So, I do shopping at Vons, Ralphs, or Target, they all open lanes when there are people in line.

This might be the first time I have been in a walmart in 3-4 months

I won't be back any time soon

The longer you stand there the more likely your are to add something to your cart.

The make most of their profit within 30 feet of the register and selling space on "end caps". They sell electronics under cost but make you walk through the whole store (it costs them about $3 to get those $13 sweatshirts ON THE HANGER - total cost $3).

the self-check-out both at Walmart and at Kroger and rarely have had any problems. Usually it's just convenient.

and not just sit in in the bagging area. We never use a bag for milk


Part of it was computer error


in any case I was not impressed. I would rather have a human being to work with.

I like the pleasantries, the human aspect

One time, during check-out, a cashier punctured a small hole in the gallon of milk I was buying. I pointed out that the milk jug was leaking. She asked me if I wanted it in a plastic bag to keep it ruining other stuff.

She should have offered to have someone bring you a new container of milk.

I'll always remember this when a clerk asks me if I want a bag for my milk. I couldn't believe she would even ask me that question.

That is one for the books.

. . . the stores that have them by my house (Wal-Mart, Ultra Foods [a union shop], and a K-Mart) give the option of not bagging. I think if you hit that button too many times, it alerts the attendant, but if i'm buying kitty litter, i'm not taking that 35 pound bag and trying to stuff it in a little plastic bag.

Mostly i don't use them because i'd rather interact with a cashier. And, i'm a luddite and still pay for most things by check. That requires special attention at self-check lines. It's extra time with no real purpose or benefit.

I hate making small talk...never had a problem

I won't use them when they have the scale-based variety (which it sounds like was the case at Walmart).

If I don't get the items going through in the order I intend to bag them, it sets of the "theft alert" alarms when I have to shift the items around in bags.

I don't have issues with scanning items, including produce - and can generally do it as fast or faster than most of the folks operating the register.

My spouse boycotts all self-scanners because of her concern about job elimination.

"Please-wait-for-a-representative-to-help-you"

..or buying spray paint. "Wait-while-a-Representative-checks-your-age".

... when an attendant does come over - they don't check anything. They type the codes into the machine that will make it go on with the transaction.


What does that tell you? It tells you that the attendants have ZERO confidence in the accuracy of the machine and so they automatically side with the consumer.

they never checked in my sacks or anything, just sighed and punched in a code.

They do seem to get it . . .

last time we went to the big walmart 3-4 months ago there were lots of people-one or two checkers with long lines and then even longer lines at the self check out lanes. Ridiculous.

Dillons beats them hands down every time.

I was in one store where all they had open was self lines, no one was manning the actual registers. so I walked out and left my cart sitting there.

I would rather pay a few more cents and get fuel points

No one at the registers, self checkout only.

I am sworn to secrecy...



Salsa


2 roma tomatos
1 can of petite diced tomatos
1 onion
½ red bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers
2 Tomatillos
1 bunch Cilantro
Salt
Lemon pepper spice
Chicken bullion spice
Ground cumin
Lime juice
Water



Boil the Tomatillos and Peppers together until they are soft.

In blender add:

Roma tomatos
Can of diced tomatos
Onion
Red pepper
Green pepper
Garlic
Cilantro
About 1-2 tablespoons salt
About ½ tsp lemon pepper
½ tsp chicken bullion
1 tsp ground cumin

Add both tomatillos (remove stem)
Add 1 whole jalapeno and depending on the hotness desired seed the second jalapeno and add it (if you like it hotter, leave the seeds in, if you like it milder deseed the first pepper and skip the second.

Cut one lime in ½ and squeeze both halves in the blender…I use 2 limes
Fill blender under ½ of water

Chop until big veggies are smaller and then blend but not too much as you want it chunky

I had a good recipe once that used canned tomatoes, but this looks better using both fresh and canned

Thanks!

This recipe was given to me by a good friend whose family immigrated to America when she was just 6 years old.

She taught a few of us to make home- made tamales as well.

Plugging the coin slot with all your pennies and nickel and dimes is better than a coinstar machine because there is no fee.

