# Self-checkouts at stores **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 24, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518 "2009-08-24T17:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2009, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/41 "2009-08-24T23:54:08Z")
I love the self serve lanes! I only go through a regular lane if there’s a short line there and a long one at the self serve. I always wanted to scan my own items anyway, self serve was like a childhood dream come true. (Yes, I was a strange child) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/42 "2009-08-25T03:05:07Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > When I get a discount for using them and helping the store save on extra cashiers, then I’ll use them. Until then, I’m getting the service I’m paying for. This. And the fact they don’t ever seem to scan right. It might be because many of the mouth breathers who use them scratch up the scan glass so much it can’t read things, or it may be laziness on the store employee’s part by not wiping them down regularly, but it never seems to fail that I have to practically rub the glass vigorously with the bar code I’m trying to scan just to get it to acknowledge that something is indeed in front of it. I’d love to see one of these machines have a movable wand like the actual cashiers have. Seems it would be much easier to me. ---
**Author:** ![silvermist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@silvermist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silvermist)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/43 "2009-08-25T03:15:47Z")
They got rid of them where I live, no great loss. ---
**Author:** ![KSO](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@KSO](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KSO)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/44 "2009-08-25T03:30:38Z")
I’ve finally gotten used to them, enough so that I’m ready to graduate to using the handheld scanner as I shop… ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/45 "2009-08-25T03:50:12Z")
I think they’re fun! The Walmart has quite a few and they’re always in use. Though I think the employee who has to run over and un-f\*ck up the machines that have errors has the worst job in the store. ---
**Author:** ![chaoticbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@chaoticbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chaoticbear)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/46 "2009-08-25T04:38:31Z")
My favorite is when there is a jackpot at work: when the screen gets messed up but the machine still works. I walk up, scan my item and it talks to me, and I know I can do what I need to do without touching the screen. (Wal-Mart, non Supercenter) ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/47 "2009-08-25T05:01:11Z")
> [@Inigo\_Montoya](#): > > I like them and use them for my quick grocery trips. Or when I want to get 10 pounds of Vine-ripe tomatoes ($3/pound) for the industrial roma price ($0.75/pound) 🙂 But I hate when the store decides that they don’t need to staff a cashier just because they have the self-check thing. I’m the guy who likes to do his big grocery store hit at 11: pm or 5:am to avoid crowds and it’s really not good for anybody to make me do a huge checkout on my own. Exactly. I used to do a big run on the way home from work, around midnight, once a month but the Meijer I go to is now all self-serve at that time. I got so tired of running back and forth because the belt kept backing up, the layout is hardly ideal for a large number of items. Frequently lighter items wouldn’t register on the belt at all. Most annoying. I don’t shop there as much as I used to. For a few items though self-checkout is easy and quick but otherwise, no thanks. ---
**Author:** ![SurveyorAlpha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@SurveyorAlpha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurveyorAlpha)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/48 "2009-08-25T05:22:46Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Also, they should let you remove bags after they have been there and initially weighed. You put a bag that you’ve already scanned in your cart and it tells you to return item to the bagging area. Around here (NE Wyoming) you are able to do just that. After the last item scanned has been weighed, you may remove the bags from the bagging area and begin filling more. ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/49 "2009-08-25T08:08:20Z")
At first, I hated them. Then I realized people are stupid and don’t take their change. Last time I went to the store, I found nearly twelve dollars in coins in the change return slot, so I know it’s not just one person being stupid. It’s a whole lot of them. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/50 "2009-08-25T08:53:50Z")
Our local Sainsbury’s has an excellent mix of full service, express service and self-service lanes, so you can always choose according to your preference and abilities. There are two types of self-service lanes, ones with the conveyor belt for big shops, and the small ones with a bagging area for little shops. My husband and I do a weekly shop together, so we use the larger self-service lanes, with me scanning and him packing. Overall, they work pretty well. Yes, you get the occasional issue, but I’ve found the staff are really quick to come over and help you out. My biggest annoyance is when there is one person someone doing a weekly shop for a family and they choose to use the self-service, effectively doubling the time as they first have to scan everything, then proceed to the bagging area to bag everything up. Surely in that instance it would be quicker to go through a full service lane? I have been to a larger Sainsbury’s in Manchester where they had handheld scanners so you could scan as you put things in your trolley, then just present your scanner at the end for payment, but on investigation it turned out you had to pre-register for that, so we never took it any further. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/51 "2009-08-25T11:52:40Z")
I hate them. They have a universal need for an STFU button. The last thing I want is to be talked to like I’m a 6 year old by a damned machine. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/52 "2009-08-25T14:39:21Z")
