rolo:

My small town has no self scanners.  Baggers and carry outs, and they insist on carrying out your items--even if it is just a gallon of milk.  How rare is that? 

Wow, I haven't seen that since the 1960's! Where does that happen?

I also dislike the self-scanning aisles. When the store offers me a discount for my labor maybe then I'll think about it.

Gigi:

rolo:

Baggers and carry outs, and they insist on carrying out your items--even if it is just a gallon of milk. 

 

How spoiled is that! Good for you! (I think about moving in your area. :-)) Just yesterday I went grocery shopping with my 81 yr old father. I had to ask the cashier for a bagger, because I would not have been able to get him and me out and bagged without the help. The women came, and said she only have five minutes and then she was going home as she was done for the day. I ended up bagging all of mine with the cashier helping. This is not a discount store such as Aldi's. 

My store has baggers/carryouts standing by and at the ready to do the job.  The owners actually frown upon a customer bagging their own or carrying out groceries!   

AND remember, this small town also has a FULL service gas station with gas the same price as the self serve--they wash every window, check the oil, and the tires if they think it is needed while the gas is going in then run your debit for you or take the cash into the cashier.  

Just two of the great amenities of small town living. 

I'm not so sure about the convenience of them, it seems to me that people are always calling for help and then having to go to the service desk to remedy errors.  But still, I imagine like everything else with practice the consumer can become skilled at it.  My reall objection is that the stores are saving money at the expense of the employees, I have been told that up to 40 percent of an employes cost is in the so called 'percs', like unemployment premiums, health insurance, vacation time ets.  To dispensing with these employes is really a huge savings to the grocery chain and they are not only not passing the savings on to the customers, we are being more heavily taxed to compensate the unemployed and provide health insurance at the same time.  Then to add insult to injury there is no compensation to the consumer for doing the extra work.  It's really outrageous to have a store manager look me right in the eye and tell me that it's for my benefit that they have added these self service aisles!-Fran McCarthy

Wow, you really are lucky, and so are those employees!  They have a job!  Truly my heart is breaking at the loss of these jobs and the income that their familys need--Fran McCarthy

 I'll admit that when I'm at Walmart I always use the self-scanners. Its so much faster to do it myself than wait in a line of people.  I've never had a problem using the self-scan, but I have had to stand in line behind someone who can seem to figure it out...even then it takes less time than going through the checkout. At a grocery store I doubt I'd use it unless I had 10 or less items.

 Walmart here doesnt have one. Only store that I have seen them in is BJ's, about 30 miles from us in Mass One time ,we used it, it messed up the coupons. Babs

Walt,

The town I moved from did not have any self scanners either and the bag boys at one store did carry out the groceries.

Where does this happen? Small town in south Mississippi.

Both Wal-Marts here have self check out. I rarely shop at Wal-Mart but the last time I did, the scanner didn't work and I had to call for service 2 times. After the second time, I just cancelled the order and went and stood in line. It wouldn't accept my coupons, either. I don't like replacing people with machines and especially don't like it when I am doing the work. But there are examples of this everywhere: ATM machines; postal machines--we just got the one where you can mail packages all by yourself; vending and coffee machines; pay at the pump gas; auto car washes...the list goes on I'm sure. Now they are such a part of our livesMost of these are for "convenience" and some can't replace a person.  But I can see why stores are capitalizing on this--free labor for the cost of the machine.

I shop at 2 grocery stores here. One store has baggers and offers drive up and loading service. The other is bag your own, carry your own. Prices are comparable but at the bag your own, specials are usually a better buy. We still have several smaller, local full-service bag and carry out to your car. Prices are higher there but I know some elderly neighbors that drive just for the smaller store and personal service.

I do not like the self-checkouts either just haven't figured why they want you to unload,scan and bag your groceries or other items then just a cashier just waiting to take your money it does not make any sense also if I pull up to a pre-pay gas station I will just drive to another on because how do I know exactly to the penny how much my car will take understand why they do it because of drive offs but that is just one inconvience I am just not going to deal with

I have really thought about this post and took some time deciding if I should post a response as mine is somewhat different than other s that have posted . You see I was a big box store manager (and soon will be again ) . I love the self check for my personal use but understand why others do not AND as a manager ...I hated them !!! The store does not save money by using them ..infact it increases shrink  through shop lifting . The problem was so bad at the city store I was in , that they have now taken them out . They were only intended to be used for quick purchases anyway . But they have closed six self checks and added 2 regular checkouts .  As far as putting folks out of work ...well the reason the stores have so few checkout lines open ..is that you can`t find folks willing to work and I know for a fact that wage is not the problem  as Wal-mart paid $8.00 an hour starting pay for cashiers in NC  2 years ago . That was in the city so rural stores were most likely 50 cents less an hour .But still a good wage for that type work . I have had a full shift of cashiers scheduled to work and only 2 show up . That is also one reason you go to a big box store and there is no help on the sales floor ..they have been pulled to work the front . Another reason the floor help is in short supply is the low prices these stores ..especially Wal-Mart charges . The most controllable expense in a store is wages , so in order to offset rising prices ...they cut wage hours . I have always considered big box stores self service stores anyway ..but after working in them ..especially in management ...I truly understand why they are self service .I realize at some stores the floor help just simply doesn`t give the service they should/could and they should be reported to the company . But like I tell my daughter ..if you want service ..go to Belks and pay for it . I`d rather buy cheaper and look for things myself ..if I can`t find it and need help ...a manager is only a call away and as a manager , I can tell you ..we don`t mind being called for customer service ! Hope this doesn`t offend anyone but I`m on the inside looking out as well as ...looking in from a customers point of view.  I`m not by any means a "company person " as there are a lot of things I`d like to see changed and have not been afraid to stand up and fight for my associates or customers. But these stores along with low prices provide a lot of jobs and support for the communities they are in . Thank you for allowing me to have my say ..even though its different . Your`s in Christ ,Lynn