Boycotting stores with skeleton crews

[Anonymous]

That’s what I want

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I so prefer self service. Just give me access to the systems. There’s nothing a cvs or grocery store employee can do for me that I can’t do faster myself.

Going to Home Depot is SO much better since they have customers a way to search for products and see aisle and bin numbers, for example. There’s no reason to require me to find a person to ask to search a database. I can search a database.

I can’t think of why I would need or want a human cashier, ever. Seriously, what is the upside? I’m just standing there while they do something I can also do.

Harris Teeter used to be one of my biggest clients, and I remember someone high up in management telling me that there were several studies on self check outs for grocery stores (so this may not apply to places like CVS where you have 1 or 2 items) and most showed that customers did not usually save time in self check out lanes (and often spent longer amounts of time) but customers had higher levels of satisfaction at the experience because 1) they had more control and 2) didn't realize it actually took longer. So joke was on us. Also same studies showed female cashiers are quicker, and it is quicker to get in line behind less people with more stuff than multiple people with relatively less, because there are more transaction times (greeting customer and then paying at the end).

Stores love having self check outs bc less employees to pay. Look at Aldi. My neighborhood Aldi used to not have any self check out at all, and would usually have at least 3 lanes open with people ready t check out. Last year they got 6 self check out kiosks (no limit on how many items). They still have 4 regular check out lanes, but usually have no one to man them and if you can get an employee they only open one. And the Potomac Yard target regularly has their self check outs broken or totally closed, and just 1-2 cashiers working. It's insane. And that's one of the busiest Targets in the country (apparently). Why? Because of the money.

What's the excuse for Lidl? Lidl is the one grocery store where I'd prefer using self-checkout. I won't buy more than seven items there because checkout is so terrible.

[Anonymous]

I agree with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I so prefer self service. Just give me access to the systems. There’s nothing a cvs or grocery store employee can do for me that I can’t do faster myself.

Going to Home Depot is SO much better since they have customers a way to search for products and see aisle and bin numbers, for example. There’s no reason to require me to find a person to ask to search a database. I can search a database.

I can’t think of why I would need or want a human cashier, ever. Seriously, what is the upside? I’m just standing there while they do something I can also do.

Same. I will pick self service any day. I’m much quicker. I haven’t had problems with them in a long time. When they first came out they were unreliable but they’re great now. I don’t get why anyone (without small children) wants to go to an actual cashier.

It's fine for small orders. I hate it for large grocery orders. There's no space, and if you don't bag your item exactly right or remove it too quickly, it doesn't let you proceed.

"Place your item in the bagging area. Place your item in the bagging area. Place your item in the bagging area. Help is on the way." All while my item is already in the bagging area.

Safeway revamped their scanners nearly a year ago. I haven't had this problem in a long time. I scan directly back into my bag in my cart. The only time I need a cashier is if I buy alcohol.

NP. I just had this problem last week.

Another NP, I just had this problem yesterday. *Help is on the way.* the person staffing the self-checkout came over and said she had to verify the number of items on my receipt were the number I purchased. She said it happens to everyone.

Gosh, if they checked me out themselves there would be no need for this additional step.

[Anonymous]

I work in mental health and you would not believe the benefit to some of my patients that just interacting with a real human at the checkout in a store can have. Some people are very isolated socially, and combine that with working from home and it ends up being the only in-person human interaction they have all day. When that goes away it's just another step in the march toward living in a sad, online-only world.

[Anonymous]

My college aged kid has been trying to get a part time job for eight months. He can barely get interviews and all of these places with skeleton crews aren't hiring. He's checked. I've checked.

People do want and need these jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I so prefer self service. Just give me access to the systems. There’s nothing a cvs or grocery store employee can do for me that I can’t do faster myself.

Going to Home Depot is SO much better since they have customers a way to search for products and see aisle and bin numbers, for example. There’s no reason to require me to find a person to ask to search a database. I can search a database.

I can’t think of why I would need or want a human cashier, ever. Seriously, what is the upside? I’m just standing there while they do something I can also do.

Same. I will pick self service any day. I’m much quicker. I haven’t had problems with them in a long time. When they first came out they were unreliable but they’re great now. I don’t get why anyone (without small children) wants to go to an actual cashier.

It's fine for small orders. I hate it for large grocery orders. There's no space, and if you don't bag your item exactly right or remove it too quickly, it doesn't let you proceed.

Wegman's has a "Skip Bagging" button very prominent on their screen and I just hit that all day long. I'm very honest so if they're recording me in other ways then it's fine. I'm in there every week so they probably know my scanning algorithms at this point. I'm faster than the cashier.

