Self-checkout Horror Stories

[Rob]

I really, really, really hate self-checkout. I mean, for realz. I hate self-checkout.


Let's hear your self-checkout horror stories.

[martycanuck]

Afraid I don’t really have one. Other than waiting once in a while for the attendant to verify something. Not really a horror story.

[graham]

A self-checkout horror story?

You mean like when it didn't apply the discount on BOGOF and I had to ask someone to sort it out manually?


(PS I'm glad this thread wasn't what I initially thought it was going to be, ie about people's disastrous failed attempts to take their own lives!)

[Rob]

A few months back, I was at Kroger in Davison, where I usually grocery shop. My cart was loaded with groceries, and all the cashier lanes were closed. There was a crowd of people in the self-checkout area.

The self-checkout area has four machines on one side and four machines on the other side, and people in the middle.

I begin to panic, because every time I'm at a self-checkout machine, I can't see what I'm doing, I can't read the text on the screen and I don't know what to tap, and I can't hear what the employee who comes over to help is saying.

I didn't know what was going on that night, but there were a lot of people in the self-checkout area. Someone pointed me to an unused machine and I went up to it to try, but quickly admitted that I wasn't going to be able to do this myself.

My mom had driven me to the store that night and she was out in the car, so I sent her a text telling her that I needed help in self-checkout, and she came in to help.

But that night...

...it was more than just a case of me not being able to see what I'm doing.

The machine was acting up every few seconds and the only employee on the scene had to keep coming over to get the machine working again. I eventually realized that that one employee was running all over the self-checkout area and repeatedly reactivating machines for the customers using them. And there's about two dozen other people waiting for machines to be available, so they can check out.

It occurred to me, and I probably should have suggested it too, that if the employee (I think she was a manager) had told everyone to stop using the self-checkout machines and opened one of the cashier lanes, this problem would have been solved.

We got through all of my groceries. I think it took us about a half hour.

[mank]

Not so much of a horror story but...

If you buy any type of cold medicine such as Dayquil or Nyquil you have to wait until somebody comes and verifies you are at least 21 years old. And, when I have purchased produce such as bananas there has been more than one time that the scale did not work on the self checkout.

I avoid the self checkouts since I think they have taken away a job from someone. The one Walmart near me has removed all checkouts with self checkouts. They have two people watching 22 checkouts. I have seen them overwhelmed more than once with people that are having problems. It seems older people hate them and tend to have trouble using them.

[MalcolmR]

Do you USians have self-scan? This is where you carry a hand-held scanner around the store, zap each barcode as you take it off the shelf before tossing it into your bags. Checkout is dead simple. I don't use it, but I could imagine it might be easier for those who are physically challenged.

The only complaint I have about self checkout is that you struggle if you use anything other than lightweight plastic bags. I use re-useable, washable, linen bags, and when I try to use them at a self checkout I have to be very careful because their weight can throw the machine out. The trick is to first scan articles which are of indeterminate weight. For example a lettuce could be anywhere between 6-10 ounces, so the machine won't notice the extra weight; but if your first scan is a tube of toothpaste which is always exactly 5.63 ounces the machine will refuse to let you carry on.

[mank]

Oct 25, 2023 8:32:53 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

Do you USians have self-scan? This is where you carry a hand-held scanner around the store, zap each barcode as you take it off the shelf before tossing it into your bags. Checkout is dead simple. I don't use it, but I could imagine it might be easier for those who are physically challenged.

The only complaint I have about self checkout is that you struggle if you use anything other than lightweight plastic bags. I use re-useable, washable, linen bags, and when I try to use them at a self checkout I have to be very careful because their weight can throw the machine out. The trick is to first scan articles which are of indeterminate weight. For example a lettuce could be anywhere between 6-10 ounces, so the machine won't notice the extra weight; but if your first scan is a tube of toothpaste which is always exactly 5.63 ounces the machine will refuse to let you carry on.

Malcolm,

I know Sam's Club in the USA has an application that you use with your phone and scan the barcodes. It requires you to set up a debit card or charge card and then you check out. I use it all the time. (Sam's Club is a warehouse discount store which is a spin off from WalMart.)

[Jim]

Oct 25, 2023 8:32:53 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

Do you USians have self-scan? This is where you carry a hand-held scanner around the store, zap each barcode as you take it off the shelf before tossing it into your bags. Checkout is dead simple. I don't use it, but I could imagine it might be easier for those who are physically challenged.

