1y ago

'It hasn't delivered': The spectacular failure of self-checkout technology

www.bbc.com

369 comments

Fuck this bullshit article.
I fucking love self service. I don't want to deal with people.
Just let me buy my stuff and get out. I don't want or need small talk.
I want the disgusting supermarket shop to be as cold and sterile as possible.
I bring my own bag. I'd Honestly rather just scan everything as I go. And just pay as I walk out.
Current system is stupid. Walk around shop picking things up. Then take everything out and rebag
- There are stores trialling exactly your preferred method. One of my local supermarket chains has portable barcode scanners on a wall. You pick one up, scan your groceries as you collect them, then take the scanner to a self checkout that links to the scanner. At that point you pay for your items and leave.
  
  Best Buy started doing this with their app. I've used it multiple times already. It's so convenient. Scan the barcode with your camera in the app, it adds to the cart, pay when you're done.
  Anecdotal experience: Unfortunately, products that are locked up create a problem. I went in for two items. One of which was a single RAM stick for laptops. The employee refused to give me it even though I was literally going to pay for it on the spot as I had already collected the other item I wanted. He insisted it goes to the register per policy. I quickly got the barcode as he held it, then paid. "There. Paid for. See" as I showed him the screen. Dude was so annoyed as he handed me the RAM.
  
  They aren’t just trialing it. I’ve been shopping this way for 15 years. Once the system was down so I went to another location. I won’t shop without a handheld scanner ever again.
  
  Yup had these a few years ago in UK. Just not all shops do it.
- That system has been a thing for at least a decade in most supermarkets in Sweden, is it not a thing in (I assume) the US?
  
  That's fucking brilliant and would actually make me not hate shopping with a passion. That system just makes so much more sense.
  
  Yeah the little self scanner thing you can take around the store as you shop is not much of a thing in the US.
  
  My local grocery store does it with their smartphone app. I shop this way almost every time. Bag as I go, then stop at a special self checkout at the end to pay.
  
  Your grocery store has cell service? I lose all service the second I step inside mine
  
  They have wifi! The cell service is crap though.
- small talk? If you start small talk in Germany, the cashier will probably be confused...
  
  Note to self. Move to Germany.
  To do list
  Learn German. Get a German job
  Cheap ass rent control. C'mon.
  Bratwurst. Kick on
  
  When interacting with the bus driver, make sure to say only "Hallo" when you step in. Technically, this is even optional and only 33% do that.
  When leaving the bus, don't say anything. It'd be weird.
  And under no circumstances, talk to them between entering and leaving.
  The only legitimate way to talk to them is when the bus stopped, you and the driver are both outside and he or she approaches you first.
  
  Literally the opposite of Scotland. Must say thanks or cheers when leaving bus. Weird not to
  
  This is like applauding the pilot after they do the absolute minimum of their job (landing the plane).......
  
  Just common decently. Thanking a cashier. For doing their job. A sales person. A doctor/ nurse.
  A cleaner. Just polite
  
  Whoa there, overachiever. Saying "hello"? A curt smile, a slight nod and a passing glance. All things in moderation, after all.
  
  We don't smile here, unless there is a good reason.
  You need to learn a lot before moving here!!!!!!!!!!11
  
  I don't smile so if fit right in
  
  Sehr gut.
  
  Nah, when you are on a late night run on an (almost, max. 2 pax) empty bus, especially the last run, especially in shitty weather, it's appropriate to say "Nacht" when you leave.
  You form a special bond then and there. The driver is your hero who brings you home in the most shittiest shift.
- I stopped using them. It's always something, requiring me to wait for and deal with people.
  The rack with the mobile scanners is full, and scanner not in the rack is not paying, so flag someone to deal with it.
  The thing double scanned an item, and it takes someone from the shop to remove the scan, so wait and then explain.
  I had a coupon, but the system can't deal with those. Again wait and explain.
  And because now apparently I'm a trouble maker I get flagged for a random check by the system regularly. Again wait and deal with that.
  On average, it turned out to be less waiting and dealing with people by getting in line at the regular cashier.
- Scan and Go is becoming very wide spread in Denmark. It's lovely! Cuts down the time for a quick shopping trip on the way home from work to less than half
  
  Had it in the UK. Just not all shops. Needs to be more widespread
- What you're requesting is exactly how Amazon fresh works. the cart itself has barcode scanners on it
  
  Boo Amazon. But great idea
- You can do scan and go at Walmart now, if you were previously only using that at Sam's Club. It's fantastic.
  
  Check out USA. Not behind on tech. Congratulations
  
  Last I checked you had to be a Walmart+ member to do that. It used to be available to everyone, but then they put it behind paying them a monthly fee to be able to do it.
- Is self scan that rare around you? One of our (Latvia) two big brand supermarkets have scanners you carry around, then deposit at the slef checkout lines. The other one, however, I just scan everything with my phone, then at checkout scan a QR code with my phone and pay.
- Sure, it works great if you're a single person who doesn't have all that much to buy, but here's the thing; if you're shopping for a family or a multi person household or whatever, and you have to buy a lot of things at once, your self checkouts just plain suck ass because pretty much no matter what you do, you'll get dinged with an error message every ten or 12 items and have to wait for the overworked and underpaid attendant to come free you up so you can keep going until the next inevitable fuckup.
  Self checkout is fine if you have something like 15 or less items, but anything more than that and it's more trouble than it's worth.
- I always use the store app to scan as I shop and just pay at the machines at the exit here in Portugal. Hate shopping any other way.
- Jeez you sure love working for free

369 comments