Self-Checkouts - Just A Small Rant

[honeywolf7]

Watch out....in a minute, someone might start flaming you and saying that if they get there first, they have a right to go first and you're being selfish to expect them to let you go first.
Personally, if I have a lot of things and I notice that the person in back of me doesn't have much I'll let them go first.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I only use these at Kroger for a couple of items (like today is Friday, so the new People magazine will be in). But usually I don't. It doesn't read my Kroger card half of the time because my key card is really old. Then I'm faster than it is, so I'm always getting the "please take your last item out of the bag...." stuff.
And consider this....do you get a price break for doing the work of the cashiers and baggers yourself? No, you don't. We used to have a store in town with cheaper prices because you bagged your own stuff. It went out of business. As long as I'm paying the prices, those kids can do the work.
Robin M.

 

[Bob NC]

Originally posted by IloveDMB


No one has ever let me in front of them to check out and all I usually have is 1 or 2 picture envelopes.

I think that's so rude.

Couple weeks ago at the grocery store I had a full cart, guy comes up behind me with just a 6-pack of beer. I say, "Go ahead, you only have one item". He steps up there and they scan the six pack. Then he asks for 2 packs of cigarettes. The cashier has to leave the register to go to the front counter, where they keep the cigarettes. She brings them back and one of them was the wrong brand, she had to go back to get the right one. Then he says he needs one of the packs rung up separately, (because they are for someone else). Cashier has to call the supervisor to void out the order. She rings up one pack and he pays with a five. Then she rings up the other pack and the 6-pack. He gave her a bill, then spent no less than 2 minutes searching thru all his pockets in order to give her the correct change so he wouldnt have to get coins back in change.

First come first served for me from now on.

 

[mrsstats]

All the stores that I shop in that have self check out limit the number of items you can use it for. It is like an express checkout and that seems to work fine 99% of the time. I like them when I am in a hurry.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Overall, I do like self checkout, when I am not behind a first timer, LOL. But then, we all were at one time.

 

[princess lovers mom]

A guy in front of me at BJ's today had one bag a really big dog food (not that EVERYTHING) at BJ's insn't really big...so he is a strong guy and whips it up and scans it then tries to get it onto the belt thing and it gets caught and rips open all along the bottom....there is kibble EVERYWHERE!!!...the helper lady comes over and starts scooping the dog food up and putting it back into the bag to put in his cart...he looks at her in amazment and she says OHHHH, did you want to get another bag???
I know you often just put your stuff in the cart at BJ"s as they do not have bags...bbut individual pcs of kibble was sooo funny!!!


so much for self checkout!

 

[MScott1851]

They are a wonderful thing, when used appropriately...I use them when I just run in to get milk and bread, but never for more than five or six items. But I live in one of the most thoroughly unapologetically ignorant cities in America, so I always get behind the woman with nine kids and three carts trying to use it.

While we're on the subject, I have another rant.

I'm at WalMart, home of the low prices, last week. I am a fan of their price-matching policy, and will not hesitate to ask them to match prices on Pepsi, washing detergent, and other expensive items. Back in Alabama, they had copies of everyone else's sale ads tacked up at the register, and all you had to do was say, "Hey, Kroger has Pepsi on sale for $2.00 per 12-pack," and they would match. But apparently here in Memphis, you must bring AND show your ad from the competitor. I am there on a Wednesday evening around 5pm (first mistake) and there are a million people trying to check out at six registers. I spy a lady with a cart only 3/4 full, and get behind her. She starts putting her groceries on the belt, and I lose myself in a saga of an alien having Bill Clinton's love child, and how I, too, can lose 100 pounds in two months on the grapefruit and monkeybread diet. I FINISH the magazine. I look up and notice that the belt is almost empty, so I put out the little plastic divider and unload my groceries. Then I notice that her cart is still FULL!! She has only checked out ONE bag, because this woman has been making them pricematch EVERYTHING. I'm talking apples, oranges, granola bars, bleach, bread, ham, baby food, meat, EVERYTHING. The one bag she had checked out was the stuff she didn't have a price match ad for. She has seven different circulars with her, and has to keep fumbling for the right one. And don't jump on me about how "maybe she is really really poor." She had her nails done, her hair had very elaborate braids, jewelry, and nice clothes on. Of course, she was wearing HOUSESHOES, and carrying a knock-off designer handbag. I have a line behind me by now that resembles Moses leading his people out of Egypt, all because of this horrible woman! Then she is arguing with them because they won't match the "buy one get one free" ad that Schnucks was running. The red-vested cashier had to come over and "handle" the situation. I have now been behind this woman 40 minutes. Then, WalMart decides to open two other registers, and all the people behind me that have just walked up swarm them, leaving me STILL behind this woman. Not once during this entire process did she look up, smile, apologize for taking so long, NOTHING. Finally, after 52 minutes, I kid you not, because ALL of us in line were timing it, she was through. BUT NO! She had some more coupons!! And NOW she is mad because they won't double them like Kroger! Again, the redvested lady had to come over. I am so mad right now I am shaking and almost hyperventilating. I have gripped my cart handle so hard that my fingerprints are in it. I have to restrain myself from hurling a $20.00 bill at her and screaming that I will pay the (insert expletive here) difference and to take her house-shoe wearing WITH DRESS SLACKS rearend out of my way before I decimate her with my cart. After she writes a check that will probably bounce higher than my head, she wheels her cart off...never a word of apology to the cashiers or us for making us wait so long. I can't resist, and I yell, "Maybe with all the money you saved you can buy some shoes and a REAL Louis Vuitton purse!"

It did make me feel better.

 

[RitaZ.]