I've only seen this at the grocery store. Rather than use their scan gun, I'll use an app on my phone.

Some stores, I will only use self checkouts. If I have the option, I will use it unless I know I am buying something that will cause a problem.

My biggest complaint is I get "randomly selected" more than half the time at my grocery store for a cart audit. That requires a store employee to scan at least half the stuff in my cart.

[Rob]

I have never seen these handheld scanners.

[mank]

Oct 25, 2023 11:42:05 GMT -5 Jim said:

Oct 25, 2023 8:32:53 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

Do you USians have self-scan? This is where you carry a hand-held scanner around the store, zap each barcode as you take it off the shelf before tossing it into your bags. Checkout is dead simple. I don't use it, but I could imagine it might be easier for those who are physically challenged.

I've only seen this at the grocery store. Rather than use their scan gun, I'll use an app on my phone.

Some stores, I will only use self checkouts. If I have the option, I will use it unless I know I am buying something that will cause a problem.

My biggest complaint is I get "randomly selected" more than half the time at my grocery store for a cart audit. That requires a store employee to scan at least half the stuff in my cart.

Jim,

I know the WalMart and Giant Eagle stores here in Pittsburgh automatically check your cart if you have something that isn't in a bag. I know when I put a case of Diet Mt. Dew in my cart they always check the receipt. Additionally, the app I use for Sam's Club the personnel at the door scans the app on my phone and then a few items in my cart. 

Additionally, I have seen the Giant Eagle stores here have a gun you can use to scan each item. Then when you are done there is a terminal that you have to use to finalize your purchases. Every time I have been in the store I have noticed two problems; there is only a few scanner guns and one terminal which has a backup and a line, and it seems the terminal never works correctly without some type of intervention from store personnel. It seems the terminal locks up or again if you buy medicine you still need an approval from a store employee.

[Juli]

Oct 25, 2023 8:32:53 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

Do you USians have self-scan? This is where you carry a hand-held scanner around the store, zap each barcode as you take it off the shelf before tossing it into your bags. Checkout is dead simple. I don't use it, but I could imagine it might be easier for those who are physically challenged.

The only complaint I have about self checkout is that you struggle if you use anything other than lightweight plastic bags. I use re-useable, washable, linen bags, and when I try to use them at a self checkout I have to be very careful because their weight can throw the machine out. The trick is to first scan articles which are of indeterminate weight. For example a lettuce could be anywhere between 6-10 ounces, so the machine won't notice the extra weight; but if your first scan is a tube of toothpaste which is always exactly 5.63 ounces the machine will refuse to let you carry on.

The Kroger near me has that as an option, I think, it's ideal for someone getting just a few things. I haven't tried it, but they have a stand with the scanners and bags, and instructions. I haven't read it closely.

I use my own bags, too. Yeah, it's a bear to find a place to put them that doesn't trigger the system.

[martycanuck]

Oct 25, 2023 8:32:53 GMT -5 MalcolmR said:

Do you USians have self-scan? This is where you carry a hand-held scanner around the store, zap each barcode as you take it off the shelf before tossing it into your bags. Checkout is dead simple. I don't use it, but I could imagine it might be easier for those who are physically challenged.

The only complaint I have about self checkout is that you struggle if you use anything other than lightweight plastic bags. I use re-useable, washable, linen bags, and when I try to use them at a self checkout I have to be very careful because their weight can throw the machine out. The trick is to first scan articles which are of indeterminate weight. For example a lettuce could be anywhere between 6-10 ounces, so the machine won't notice the extra weight; but if your first scan is a tube of toothpaste which is always exactly 5.63 ounces the machine will refuse to let you carry on.

So up here Malc, I have never seen a carry scanner. 

Our self checkouts here are a bit different than there because we grocery shop less frequently to cover a longer period. We use a grocery cart and grab a lot of stuff. So our self checkouts at a grocery store often have a bagging/binning (we use reusable soft side totes with a rigid bottom) carousel that can hold 4 or 5 bags/bins. The checkout prompts you to place your bag/bin before scanning. This allows the scale to reset to 0 with your carry-away conainers before adding groceries from the cart. 

[Rob]

I'm surprised that no one but me has had any truly monstrous experiences with these things.

It's Halloween, yo.