The 'job killers' argument is kinda bullshit. I want to kill jobs - I want to eliminate all labor that can be automated, such that in the ideal perfect future, no human ever has to work; they can spend every moment doing things they enjoy without worry.
But self checkout is not automation. No human work has been eliminated. It is the same exact fucking checkout process, only now the customer does it instead, and the store doesn't pay the cashier. And no they don't pass that savings on to you because of course they don't, they just pocket the difference.
This is a bad, regressive argument.
We need to legislate the benefit of automation for society.
Trying to bury the technology never works if it is indeed an improvement. Technology is benign, people twist it for malice.
This is the same argument as still using oil based street lamps, just to maintain a the lamplighting jobs that don't need to be done anymore.
It's a Bizaare hill to die on to fight to maintain jobs a robot can do faster and better, rather than fighting to make society the beneficiary of such advances through taxation. Either way, you have to fight the billionaires and will probably lose, so why not fight for a better outcome than maintaining shitty, menial jobs?
I think that a lot of people here are confusing "introversion" with having social anxiety.
Being an introvert doesn't mean that you're scared of socialization. It means you generally prefer quiet time over socializing.
From Merriam Webster:
A person whose personality is characterized by introversion : a typically reserved or quiet person who tends to be introspective and enjoys spending time alone.
You can be both, but they are definitely not the same thing.
I would like self-checkout a lot more if those cost savings were passed on to the consumer instead of being hoarded by ownership.
It's the classic paradox. Technology and automation could be used to reduce the amount everyone needs to work and enrich everyone's lives as long as those gains are distributed properly. The distribution is the problem.
I only use self checkouts, it eliminates like the only major variable of shopping.
Self Checkouts are not job killers. they still need people to run them. Most stores have 3 SCO clusters that need 3 attendants each per day. thats 9 jobs right there, add in weekend coverage, vacations, part timers, etc and most grocery stores will have a need for around 15 cashiers which is not easy for any store to fully staff.
source: ive worked grocery stores for around 10 years.
As an introvert I'd rather not use self checkouts. The possibility that something will go wrong and I'll have to call someone over and explain it and have them fix it is much higher than letting someone qualified scan and bag my shit while I stand there silently waiting to pay as both the cashier and myself refuse to talk or make eye contact.
Plus I worked at a walmart for a year as right as they rolled out their mostly self checkout system. So many people lost jobs and the store lost so much money to shrinkage (theft). It's the dumbest fucking thing. Makes perfect sense to have a few for people with only a handful of items but the vast majority should be cashiers.
This meme was brought to us by big self checkout and makes no sense at all IMO.
As a weekly shopper who only gets 20-30 items at a time, self checkout is better. The cashiers tend to have customers with 100+ items and I usually have to wait 5-10 minutes. At the self checkout, I'm done and out the door in 3.
I don't have a problem with self checkout. It has its place. If you're just grabbing an item or two, and want to get out quick and not wait in line, or if you are buying something that you may find personally embarrassing, or any of a number of other reasons.
Cashiers also have their place, for when you have larger checkouts and what have you.
What pisses me off is they are firing cashiers, and replacing them with more self checkouts.. So you have to take your big monthly load of groceries through self checkout, cause theres no cashier, or worse.. one overworked cashier with a huge line.
And its all to have less jobs, less pay checks, and more profits for the C-Suits.
And lets not even get into the fact that its easy for a screw up to happen then some overzealous dickwad comes screaming calling you a thief, and gets you tresspasssed because either you accidentally mis-scanned something or because they THINK you mis-scanned something and thanks to their stupidity you can no longer shop at your local, convenient store.
Everywhere near me has the anti-theft devices turned up on self checkouts to the point that traditional checkouts are both faster and require less human interaction.
I just saved hundreds on my groceries by switching to self checkout and fucking stealing.
I hate self check out and what it's become.
It should be the '10 items or fewer' line. Not, a full cart. If you can't carry the items in a basket, you need to go in a regular line.
My local grocery store has like 9 self check outs, with 1 person sometimes staffed to fix them when they fail (not if, when) and they have 1 regular lane open. And everything ends up with a long line and it's infuriating. Oh and the manger standing in the back 'monitoring things' acting like they're doing anything, but isn't doing the right thing and opening up a new lane.
Also, far too many people are over leaving into 'im an introvert' and playing it up to poorly written teen sitcom levels.
Self-checkout is the best thing to happen in recent history, imo.
It's super annoying to need to queue at the counter and talk to the staff. It's not that I have social anxiety and can't talk to them. I just don't want to. I rather use a machine and get my shopping done. I'm there to get stuff, not to talk to people.
I don't mind if the entire store converts to self-checkout save for 1 or 2 counters for those who are unable to use the machine for the time being. Eventually, it should all be converted to self-checkout.
The people who deny self-checkout sometimes have quarrels with the cashiers.
I love self-checkout. I'm introverted and the last thing I have energy for when doing grocery shopping after work is holding another conversation. Self checkout allows me to check out at my own speed and without having to talk to anyone. It's a blessing.
I do get why people dislike it, so I think we should have both ways of checking out.
Since when are introverts not people?
