Why several big-box stores have ditched their self-checkouts | CBC News::undefined
I love self checkouts especially if I’m just grabbing a few things because I’ve gotten the rhythm of them down really well and get in and out much more quickly. And in reality they should only be used to offload the customers that meet that exact profile, “just grabbing a few things, not intimidated by tech”
That said the problem is two fold, people do not understand the optimal use case of self checkouts, and two companies see them as a way to cut as much labor as they can which in many cases forces those who don’t meet the ideal criteria into using them.
I find it to be a lot better since it allows multiple employees to cover many registers, but at the same time I’m very skeptical of technology that leads to less social interaction. Eventually we’re going to get to a point where people will literally skip meals if it means they have to interact with someone.
The last several times I’ve been to Lowes they only have self checkouts open. Can you imagine trying to run a 4x8’ sheet of plywood or 15’ long pipe over the scanner? It’s ridiculous.
This is the exact reason we stopped going to Lowe’s; literally 5 employees standing around talking while customers (self included) struggled to scan boards, pay for nails and screws and a million other little and large things. I hope they rot, taking my business to Home Hardware and other places that actually employ people.
