dont know if everyone has seen them yet, but some of the big stores like Walmart are using "self checkout registers" where you scan your stuff and run your card through, eliminating the need for a cashier. so, not only do they get to cut jobs from cashiers, but you also get to stand in line longer.

i went to Walmart tonight to buy some shotgun shells and 9mm. bullets. the guy at the sporting goods department had to carry the shells up to register 17.

there was 10 people in front of me! they have 17 registers, 3 of them have PEOPLE working at them, 5 of them are self checkout registers, and the rest are closed. this idea is a total JOKE!! nobody uses them, and the people i see that DO use them get stopped at the door because the computer didnt scan the items properly.

anyone have opinions on these ?

 

Yeah--I don't use them at all. If they are going to offer self check out, then they should give you a discount, but they don't. I still like having a person handle the sale. It's like having your bills automatically deducted from your checking account. Some of this stuff is getting too impersonal.

 

I don't mind using them, especially if I only need one or two items. I get PS additive and engine oil from WalMart. In PA, you have to show proof of age at Wally's to buy diesel additive. When I questioned this, the cashier that had to OK my purchase at the self checkout line said it was because kids buy it an sniff it to get high. So I can't even use self checkout for my most common purchase!

It is infuriating to see so many closed registers accompanied by long lines at the ones that are open.

 

Tried it one time at Home Depot, had a large area rug and some small stuff. I put the merchandise on the pad and the rug on the large object pad, of course the rug falls over and the machine tells me to put it back, I put it back, it says to remove it, I remove it, it says to put it back--you get the picture. Finally after several minutes of this an employee comes over and resets it and has to ring up the rug on it's own. Last time I will ever use them.

 

I love the self check out. I use them often at home depot and kroger.

Wal-mart can be a hassle if you have glue, paint, etc. that you have to have age verified. I don't use self check out at wal-mart if I have an item that the age has to be verified by an employee. I also check out what the people in line in front of me at the wal mart self check. If they have something that age needs to be verified It is slower than the other lines.

 

used the one at home depot today...it was not by choice but they were the only reisters open...not a single one operated by a living person...it is getting kind of ridiculous...

 

That would be the last time they saw me at that store, and I'd be sure to let them know!

I used one once. It was at Home Depot, the store was packed, and they had ONE cashier working at a register. The self checkout was a real PITA, and they still had to have people stand there and watch you and help get the damned thing to work!
As I left, I told them I would not come back unless I could not find what I needed somewhere else. I go to Lowe's now.
Lowe's seems to have everything that H-D has, and they have PEOPLE working there, too!

So...to answer the question... I pretty much refuse to use them. I'll shop somewhere else.

 

I've used them 5 or 6 times so far, when all the ones manned by people had mile long lines. One thing that keeps happening is some how I always manage to get home with something that didn't get paid for. Funny how that keeps happening.

 

I use then if i only have a few items, i have not seem it at wal-mart yet but am sure it will come soon.....Maybe a year ago my local home depot got it and at first it was really slow and not really worth it they improved it by having an employee stand at a station in the middle, and if you have over sized items ect. come over and scan it or if the thing keeps saying please place item in bagging area, supermarkets same thing but i find it a waste of time for people with alot of items it take so long....one thing that really gets to me is walmart, they are always so busy and only have 2 registers open with really long lines, i find my self not going to walmart anymore would reather spend the extra money elsewere or go to target or someother place like that were am in and out, id agree with all of you that these things should not replace people have it as an extra

 

I hate those things, I shutdown 4 in one shopping experience at Wal mart just trying to buy some soda and a hat. I would scan something and then it would tell me to put it in the bag and then it would tell me to put it back and then I put my fist down on the weight sensor and it shut off. So I proceded to the next register and it started beeping and wouldn't take cash and went into a error message. Then im on the third register and I couldnt get it to ring anything up so I hit the escape or restart or whatever it was key until it gave me the call attendant message. So I was real mad then, tried the fourth register and no go. It said it was an invaild item and it would have to verify with cashier, so I picked it up and brought it up to the cashier and it flashed the red light and said theft in progress. So I threw the soda at the piece of junk and walked out. (By the way the secirity guard didnt do a thing, just told me to have a nice night after he saw all of this happen) I'm done with those things, I try to go to stores that don't use those devices in hopes ill never see them again. So far, so good.

 

I rate them right up with overseas response ot a help desk or customer "care" call for my local BANK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something is Really wrong when you can't pay minimum wage for the millions that WANT to work...

 

I hate those things, I use them when I have to at Walmart and such, whenever nobody is at a register, or when there is someone at a register, but there's a mile long line. I think that it's getting out of hand, with all of this technology stuff that they're trying to do. I agree with Me Dually though about if you use it, then you should get a discount. If there isn't someone there that they have to pay to stand there and ring you up, why are you paying a little extra to have them stand there? I work at Walgreens, and people love coming in, because I'm there to talk to. They hate going to Walmart and fighting the traffic, then find a place to park, then whenever they get inside the store, they have to cuss at a machine because it won't work. By the time you get to talk to someone, you're ready to cut their head off. I think these machines need to be taken out.

 

I hate self check out,every single time I've used one...took twice as long becus they ended up havin to do it by person ....

 

I refuse to use them. Why? If they want me to use the self check out, they can give me a 10% discount because they do not have to pay someone to run the register.

 

I love using it, I hate working it. I work for Harris Teeter, and I HATE IT, but thats another story. but working USCAN is a pain in the butt, so many people don't know how to use it and fuss at you for not knowing what they are doing and then it turns out they didn't hit the right button and it doesn't realize that they are ready to advance to the next stage, they don't realize that they are the cashier, so when they are paying and the pinpad says please wait for cashier, and they stare at you for 5 min and then start fussing, bc you are dealing with another customer instead of fixing something by pressing the payment type button on the screen. but it is so easy to use, i conquered the first time i looked at it, if you listen to the instructions, its not that hard......some people don't understand that, and if i offended you with this, i'm sorry, just worked it tonight, and i guess i'm venting a little bit, it's amazing how this thread got started and i worked it tonight, lol.