It's poor form to pay a live cashier with a bag of small change, but nobody has ever complained when I pay the self-check machine with a bag of small coins, one by one.

and inevitably every single station bogs down with problems--the need to check id for alcohol or have staff reset for coupons, etc. etc.

Their design really annoy me too. There is nowhere to set down your purse or cup if you have one and to do so will set off the "weight" detector which registers as an item not scanned. Some stores have them so damned close together there is no way to even wiggle a shopping cart in and out without taking out a line of people.

They are clearly using them for purposes not intended (i.e., to REPLACE rather than to supplement human-staffed check out lines).

every single point.

One night the grocery store only had self-check lines open. It was idiocy. The line was halfway around the checkout lanes because people couldn't get things to scan right, not all the machines would take cash, the one employee on duty had to keep resetting things or entering things that wouldn't scan or needed an override... It was a huge waste of everyone's time, and the employee's sanity.

It's my quickest way out of a grocery store nearly every time. I'll take them over person run checkout lanes EVERY TIME.

or if I purchase wine or cigarettes and don't have to go to the cashier to show ID.

Buying alcohol through the self checkout line is not problem for me.

My problem comes when I'm purchasing more than a few items or if I need trash stickers or ice. Then I have to go through a regular line.

I can check to be sure the prices are ringing up to the correct amount. The view screen with the checker is too far away and too small.

Also, I prefer to bag my own groceries. That way items don't get broke, and I can group them according to destination: pantry, refrigerator, freezer, deep freezer, or bathroom. It's much more convenient.

As for me "taking someone's job away", that applies to almost anything you do for yourself. Yes, I do my own mani-pedis. I wash the dog myself. I clean my house myself. I cook out meals. I drive myself, so I guess I'm guilty of taking someone's chauffeur job away.

If you don't believe me, ask all those buggy whip makers.

employ a lot of high paying jobs.

The other half is that Lowes usually doesn't have what I want while Home Depot does.

I hate that Home Depot is run by such a wingnut fuckwad, but this is a world of compromises.

But now and then when the lines are long and I just have a jug of milk, I will. Guess it's a philosophical thing. Oh, and I'd rather have someone else bag my groceries. It's one of those things I hate to do - like vacuuming.

My main grocery store is Winco Foods. Employee owned. Second is Fry's because it's union.

Walmart can kiss my ass.

It's the employee owned or union store. Or Costco.

Our 3 local union chains build and remodel with union labor. I do business with those who support union labor.
It's a mutual thing, Sherman.

If I have a ton of stuff, which I usually don't, I will go to a manned checkout line.

But I have grown tired of people who want to haggle with the cashier about shit. That's why I go for self-check out. It's not the cashiers, it's the asshole customers.

people in the world who want to write a check after arguing over the prices in the flyer.

Can I pay 15 on this card, 23 on this card, etc. I always end up with that person in front of me having issues. One time it was someone trying to talk the cashier into allowing her to put an item on her ETC card or whatever it was called. The cashier said she couldn't and the customer had a fit.

... Oh, and where did that pen go? ... Also, I have this coupon I want to ask you about ...

tho I don't disagree with the principle: Bad business.

At my grocery store, employees often hang around the bagging area, and do it for us, as well as correct any troublesome matters w the machines.

more jobs. I also use human clerks at store checkouts rather than self-serve lanes for the same reason.

Rod Man did a great bit on self checkouts.

and the manned lanes lines are long. It's generally fast and I'm not stuck behind a customer telling the cashier all about a recent vacation or forgetting an item and running to get it while I tap my feet or asking the cashier to double-check a price that rang up too high.

I'm not interested in chit-chat or waiting around, so I take advantage of the convenience.

Up until a few months ago, I didn't use my debit card, but wrote checks instead, and I pay 90% of my bills through the US mail.

They will drag me kicking and screaming into the 21st Century. Oh, and while I do have an iPad, I don't ever use our smart phone. Our daughter shamed us into buying one a couple of years ago, but we make about 12 minutes worth of calls on it a month and don't use it for anything else. A big waste of money really - we would have been better off with a flip phone for travel emergencies.

as you are picking it out. Then all you have to do at the checkout is swipe your credit card, print the receipt, and you're done. And there is never a line. I love it.