I can't resist, and I yell, "Maybe with all the money you saved you can buy some shoes and a REAL Louis Vuitton purse!"

Did you really say that?

OMG, I'm ROTFLMBO!!!!!!!!! Too funny!

 

[princess lovers mom]

soooooo funny, glad you feel better. You deserve to rant!!!
Do you think anyone has ever and I a mean EVER just walked up to an empty cash register at WALMART...never me I tell you that...my hubby says that is why those rag mags are there ..to keep us entertained waiting behind the dopes in Walmart

 

[MScott1851]

Yes I did...there was no way she would have retaliated. I had the wrath of heck and highmighty running through me at the time, and I had about a dozen supporters behind me laughing and cheering VERY loudly. She was about my age. Had she been older, I would have been more respectful and written it off as eccentricity.

Besides, I am very quick-witted and even quicker tongued. She didn't want to get into a battle with me, I would have embarrassed her in front of half of Germantown.

 

[princess lovers mom]

just had to go to your homepage to see what you looked like....now I can picture you saying it...wish I had a pic of the lady in front of you!!!! she sound like everyone (besides me) in our local Walmart

 

[MScott1851]

Hehehe.. My husband is laughing so HARD at me right now! He says, "See! Even people that don't know you think you look evil! I'm not the only one!"

I promise I'm usually charming, well-mannered, and a hoot and a half to hang out with. But I have well-timed moments of pure venom. Aren't all Southern girls supposed to be that way? Think Scarlett O'Hara, or my personal favorite, Julia Sugarbaker... Of course, Karen Walker from Will and Grace is another icon of mine, but that's an entirely different story!

 

[RitaZ.]

MScott, I actually think you were very patient. Your description is hilarious!

 

[Margie J]

One local grocery store has 4 self-check lanes, two are for 12 items or less. Most times I can breeze right through and have even memorized a few codes by now.

However, I've run into some people who should let the regular cashiers do their jobs. One woman was waving the items in a fast, circular motion in front of the scanner. Of course she had problems ringing up her items. The scanner isn't looking for a "magic wand" in front of it. Yesterday there was a guy in front of me that seemed to be renting the space out. He was taking his time scanning the few things he had and also had his wallet all flared out at the station but wasn't paying. He was chatting with the baggers and wouldn't move along. I've run into the kids too. Then there are the people who can't decide how to pay for their items.

What irks me is if I've rung up a large order and still have to bag things there is often a person behind me do this .... HELLO .... I'm ALONE and have to bag things so settle yourself down. I can't ring stuff up, pay and bag it all at once. If you don't like it go somewhere else. And STOP ringing in your items before I'm done THANK YOU! I do complete this task rather quickly but some people still have a problem.

 

[cheeringmom]

MSScott, have you ever thought about writing? That was a hilarious story-esp loved that you were "leading the people out of Egypt" hahahahahaha

 

[Grog]

Last week a employee told me there was no wait in the self serve area

I hate the self serve areas and tell them I do not want to use them. I've had employees try to get me to use them many times. I even asked one what kind of discount I would be getting since the store only had to hire one checker for four stations.

The few times I have tried to use them something always seems to go wrong. I've given up before one of them bursts into flames.

What's really bad is that since they installed them, they seldom keep the express lane open anymore, and except for busy times, only one of the regular lanes. When I have to go there for something, I go prepared to wait.

 

[Tinkbell]

You won't find me in self-checkout unless there is no other choice! I did it once and had "self-checkout anxiety". Too much pressure to keep the line moving quickly.

 

[Grog]

Just wanted to add another headache. Last night I went to Kroger to do some shopping. There was only one regular lane open. There was only one person in front of me, but there was only one checker for our lane and to assist with the self serve lanes. It was late, so the "party dudes" were making their beers runs before it hit midnight. When they would scan their beverage of choice, their ID had to be checked and entered into a PDA. This meant that our checker had to do this since no one else was there. This happened at least a dozen times while we were checking out (myself and the person in front of me). Very inconvenient.

 

[Jeafl]

I avoid self-checkout lanes like the plague since my last experience at KMart.

I was buying 6 bath towels, and they were all folded nicely with the UPC code buried inside. Instead of unfolding all of the towels, I thought I could unfold one and scan it 6 times since they were all identical. I did this, then when I went to put them in the bag the machine started screaming at me "REMOVE ALL UNPAID ITEMS FROM YOUR BAG" over and over again. Even after I removed the towels, the macine wouldn't stop yelling. To make it worse there was a flashing red light on top of the stupid machine. Lo and behold, I looked around thoroughly embarassed and saw the principal from my kids' school 2 people behind me in line. By this time a cashier came over and looked at me accusingly like I was shoplifting. I explained to her what happened and she rudely told me that I couldn't do that, and that I had to scan every item individually. I told her that I know that now and that trust me, it won't happen again. I think that was the last time I was in that store.

 

[MeanLaureen]

I love the story about the Wal-Mart Price Matching Faux Louis Vitton Carrying House Shoe Wearing Give Me Everything Free Wacko! Too funny!

The first time I ever encountered a self serve register was in Kroger. I was in there with my former Assistant Manager buying treats for the employees. We stared at it like it was put there by martians or something.

We decided between the two of us we could gather an IQ large enough to tackle the thing - wrong!! We got so screwed up and the bells were ringing, lights were flashing and we were so caught in a huge giggle fit that she was on the floor laughing

I am happy to say though that I am now a pro at self serve checkouts - even know how to handle the light weight items (make sure that your fingertips touch the bottom of the inside of the bag just enough to put a bit of pressure on the pad underneath - it helps it register that something went in the bag)