Do you think there is a possibility self-service checkouts will replace staff?

You have to complain and say that there is no way you are paying the arranged price. I have gotten my bill lessened that way multiple times. The providers will never offer, unless they are desperate to pacify you, to lessen your bill. You have to tell them you are not happy with the service, or with paying for full service when you are not getting full service.

That is terrible. They should let people know they can still hear them!!! I am assuming that the person who put the phone down on me was already having a shitty day, and just did not want to deal with my mouth.

 

No, I don't think so, especially over here where the technology is not that high-tech. Actually, I haven't seen any self-service checkouts yet over here, so that goes to show how far it is from being implemented.

 

I think that we are getting closer to the automated shopping all of the time, and it will eventually eliminate most of the cashiers at both grocery stores and fast food places.
Aldi's is one of the stores like @Corzhens is describing, and so is Sam's Club and Costco. None of them have baggers or bags available. You have to either bring your own, or just take the groceries out to your vehicle without bags.
Another way that more and more people are doing their shopping is online. Many stores are already doing this. You shop on the webpage for the store, and then just drive up and your groceries aree brought out tto you. I have never done this; but I imagine that you would pay for your groceries online just like any other online shopping.
With all of the protests about high wages for working at menial joibs like fast food services, many of these will also be going to automated ordering, and I have read about some places that are already implementing it.

 

Oh, I'm learning to complain now, @DreekLass....It really does pay to voice your grievances. We parted ways with the horrendous provider, and were sought out by a competitor. Long story short, my husband set up a poll on Facebook which exploded, and our new provider saw the exchanges, and approached us. I'm glad to say so far, we're very happy The other guys have refunded us our month's instalment because we terminated two weeks into our contract. -and in that two week period, the internet was almost non-existent!

 

Not totally. But I expect to eventually become most prominent. Self service checkouts are so convenient, and a staff is slower and harder to deal with.
So yeah, is a shame for the work opportunity shrinkage but that could lead for a major demand for more productive jobs.

 

My take is a year or two that online grocery shopping will turn the tables on personal grocery shopping. I'm speaking about Metro Manila with the horrendous traffic that shopper would prefer delivery from online groceries just to save themselves from the rigors of driving in heavy traffic. And with the automation, it will come in stride with the online system because I see that people are getting lazy unlike before when they are willing to personally attend to their needs. When the vendo type of grocery shopping is introduced here, I'm sure it will be a hit.

 

I do not think so. I mean, the world's population will continue to grow in the next few centuries, which means needs will grow as well. A portion of the population will prefer self-service checkout, while other people would rather be served. PWDs, busy folks and old people for instance would always require assistance. It's better to cover all grounds than sacrifice service quality.

 

This was the norm at the Fresh & Easy chain in the Southwest USA. The way they had it set up was really efficient and they always had several employees nearby who were friendly and happy to help. BUT they are going out of business, I think the reasons are unrelated to that, but they definitely had the best self-service check out of any store I've ever visited.

Normally I HATE the self-service lanes, they are not faster, the lines are not better, and always something is beeping at me. As a customer, I don't feel like I should need to be trained on how the cash registers work.

 

I doubt it. I am not really a fan of self service check out. I only use them when the lines are excessive at regular check outs, and I just have a few things. Whenever I use them I always end up getting help from one of the cashiers anyway. It is funny what Shoplady wrote about something always beeping at her. Yes, that can happen!

 

I have never really used a self-checkout, and have always sort of been the one to the side watching whoever I was shopping with self-checkout their own groceries. But I saw a thing on facebook today that implied that it was possible or easy to not swipe certain items through, and not pay for all of your groceries, which I think is a massive weakness for supermarkets if this is true.

 

No offense, but I wish. I hate going to stores that don't have self-checkouts. I don't like interacting with cashiers, but I'm an antisocial type. Like why are they always trying to chat you up and make small talk? When I was a cashier I did the bare minimum: Hey, how are you? and then I rang up their purchases. But eh I don't think self-checkouts will fully replace cashiers because there's always some machine malfunction and then you need a human to come over and fix it. Whatever.

 

The more that I think about it the more I find myself thinking along the lines of @krystalvandross in wishing that it happens so I will not have to talk to cashiers anymore, but then again I think that it would still seem odd. I could not help myself but think to a Brave New World or Harrison Burgeron or something like that and I would feel out of place. Plus, there are some cute cashiers every once in a while, so that certainly makes it appealing.

 

I don't think so. I rarely use the self checkout anyways. I'd rather have someone ring my groceries up and scan my coupons for me. I also enjoy the small talk with the cashiers.

 

I don't like talking to the cashiers either, or having to be all smiley and chatty when I am just not in the mood. But sometimes when you are forced into that situation. I always hope they will make some sort of mistake and undercharge me lol. A lot of cashiers feel awkward if they ring up your items in silence, I think. But most customers don't care. All they want is their items rang up, to pay, and then to go home. Other cashiers are so tired by the end of the day, that they just cant be bothered to make small talk. I prefer them to be honest.

 

It might, but it will most likely take a really long time for such a thing to happen. Technology malfunctions sometimes and things can just go wrong, so it's always useful to be able to talk to someone who can help. Plus some people can be hesitant about self checkout because they're not sure how to use it and are afraid to be embarrassed if they can't figure out how to make it work. On another note, I feel that it's kind of awkward to use self checkout when there are many people in line waiting for you to finish, like omg I need to hurry up scanning these items or people will think I'm incompetent with this self checkout technology!

 

Self-service checkouts won't replace staff but robots will. It will save the companies money [as they won't be paying their staff anymore] and customers won't be sad to see some annoying sales clerks gone.

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Smart machines will eventually take over.

 

I echoed similar sentiments in one of my earlier posts, and you would think that that initial point would make most businesses reconsider letting technology take on the brunt of work that comes with customer service. But I recently went to a Carphone Warehouse store, and they were allowing tablets to do all of the checking out process. It just so happened that it malfunctioned when it came out rime to pay, which was very inconvenient. In the end the guy had to do it manually. But why let tablets take the brunt of the work in the first place, knowing how fickle they are?

 

I thought about this OP when I shopped at Kroger today. The only benefit I see is that of the store itself. None of the registers were open only the self service kiosks and one employee manning them. Other employees were doing other jobs. Another process to become acquainted with and learn how to operate it to quickly exit the store. I'm an early shopper and this seems to be the way that it is going to be in the early hours of the morning.

So to answer the OP, yes but only in a limited capacity such as I described. So many businesses are looking to cut costs and are thinking outside the box to accomplish it.

 

I tend to go towards the self-service ones because there is never a line and I'm sort of shy, but I can see why others prefer the manned tills.

The thing is, even a group of four self service tills need someone to monitor them so that customers don't steal, and way more people seem to prefer the tills with store clerks anyway, so it would disappoint more customers and it wouldn't be a huge boost in efficiency. My local grocery store only has two, and their are two people who watch them anyway, so it's purely for the convenience of the customer.