fritz Posted August 20, 2005 Report Share Posted August 20, 2005 Today at my local Home Depot, which I don't go to very often because it's too large and the prices ain't no better than smaller stores, I saw this Self Checkout counter. It was about the only one nearby, so I stopped at it. Seems you scan your merchandise, then a computer tells you how much you owe. You place the money in the provided slots, and you get a receipt and change through another slot. But they have a clerk standing there to keep you honest! I guess if they didn't you could just walk out of the store without paying. Is this stupid or not? If they are paying a clerk to stand there, where is the savings to the store? Is this the wave of the future, or just another stupid idea? I don't like the size of the store anyway. You have to walk like a block to get from one item to another on your list. They should provide shuttle service instead of this stupid Self Checkout. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FC Posted August 20, 2005 Report Share Posted August 20, 2005 Walmart does it, but only one employee watches at least 4 machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys898 Posted August 21, 2005 Report Share Posted August 21, 2005 Our local Walmarts (2), Albertsons (2), and Home Depots (2) all do this and as FC said it's about one clerk to four self checkout lanes. I don't really have any negative issues with this. If I'm only getting two or three items it is infinitely faster than the regular checkout lanes. Jer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odies dad Posted August 22, 2005 Report Share Posted August 22, 2005 Sam's club could cut a couple stupid positions too. They have someone standing at the front door to make sure you have your card. You can't buy anything without the card, so why bother going in if you don't have one? They also have someone who looks at your cart and makes a mark on your receipt before you get out the door. Are they really going to notice if one item is in your cart but not on your receipt. Is this really a problem? Why don't they put these people behind registers so you don't have to wait in line longer than you spent shopping? Enough of a rant. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roscoedoh Posted August 22, 2005 Report Share Posted August 22, 2005 What really gets to me is when I have to stand in line at the self-check out counter while Ma Kettle and her covey of piglets check out one and half cart loads of groceries and then she gets into a debate with that one clerk who's job it is to cover said four machines over her method of payment (check!) and her coupons. See, the self checkout is made for people like me who are only buying a gallon of milk and a hawiian shirt and don't want to stand in line at the "Express Checkout" while everyone runs their 20 items or less through. I've all but abandoned the regular checkout isles and there are certain times during the day when I simply won't shop as I quite possibly the most impatient person walking the Earth when it comes to waiting on other people. I think anyone who intends on running a month's work of groceries through the self-checkout during peak business hours deserves to be taken to the hardware section and beaten with a length of rubber hose. The self-checkouts are there so a person can get in and out quickly! And I'll admit that I use them frequently as here in Nacogdoches, they work beautifully 95% of the time. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz Posted August 22, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2005 Well, at the Victoria Home Depot, there is only one self-checkout. And manned (or womaned) by one person. Maybe this is a test program for them in this particular store. Whatever--the fact is that they did the majority of their business in the first two weeks of opening their "super store" in Victoria. After that, the people around here saw that their prices were no better than Lowe's or McCoy's. Lowe's and McCoy's did suceed in running one chain lumber yard out (the name does not come to me at the moment, but I bought a lot of materials for my house 9 years ago from them). McCoy's still leads the pack as far as contractors buying materials. Lowe's started out cheap, but then McCoy's matched or beat their prices. Home Depot is more for the homeowner, and cannot match the prices when it comes to contracting a house. Or for a farmer/rancher. They would have a hard time believing that a treated 2x6 board is going to be used on a corral. No such problem at McCoy's, and they have sent me 25% off certificates in appreciation of my business (tax exempt). With Texas having the highest sales tax in the nation, it is only proper that an eligible buyer take advantage of the Texas Food and Fibre act. And Perry and Klan was trying to increase that tax until his house of cards came falling down. He is next. Did you hear about the beating that Texas took under Land Commissioner (now Lt. Gov.) Dewhurst? He pursuaded the legislature to trade our public land natural gas for electricity from Reliant Energy (the company that owns the field where the Texans play). We lost a few million that was earmarked for the schools (as that is where public land royalties go). I do believe that Texas needs a total house cleaning in the next elections. I just remembered the name of the lumber yard that was run out of town--Sutherland's. fritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montea6b Posted August 23, 2005 Report Share Posted August 23, 2005 self checkout is made for people like me who are only buying a gallon of milk and a hawiian shirt There's a joke in there somewhere... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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