Damn, I had no idea there was so much self-checkout hate. I love them, personally - the lines are usually shorter because some people are intimidated, they’re speedy, I can’t remember the last time I needed an employee to stop over and help, and most importantly, it feeds my need to avoid human contact during business as much as possible. (If I’m choosing between two different businesses with equivalent prices and services, I’ll almost always go with the one where I can do web orders instead of calling.) Also, I’m smart enough to skip them when I have anything more complicated than produce to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/53 "2009-08-25T15:10:43Z")
Machine problems aren’t isolated to the self checkout lanes. Lately I’ve been experiencing a number of machine failures at the regular supermarket checkout lane. It seems like it happens 2 or 3 times a month. Sometimes the scanner refuses legitimate coupons (usually ones issued by the store), sometimes the computer doesn’t seem to know the price for some fresh produce, and sometimes the debit card scanner malfunctions and either can’t read the card or gets caught in some kind of loop around one question. Then I have to wait for a busy manager to show up with a key to remedy the problem, while my ice cream is melting. Of course when this happens the people behind you are giving you dirty looks as if you broke the machine or gave the cashier an unreasonable task. ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/54 "2009-08-25T17:21:55Z")
I’m having less problems with self-checkout at the Harris Teeter near me since they seem to have finally gotten the clerks on duty properly trained to watch over the four stations. My biggest complaint used to be that the machine kept insisting that I was trying to buy the large canvas bag I use; apparently its heavy enough to set off the scale, and I always had to wait for a clerk to realize that they needed to override the “Please scan the item before placing it in the bag” alert. Either they’ve adjusted the sensitivity, or the clerks are paying more attention and hit the override as soon as they see me put the bag on the scale. I still can’t figure out why the machines there can’t scan coupons, which I still have to hand to the clerk to be scanned separately. The clerks at the regular checkout lines can scan coupons just like merchandise, so what’s the difference at the self-checkout? ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/55 "2009-08-25T19:12:27Z")
> [@LurkMeister](#): > > I still can’t figure out why the machines there can’t scan coupons, which I still have to hand to the clerk to be scanned separately. The clerks at the regular checkout lines can scan coupons just like merchandise, so what’s the difference at the self-checkout? Our machines scan them, and then you insert 'em into a slot. You just need better machines. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![FallenAngel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@FallenAngel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FallenAngel)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2009, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/56 "2009-08-25T23:18:41Z")
I don’t like them because they’re not actually a convenience (particularly if you’re buying produce), they’re an excuse for the store to reduce staff and pump up the bottom line rather than charging a fairer price for the products. If they were actually more efficient than human checkers and baggers, I’d have no problem, but they’re just there to trim the staff count, and they create more hassle than they alleviate. I use the reusable canvas bags. On the rare occasion that I use one of the automated lanes about half the time I’ll brain fart and put the bag in the bagging area first, which brings the whole process to a screeching half to the tune of: UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA. UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA. Then I have to scan the first item, put it in the bag and place the back in the holy of holies. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/57 "2009-08-27T06:00:51Z")
The Lucky’s near me has four of the things, two of which seem to be out of order at any given time. They also have a “four people in line, we’ll open a new line” policy - but it appears to apply only when all the lines, including self-checkout, have four people. For one or two simple things (no produce) it is barely okay. I much prefer the Safeway, which has checkers we know and who have been doing it long enough to quickly and efficiently fix problems. And chat about our dogs. They also actually monitor line lengths and do something about long ones, and even have expediters during big holiday rushes to make things run more smoothly. Around here it seems that self checkout is a sign that saving money for the store is more important than making shopping a pleasant experience. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/58 "2009-08-27T06:48:42Z")
I like the Fujitsu machines better than the NCR ones. You can scan items with them faster and the bagging area scale isn’t as persnickity. The first time I used one I was intimidated by the process and felt hurried by the people behind me. Like they were judging me somehow. I think that’s a major stumbling block for most people why they don’t like them. > [@gigi](#): > > Please remove item from bagging area > Please remove item from bagging area > Please remove item from bagging area > Please remove item from bagging area Please stop leaning on the bagging area. Please stop leaning on the bagging area. Please stop leaning on the bagging area. Please stop leaning on the bagging area. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen that happen. I’ve even done it myself. The way the machines work is they have a central computer that talks to the store’s inventory computer, and weights have been assigned to each item. When the item is scanned the bagging scale assumes a certain weight is going to be put onto the scale. The NCR machines put the bagging area way too freakin low and people’s calves brush up against it. I know that at a few stores the uscans did NOT reduce headcount, it just meant fewer people cashiering so they could be doing other, more useful things in the store. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2009, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518/59 "2009-08-27T13:14:32Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Only morons try to buy alcohol or cigarettes at these lanes. What part of “self-service” do you not understand? If your purchase is going to require help from the attendant, don’t go to a self-service checkout! When Meijer has only 2 non-self-service lanes open, having to have the attendant come by is way faster. They usually have one person watching over 8 lanes. It takes just a few seconds to come over and verify my age. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/self-checkouts-at-stores/507518.md?page=2)