I'd love to give it a try

Just keep practicing. You will get the hang of it. The first few times I hated it too, but now I use them any chance I can get.

Faster for me. I even have all the produce shortcut codes memorized. I can check out in half the time and there's never a line. I took the time to learn how it worked by reading the display. Now, I often push Spanish before starting, so I can watch the other shoppers glare at me when the thing speaks to me in Spanish.

we go to the Big Box Wally when hubby needs shotgun shells

We use Dillons for almost everything else. With our card we get fuel points and everyone loves cheaper gas

the Neighborhood Wally is less than a mile away and usually can get in and out within 10 minutes so if I just need a few things -under 10 I will go there but after today I might not ever go there again. Hubby doesn't like me going their alone anyway the area is a pretty high crime area. He always rags on my that I don't carry even though I have my CCW. I just want to go to the store, get in and get out. I don't look for a fight and don't care to be a hero-I just want to get my shit done and get home.

I won't, however, support a place that screws their workers.

Fortunately, we have choices.

I still hate the self checkout. I usually have way too many items--and lots of produce--
so it's just easier and faster to have the clerk do the check out.

Each time the machine didn't work properly and I had to wait for a clerk to come over, clear it, and start over only to have it malfunction again. Waste of my time. I'd rather go to a regular checkout, even if there are people ahead of me. At least I know that when I get to the register, it will function properly.

I am old enough to be treated well, enough said.

for the inevitable screw ups of the machine. It may add a job.

Make the customer do the work and they get the profits.

That's an Ayn Rand special right there.

Looks like worker hating conservatives just love it too.

which we used to have where you point to some product and the clerk got it for you. Of course because it was so tiny there was just one of something and most somethings were not even there. After all in supermarkets you have to do the work of getting whatever you want. Oh the Humanity! Maybe you want to go back to the 1800s but fortunately most of us are just fine its 2014.

It's actually conservatives who want to go back to the 1800's.

Your last sentence is absolutely stupid and patently false.

Well supermarkets mean you are doing the work that clerks used to do in smaller stores. Supermarkets mean more profits which you are against.

I defend the workers. Too bad you don't like it.

You pick and choose when you "defend the workers." Supermarkets killed off millions of jobs by wiping out smaller stores. You don't seem to have a problem with that. (I don't either, but I'm not the one complaining about self-service lines). Do you use ATMs or do you go to the bank for every financial transaction? That has eliminated countless workers also.

I do not 'pick and choose' when I defend the workers. You made that up.

but you have to put it in the bagging area.

If you don't, then just select "I choose not to bag this", which comes on the screen.

Pretty easy actually.

Why should I be conscripted as an "employee" for 5 minutes...? For nothing?

Share the savings with the customer - and I might bite...

Usually faster.

You and I are bad boys.

I'm frequently swimming against the tide here.

I've done the shopping, now I have to scan and bag my groceries. I think I should get a discount for that.

Our "Giant" grocery store frequently forces us to use self-checkout lines, because they NEVER have enough cashiers on duty. Twice I have had over $200 worth of groceries to scan/bag myself! And I bring my own reusable bags, too! Why am I paying the same price as the customer whose merchandise gets scanned and bagged for them?

And sometimes the chaff stays there in the meal.

A cart full of t.v. dinners, candy, and ice cream.

Ever since Quick Trip came to NC I have come to love thier setup for ordering food- I am addicted to their big pretzels.

Place your order on the touch screen, take the receipt to the live cashier (who works customers on both sides of his/her register so lines move much faster), pay for your order, and usually by the time you walk back to the food counter your order is up or almost up.

So much faster and easier when you are also buying other stuff.

When I have no other choice, though -- like early in the morning when there are no cashiers available -- I also manage to tie up the cashier who is there to help just as much as if I had stood in line and had him or her check my stuff out. Plus, I don't like the thought of contributing to the eventual loss of someone else's job.

I have anxiety when talking to people. The self checkout helps me to avoid interactions with others.

I do go to the store, I end up starting conversations with the cashiers. Many of them have been working at these stores for years, so we know what to chat about. This is why I like the self check outs! Otherwise, a quick trip turns into 15 minutes. At my main store, there is always a cashier (union store) standing at the self check out, to help if there are problems. I pay attention more while checking out, in case there is a price problem. When I am done, sometimes I still stop and chat with the cashier though, but my stuff is bagged the way I like and I made sure all the prices were what I thought!

