Do it yourself checkouts

I hate them!!! They first popped up in select grocery stores but now they are freaking everywhere. I understand they can be convenient when you only need to buy a handful of things but what gets me is the fact that many stores that have them only have 1 maybe 2 other check out lanes open with a huge line of people who have a cartful of things (like me). I think they are good as long as they still have several other lanes open.

And now they are everywhere. Even the local Home Depot has them and I was so peeved to see a backlog of customers because there were no checkout lanes open with a real human being behind them. Meanwhile these self serve lanes have a couple of employees just standing there waiting for people to sign their credit card receipts.

Is this what the future has for us? No more people just machines? Does this bother anyone else but me?

[Auspicious]

How does this work? Do you just bag your own, or do you actually scan your own purchases?

[DCJenn]

Julie-

You scan, pay and then bag.

I like them when it's a quick one or two items, but more than that, it's easier and quicker to go through the checkout line. I can't believe Home Depot has gone that route. I (luckily) haven't been in a Home Depot since we startging renting this place.

Ugh-

Jenn

[Auspicious]

Wow, I've never seen that (except for the bag-your-own part). How do they keep people from stealing stuff?

I think they keep people from stealing stuff by having you put your basket on one side of the scanner where it is weighed and then everything that goes into the bags is weighed. At least that's how I think they do it at my grocery store.
I do like it when I have just a few things. But I don't like it that they close all but a few other checkouts so the wait is just as long or longer. Not progress in my opionion.

[SuzySunshine]

I like them but only when there are human lanes open too - I think stores that go to them only are going to be digging themselves a hole. I would prefer to check myself out and bag my own but not if there is a huge line for it. You are right also, they are weight sensitive, the ones I've used won't even let you continue until you put the item in the bag to decrease theft.

[Rapunzel]

I agree with Thu Van. The self-checkout machines annoy the heck out of me. They also don't seem to save many customers time or the stores any money. It seems like every time I am at a store that has these machines someone is getting frustrated with faulty scanners and the entire weighted treadmill thing (ie that's how the machine can tell you placed the item in the bag). Because of all of the snafus the stores around here with the self-checkout machines have special staff (almost a person for every machine at last count in the grocery store) who field all of the problems with the suckers.

Jennifer