Tip - if you use the hand-held scanner at Wegmans or Harris Teeter and leave the stuff in your cart, you don't have to fight with the scale and it's also quite quick.

At Giant, the Scan-It that you carry around with you and scan as you go isn't bad, though I've had it glitch/freeze more often lately, and sometimes they flag you for a manual check - both of which are annoying because you end up scanning everything twice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You could just quit

If you’re speaking to me (the urgent care doc) no, I can’t, because every other practice is the same (or going to be the same soon) and I have student loans and kids and bills. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all just quit our jobs.

You can change jobs. You choose not to because ofyour lifestyle choices. There are plenty of jobs for doctors. Try military health care.

NP. What are you babbling about?

You think private equity has any business getting involved in healthcare for people or pets? Do you work in one of these private equities?

[Anonymous]

I don't care if I have to check out myself - actually prefer it at the grocery store. But, it is infuriating when I need help finding things in the aisles at all stores and can't find anyone to ask.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work in mental health and you would not believe the benefit to some of my patients that just interacting with a real human at the checkout in a store can have. Some people are very isolated socially, and combine that with working from home and it ends up being the only in-person human interaction they have all day. When that goes away it's just another step in the march toward living in a sad, online-only world.

But the grocery customer service associate/clerk is not cashing in $100 for that 5-10min interaction with a person who needs therapy. Maybe pay them more then?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't care if I have to check out myself - actually prefer it at the grocery store. But, it is infuriating when I need help finding things in the aisles at all stores and can't find anyone to ask.

Or when you can't reach an item and noone around to get it for you. Sometimes employee shoppers fulfilling an online order can help (they know where everything is) but sometimes they get annoyed you are asking them to reach for an item.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is another reason to shop at Trader Joe’s. Plenty of staff and no self checkouts.

Agree with you OP

I hate this about Trader Joe’s. The cashier said “did you do anything fun today?” And I said “not yet” to try to be nice, like to not say no, and she was like “are you doing something fun later” and like, get off my case lady!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I so prefer self service. Just give me access to the systems. There’s nothing a cvs or grocery store employee can do for me that I can’t do faster myself.

Going to Home Depot is SO much better since they have customers a way to search for products and see aisle and bin numbers, for example. There’s no reason to require me to find a person to ask to search a database. I can search a database.

I can’t think of why I would need or want a human cashier, ever. Seriously, what is the upside? I’m just standing there while they do something I can also do.

Harris Teeter used to be one of my biggest clients, and I remember someone high up in management telling me that there were several studies on self check outs for grocery stores (so this may not apply to places like CVS where you have 1 or 2 items) and most showed that customers did not usually save time in self check out lanes (and often spent longer amounts of time) but customers had higher levels of satisfaction at the experience because 1) they had more control and 2) didn't realize it actually took longer. So joke was on us. Also same studies showed female cashiers are quicker, and it is quicker to get in line behind less people with more stuff than multiple people with relatively less, because there are more transaction times (greeting customer and then paying at the end).

Stores love having self check outs bc less employees to pay. Look at Aldi. My neighborhood Aldi used to not have any self check out at all, and would usually have at least 3 lanes open with people ready t check out. Last year they got 6 self check out kiosks (no limit on how many items). They still have 4 regular check out lanes, but usually have no one to man them and if you can get an employee they only open one. And the Potomac Yard target regularly has their self check outs broken or totally closed, and just 1-2 cashiers working. It's insane. And that's one of the busiest Targets in the country (apparently). Why? Because of the money.

Well sure, I bet I'm slower at self checkout but the point is the line is shorter. Plus now the few staffed registers have a line full of problem people. So they’re even slower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one wants to work those low paid jobs... nor do you.

Please don’t speak for me. You know nothing about me.

We know you don’t want to work a minimum wage job. Just admit it

DP, my teenaged son applied everywhere starting March last year through July. Couldn't get hired at a restaurant, our local CVS, ice cream shops and Playa Bowl, nothing. They just aren't hiring, maybe because of fear of recession and the need to lay people off again. Doesn't excuse the lack of customer service and making the customers do their own check-out, bagging, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college aged kid has been trying to get a part time job for eight months. He can barely get interviews and all of these places with skeleton crews aren't hiring. He's checked. I've checked.

People do want and need these jobs.

I find it hard to believe as my 15 year old had no issue getting a summer job and was offered to stay on in the winter and even got a job offer in mid-august.