My laziness triumphs over my introversion. plus, fuck robots tikin er jerbs
Lolol I loved them at first when they still employed all the cashier's so the slow people didn't get in my way
I love them. the only downside is people who are really fuckin' slow at scanning their groceries.
Oh I hate those. Not because of the job taking, that was inevitable. I hate them because while when I deal with a cashier I can do some small talk, or just smile at someone and remind myself that I am still alive. I can also mask my underperforming brain with words. When I interact with a machine, it screams at me at super high volume to put my god damned item in a bag. Like OK, you don't have to warn the neighbors that I'm a bit slow. They already know!
Honestly, the thing that drives me the most crazy about self checkouts is people using them with full carts. They're perfect if you're just grabbing a few things: Just as fast, if not faster, than the 'N items or fewer' checkouts, and no need to interact with anyone. But if you're showing up with 6 bags worth of groceries, and everything in your cart has a coupon or at-cash discount with it, then you need the cashier anyway, so just GTFO of the way. Having the nanny cashier who's looking after 8 self-checkouts come over every 10 seconds to deal with another one of your discounts, or to let you swap bags because you've already filled the item placement area, slows things down for everybody.
I had the anti-self-checkout mentality for a bit, because I didn't want to see cashiers losing their jobs. One day at Target I was waiting in line at the human checkout, and the cashier started yelling at everyone in line that there were multiple self-checkout machines open. It sounded like she hated our guts.
Fine! I'll use the damn machines. Haven't bothered cashiers since then if I have other options.
edit: to be clear, I'm not blaming all cashiers for her attitude, I just want to do the right thing without being a pain in anyone's ass and I've learned that sometimes that means using self-checkout
As an introvert i hate it. It's always loud and temperamental and really if anything i should get a discount for using it.
Once did a late night Walmart run for a bunch of random stuff. Only to come up to no cashiers. Luckily the sweet girl at the self check out saw my panic and used a bar code scanner to get me on my way
When it just scans tags as i push my cart through I'll consider self checkout. Otherwise it just feels like I'm working for free.
I like it when I'm going for two or three items I forgot or when buying some lunch for work and don't have enough time, but for usual, big grocery shopping... Nope.
The grocery store by my house has their self checkout volume set to 11. I don't want to be yelled at by a machine.
i went to target the other day and they had it designed so the self checkout line emptied into 5 self checkouts and 1 normal register. i was in a bad mood and had headphones on and the lady kept trying to wave me over. was praying someone would finish up but no of course not
i happened to be buying a record so she said somewhat brashly 'you and your music huh'
look lady i don't even wanna be here
Especially at Tesco with Scan&Shop. I don't even need to scan the items at checkout, just scan them as I shop.
My introversion and social anxiety is so estreme, that self checkouts make me imagine what I would do if I mess up something, or take too long to finish, or imagine people observing me and the way I interact with the machine.
Damn, I got a bit of anxiety just by writing this. The feeling is similar to using a computer while there are people constantly looking at my screen.
"You could of saved $3.27 if your subscribed to BagBois™ last month"
50% agree!
agree so much :D
The only cashiers I know would rather not ever have to talk to customers either. But they are pretty sour people in general and I don't know if that's common and of course it's basically saying they wish they had a different job. So I'm with the automate whatever you can just pay more taxes crowd. There will always be a place for human customer service, but now we have choices.
Maybe if the store is quiet. When there’s a bunch of people and you’re at the front of the line you better spot the free checkout the second it opens or people will start “helping” you.
And I hope you don’t mess anything up because everyone in line is judging you for not being able to swipe a gallon a milk or not being able to open a plastic bag and making them wait longer.
Instacart is the rich introvert’s choice.
In my local supermarket i can scan the stuff on my phone and then pay from my phone. I usually use the checkout, but when i just need 2 items and theres a lot of people in line.. i mean here the advabtage is absolutely no line at all.
Whats the benefit of the self checkout?
Yes, the convenience of the machine having an error and forcing me to wait while a supervisor wanders over to fix what I, or the machine screwed up.
I fucking hate these things. If they want me to ring up my own groceries they can fucking pay me.
Edit: and to those that think these are the greatest, you're all outstanding, grade A suckers.
I NEED self checkout. I can't go shopping unless it's in a small local store or there's a self checkout. My anxiety goes through the roof if I can't use one, so the only problem is people using self checkout with a full cart
I don't mind them. Where I do grocery shopping there aren't any, but even if there were, I'd still prefer going to a cashier in fear of messing up something. Even if I'm somewhat introverted, saying "Hi" and "Thanks, have a nice day" isn't particularly hindering. As for whether they're job killers I'm not sure; at that same place employees that are doing check out are doing everything else around the store as well.
Haha corporate profits are ok as long as i can be introverted xD
5 updoots for all my socialist friends out there
Burn the self checkouts to the ground
I am quite introvert, but I had more than enough bad experiences with self-checkouts, I won't touch them with a ten-foot-pole. Then people say: "But you are a computer guy, this should be your thing" - No, thanks. I recognize crap when I see it, especially in my line of business.
I just hate how they prey on my kleptomania like jangling keys in front of a baby
Or anyone who doesn't want to give up their "20% off the entire basket" coupon, since the machines can't tell the difference between putting the coupon or a random piece of paper in the slot.
I identify as people.
