Comments on: Time it takes to use self-checkout at Walmart

By: Tomato

Tomato — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:04:19 +0000

The self-checkouts here in Holland are way handier: when we enter the store, we get our own scanner, which we can use to scan our products while we’re doing the actual shopping. When we’re ready to pay, all we have to do is put the scanner back in the rack next to the screen and our products will automatically load to the computer. So there’s near to no waiting times, since you don’t have to do all the scanning at the end.

By: Shan

Shan — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 17:29:03 +0000

Yes…. I agree. I have had to pay an attorney $2,000 to represent me because items did not go thru during check out. I rarely use the machine and there were a ton of people behind me. I just paid with debit card, carried receipt in hand then apprehended for theft.

By: Weasel

Weasel — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 21:06:53 +0000

I work at Wal-Mart and more often than not, I’m running the self checks. They are pretty easy to use… if you know how to read and can freaking *pay attention*. 99.999% of the errors I have to correct are because Joe Q Dipstick can’t be bothered to read the words on the screen or listen to what the machine is actually saying. (Did you hit “I don’t want to bag this item” on the screen? Don’t put it in the frigging bag!) Then Joey Q stands there and complains to me because he’s the frickin’ idiot.

If you can’t comprehend what the hell is going on, go to a normal check out. Trust me, it’s easier on all of us.

By: Leila

Leila — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:10:45 +0000

Mine doesn’t have self-checkout either, and even in the “express” lane, people have 26 items and the cashier is either stoned or LD, and can’t seem to find the barcode on ANYTHING. Ah, wal mart. This is why I never go to you anymore.

By: Fire Breathing Ninja Cricket

Fire Breathing Ninja Cricket — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:40:01 +0000

At least you have them at your wal-marts. I swear mine is the last one with out the damn thing which means I need to wait behind someone with 20 items when I want a pack of gum. Not to mention there are 42 lanes and normally 5 open.

By: R3

R3 — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:35:26 +0000

These things are both very self explanatory but also unnecessarily hard to work with.

Whenever I go to use one they never do what I want them to do.

First of all it takes me like five or six ‘waves’ for it to actually read the bar code. Then the scale never works properly so it thinks I didn’t put the item in the bag and doesn’t let me scan the next item until it notices it. Finally, the machine always locks up for no freaking reason and I have to wait 5 min for an employee to come over and fix it.

By: the dude who says "dude!"

the dude who says "dude!" — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:32:19 +0000

in this world.. people are stupid… scanning the last item always takes the longest.

By: OrionRed

OrionRed — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:31:32 +0000

My favorite was when the guy at the near register was trying to checkout, but the guy in the far register had a mop in his cart. The mop had slid out and was resting on the corner of the scale of the OTHER register. Those two like to never figured that one out.

Our local store actually put a limit on the items you can check out, so that’s always fun watching someone get busted for going over the limit. The thing just shuts down and makes you stop and pay for the 12 items.

By: pokemon

pokemon — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 21:29:37 +0000

i work at a supermarket i the amount of idiots i get is annoying… the offers and prices are clearly stated on the shelves and yet customers still pick up the wrong item and when i tell them their a daft turd “in a polite way so i dont get fired” they try to make it out its somehow the supermarkets fault… for this reason, i know installing self checkout would be a big mistake because every waking moment, i’ll be helping these daft turds because they cant be botherd to read the labels…

By: Catbytes

Catbytes — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:29:36 +0000

the problem with figuring them out is like being bi-polar or something and so worried about the guy that got in line behind, who is already complaining, so that ya don’t take the time to figure out why it didnt take the discount card/item/whatever..

which means you will end up having to break the neck of the jerk complaining..

which means you’ll end up in a food line at the prison and then get a broken neck or some object intruding into your guts because of some guy ahead that’s holding up the line till ya get uppity with him…

With a cashier, the people in line just get angry at the cashier… unless in the 10 item cash lane and idiot ahead has 17 items and paying with a check… then they ARE asking for it! grrrrrrrr!

so… i tend to stay away from those self-checkouts now

By: that guy

that guy — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 20:53:37 +0000

tl;dr

By: buh

buh — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:39:01 +0000

bah, i hate those bloody things. if you do something dumb like accidentally knock something off the weigh pad while putting another object onto it the machine locks down. Probably, to prevent you from messing with bar codes.

Where I live the City has imposed a mandatory fee on bags. This is not compatible with self-checkout where bags used to be available right there. Basically the kid that used to operate the register now stands there with a coin box and a handful of bags and will give you a bag for a nickel. Efficient use of resources, that. Oh, and going back to the weight pad, well, people have largely stopped bothering with bags, so stuff rolls off the pads all the time, so they lock down constantly.

Net effect: four self-checkouts, one kid standing there selling bags, one kid roaming back and forth constantly unlocking the machines, and one standing by the exit to control walk-out theft. By the time you factor in maintenence of machines, I don’t see what the cost savings are. Though I must admit, it’s kind of fun to watch.

Never mind that because of these problems, most people prefer the old manual checkouts that thankfully most non-walmart stores still provide.

Of course, this does not apply for Wal-mart, which seems to have a primarily “screw you” attitude towards its customers.

By: nicolas

nicolas — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:35:18 +0000

does scanning the last item take more then 5mins?

By: tyler

tyler — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 05:06:44 +0000

the graph was ok. but for some reason, the highest level “OMG just steal it!” made me crack up

By: adrian

adrian — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 04:11:20 +0000

people are stupid. these things tell you exactly what to do. my dad installed these things at coles and woolworthes (Australia) and sometimes when you hit ‘pay’ it thinks you said ‘requesting assisstance’ and the store people are there ready to scan their card and then you continue to pay for your stuff… so stupid.

By: steven

steven — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:33:23 +0000

A self checkout is basically nothing more than a scanner and a computer screen. Scan the item, put it in the bag, and then use the screen to pay (like an ATM). It should be straightforward enough, but a large number of people can’t seem to figure them out.

By: DeafFish

DeafFish — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:26:26 +0000

I needed to look “self checkout” up in wikipedia.
Never seen such a system in Germany (thats where i live).
You crazy americans, you actually belive that a avarage customer knows how to operate such a thing?

By: steven

steven — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 22:51:54 +0000

I definitely agree with this graph, but your concept of time baffles me.

By: Chris S.

Chris S. — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:42:45 +0000

They took the self-checkout lanes from the grocery store I work at. They were apparently too confusing for the customers. Even though they tell you EXACTLY what you need to do. I mean, it’s not rocket science, people!

By: BK

BK — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 21:20:03 +0000

I saw someone use the ‘just steal it’ approach once. I was kind of left there dumbfounded with their unfinished order on the machine.

By: thestashattacked

thestashattacked — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:17:33 +0000

Oh it’s so true! Last time I was at Wal-Mart there was only one actual checker, and so I was at the self-check out. Some lady was trying to use it with about a billion items, and she didn’t know how to use it. The line wound up being about six shoppers long, and about twenty minutes later, a manager came up and checked her out, just to keep a riot at bay.