Also, I get a little claustrophobic when I am squeezed in the line, with all of that gum and candy and magazines! And when many people line up behind me I feel a little panic-y. So, I have to say I am a fan of them for the most part.

Especially for one of the reasons they were put in - store employees in supermarkets and the like that are grabbing a quick snack and soda for a break that can breeze through and go on break rather than stand in line with everyone else.

I only use them when I have a handful of items and don't want to stand in line for awhile behind the carts of dozens of items.

I also use them during the quieter periods when I have my kids as I take the time to instruct them on proper use of such devices since they're common enough in general and the pad features are what you use during a regular check out. Easier to do it when there's nobody in line behind me to take the time to teach them on the function and things to watch out for.

A lot of this thread is like a lot of other threads that go through technology/labor issues. It just boils down to "it's evil/wrong" and has a strong Luddite feeling that's comical. It's like tilting at windmills. Complain online on a forum all you want. But you're better off leaving a customer feedback notice. Or simply leaving a notice saying you aren't coming back to the store at all until they start providing more cashiers.

Making the choice of standing in line behind large carts even in express lines, surly cashiers, customer/cashier that gossip and gab after their order is done, cashiers that double scan items so fast you don't catch it till you get home and check the receipt.
oh yeah
I'll take the self check every time

I hate they take away people's jobs. They take longer than going to a person. When I go to a person they usually have someone start bagging while I dig out my bags, money, and club card (I always use cash). They can take shortcuts like scan a single can of cat food and tell the machine to ring it up 20 times if I have 20 cans. They don't have to hunt around for vegetables which have no barcode. I was buying red bell peppers the other day and I spent all this time searching the menus under B and then under R. I had to flag down a clerk and turns out they were under P. Definitely makes sense I admit but I'm not always in a completely sensible frame of mind that time of morning. If I buy cat litter and put it on the little stand the machine freaks out because it's too heavy. I can't buy alcohol at the self-checkout and MUST use a regular checker. Early Saturday morning when I do my shopping there's only one checker and the line is long, thanks to all the self-checkout machines.

I don't have a car and must take the bus and the bus I take home comes every 50 minutes on Saturday so the extra time is definitely an issue for me. I plan out my morning very carefully to take account of the bus schedules and when I'm delayed at self-checkout I become panicked I'll miss my bus.

When steered to them by managers, I ask them if my purchases will be discounted by 50% because I refuse to be an unpaid employee of their store.

The petrol industry pulled this scam with self service at gas station. At first the gas was a few cents cheaper. Over the years all the pumps became self service and now we are paying around $4 a gallon for gas.

He gets to scan everything. It's big fun! At least for him!

People who really have a hard time dealing with other peoples love these since it allows them to do what they need to do and function without suffering any issues.

And I find the manned lanes to be just fine. If you have social anxiety because you have to make eye contact with another person and hand them cash or swipe a card while they bag your staff you probably have a mental illness.

Almost always slower lines if people are not buying a handful of things, lots of room for user error, and the machines are often flaky. There is a reason Ikea is eliminating them and places like Costco have heavy supervision of them and most people go through the manned registers.

Ever put a month's worth of groceries for a family of three+ through a self checkout lane? Epitome of masochism (or maybe sadism because of the poor bastards behind you) right there.

As many have said, cashiers need jobs and I like the interaction with the cashier. The machines usually malfunction too or the person in front of me doesn't know how to operate it or it malfunctioned on him/her.

Normally I have a handful of items (no items that need weighed) I've become pretty proficient at not needing the attendant.

I always get the "unexpected item in the bagging area." and the "I don't want to bag this item" errors.


It's better than standing in line since walturd won't open their registers except at Christmas.

It was rather eye opening for me.

In some retailers it actually increased labor. I'd have never thought that.

depended on it.

Or if someone is so poor that they can only shop there, I suppose that is the reality of Walmart.

Self serve check out where I shop is very convenient but I know when I use them I am not doing the union retail clerks any favors, and I should stop using them.