not sure that you are really taking jobs away at an employee owned chain, which is growing in size, btw, and giving Walmart some trouble. Winco actually produces more and better paying jobs. With good benefits. A lot of underpaid, no bennies Walmart workers would love to work at Winco. They're even opening new stores in red states like Texas and Arizona. Imagine that.
I've been forced to use self checkout due to continued incompetence of Safeways management, the lines of people that wait until total to start writing a check(only old people or someone with NO money in account write checks anymore)and all the empty checkstands, why do these stores build 15+ checkstands and only use 2 at most?
" ...the lines of people that wait until total to start writing a check".
You shouldn't get me started on that! It doesn't happen very often but people do that at Winco, too. Wait until the last minute, then reach for the checkbook and seem to make every effort to write out the check and record it perfectly. Grrrr...!
As for me, I can only think of two places I write checks around town anymore: medical offices that don't take credit/debit cards, and City Garbage (if I don't have cash).
At City Garbage I'll dump my load, then get in the truck and write out the check except for the amount. Then it only takes 10 seconds to fill in the amount once the scale guy tells you what your dump fee is. The same could be done by those that write checks at supermarkets.
Fill out the check, except for the amount you're paying, before you get to the check out, people!
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