Human touch trumps self service for Mass. supermarket chain

[RamboLiberal]

A Massachusetts-based supermarket chain is the latest grocery to pull out its self-service checkout lanes.

Big Y, which has 61 Massachusetts and Connecticut stores, opened self-serve lanes in 2003 to speed up the checkout process and save money. But a study found that the opposite has happened.

Checkout times have lengthened as customers struggle with bar codes, coupons and payment methods. And the lanes can't replace the service provided by a real human being, Big Y says.

The company says the self-serve lanes will be phased out of its stores by the end of the year, and standard service lanes will be added.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/story/2011-09-15/self-service-checkout/50411994/1

[dtexdem]

1. Good. I refuse to use them.

Just another attempt to put the burden on the shopper while reducing the workforce.

Of course the laugh is that checkers are still often assigned to the "self-service" lanes to help the customers "serve themselves."

[Booster]

6. Me either. I want more cashiers while not becoming one myself.

[valerief]

8. Same here.

[digitaln3rd]

11. What?

How exactly does have one or two optional self service checkouts and 12 non self service checkout counters put the burden on the customers?

Maybe if e cashiers weren't slow as ever, it might be different but why should I wait to pay for one or two items while some cashier is taking care of people with shopping carts full of items and going at a snails pace?

[Bluebear]

15. Because it's all about you.

[CrispyQ]

2. In my area, most stores are adding more self-checkouts. --nt

[slackmaster]

3. I read the first two words of the subject as "Human torch"

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_CBuRBwURBEA/TUJaLk_aJTI/AAAAAAAACNY/LYYbJQAhQNU/s1600/Human+torch.PNG

[hobbit709]

4. I quit trying to use them because every time something would screw up.

[monmouth]

5. Best part of my grocery shopping trip is speaking with my check-out

people. New babies, divorce, separation, met new guy/gal, loves my outfit, how's my quitting cigarettes doing? I mean these people are like a second family to me. I didn't show up for quite a while (I was in Jersey going to the Acme no ess) and they were so kind to have worried about me. My daughter in law did take me to her Aldi's and I must say that's a great store, we don't have them here. Self-serve is fine I'm sure but I do enjoy the contact.

[valerief]

7. Score one for worker!

:applause:

[kestrel91316]

9. Stood in line 10 minutes today at our local supermarket buying lunch

(they only had one checker working) rather than go through the self-checkout line. The guy attending the self-checkout stations was trying real hard to get me to do it but I refuse. I want a flesh and blood person at the task.

Oh, and they are set to strike in a couple of days. I will NOT cross the picket line to shop.

[Renew Deal]

10. The self-serve works well if you have a few things

And pay by credit. But you really need human checkout for big shopping trips.

[roody]

12. I refuse too.

[LeftyMom]

13. If I'm supposed to check my own purchases I expect a discount.

I don't work for free.

[Shandris]

14. ...I prefer the self-checkouts.

I realize that people have a lot of difficulty with concepts like 'scan the UPC code and put the item in the bag' (sadly, I'm only half-kidding :( ), but so long as the bored person behind the stand who has to hit a button everytime I scan an item is actually doing so, I'm invariably waiting on the computer to catch up to -me-. But as far as speed goes, for item groupings greater than 5 and less than HOLY CHRIST THAT WHOLE CART IS FULL! ( :silly: ), I do a lot faster at the self-checkout lines.

I would be sad to see the human touch disappear though. I'd be happy with just one self-checkout for those of us who do prefer them.

[Bluebear]

16. I prefer hiring people to automation!

[Unrepentant Fenian]

17. I refuse to use self service checkout...

I will NOT help any corporation put anybody out of work!!!