Dear Lynn, When I reach the register, I have to have unloaded my cart, next needing to hand in my Club card & my coupons, then need to TRY to scan my Foord Stamps card (it never works that way), & t o ask the cashier to please scan in teh numbers.  THEN I need to enter the "EBT/Food" choices, & my PIN, & OK the total, & only THEN get the cash register receipt.  I keep an eye on the tab as it is being rung up.  The only way that I could bag my purchase myself is if I could wait to do it until after all of these steps have gone by --- most likely being interfered with by the next gal's or guy's purchases sailing down the aisle. 

Once my groceries are in my shopping cart (the kind with 2 big back wheels & 2 small front wheels), I move to an unused aisle & check my CRT very carefully.  I often find a mistake, usually on my own part for having assumed that something was on sale, when the type of hte item that I selected is not on sale.  Then I return that item right away.

My Public Library has adopted self-scanning check-out & return.  It took me around 10 tries (with having to get Librarian assistance) befor e I got he hang of THAT.  No, thank you, to scanning my own groceries !

Yours in Him, Deb

Dear Deb ,

     You need to ask for help ..the self checks aren`t for everyone ...my hubby hates them .He just can`t get the hang of using them . They are never good ..even to me ..if I have a lot to scan and bag a cashier can do it much faster ( don`t tell my boss , I`m suppose to be as fast as our cashiers ! ) . But I do like them when the store is full ..its time for me to go home ...I have grabbed  something I need and don `t want to stand in line . But then also ..if the store is that full ...I usually jump  on and help . Most stores ..or the ones I have worked for ..want to make their customers happy ...the thinking is that self checks will speed check out time ..but you and I both know it doesn`t help very much , And seriously ...ask for help in the stores ...have them call a manager ...I love helping customers ..sometimes i offer when they haven`t asked ..boy have I been told off !!   AND if you don`t get help when you ask  and in a timely manner ...call the company . When we have problems we should let the company know ....telling the store manager doesn`t always help ..make the company aware of the problem . Let them know how you feel about the self checks or anything else ...thats the only way they have of knowing how the customers feel . The same should be true of the library ...thats what they have librarians for ..to help !!!

    I almost didn`t post on this thread because I didn`t want to offend anyone with my different view on it ....I hope I haven`t offend you Deb ..as I said in the first post ....I can see both sides of the fence and because of that ...I make a better manager ...I care about others .

                                                                                                                                                   Lynn 

I see your point Lynn having been a manager of teens.   My sister works in a big walmart type store and they put in self check outs and are getting robbed blind.

Dear Lynn, My goodness gracious!  You did not offend me!  Nor could your post have offended anyone else.  SWe're a community, &, as Pat says in the Guidelines,we have to communicate even when we have different points of view.  I very much appreciate your elucidation.  I, too, forgot to add something importatn, which is that I bring my own bags, & gettign the bag credit adds to the confusion around my check-outs.

You sound like a great store manager! 

Yours in Him, Deb

mmm self checkouts.........

pros

1) i can  have my children scan items

2) my items get bagged the way i want them bagged (as in not one apple and a can of soup is a full bag)

3) i can scan my items in the order i want them scanned

4) i dont have to deal with cashiers looking at me funny because i want my stuff in my canvas bags

5) if applicable, i can scan my coupons THEN my store card to get full coupon value for sale items -----if i scan my card then my coupons when items are "free" say my coupon is good for up to 2.12 and the item is 2.15 without store card, and 1.99 with store card, i only get credit for 1.99 not 2.12 ( i think that made sense)

cons:

1) frequent beeping because i use my own bags and the wieght of the bag throws the weighted system off

2)beeps on coupons because i have a coupon for every item

3)cashier has to come over and override frequently

4) time wise, it takes me just as long as it does for a person

5) cashiers insisting i scan my store card before items if applicable

i personally prefer self checkouts----unless im at albertsons and using competitors coupons, or walmart and im pricematching then i need a person

everytime they build a new grocery store they put in more self checkouts.   the latest saveon foods has only a couple of checkouts and more self serve ones. not smart when the major customers are elderly.  safeway put in a couple but more reg checkouts.

I prefer reg checkouts because the self serve ones are a pain.

 We even have these machines at our local library and I hate it!

Although...I also hate horrible baggers.  We have a wonderful new grocery store in town with killer produce and meat sales, short lines and speedy cashiers.  The baggers drive me nuts though.  Since there is often not a line, they will get a second shopping cart to fill while you are still removing items from your cart, not a big deal for a lot of people.  I tend to go shopping with a friend who always has two small children with her.  That means that she has to manuever her original cart with the children strapped in, the new cart because the bagger couldn't help put things on the converyor, all while trying to put away change and receipts, and unused coupons.  I hate it!!!!  When I said something to a bagger about how difficult it makes shopping, his response was "Oh,... well, have a nice day!"

No I will not scan my grocries unless I have very,very few items.  I feel like I am spending my money and the least the stores can do is provide a cashier.  I remember a long time ago here we used to have young guys that would unload your cart,bag your groceries and take your groc. to the car and load them for you.  One of the grocers had a sign up that said we pay our employees do not tip well I will tip if I want to I feel they deserve it and it is my money.

We've had the self-scan aisles at Wal-Mart here for several years. We don't use them. The Home Depot has also gone to using self-checkout. We don't shop there now unless we can't get what we need elsewhere.

When the stores start paying me to ring up and bag my own purchases, maybe I'll use them. I don't work for Wal-Mart or Home Depot. I'm not doing their work for them while their employees stand around doing nothing (and I'm not exaggerating, I've seen this happen). DH hates them too.

Jill

one reason I like safeway, always helpful employees.

our library has a self check out too. never used it because half the time it doesn't work.