@martinfeld True. Never use this after having a similar experience a couple of times, when these were new, and I was curious. No matter how many times they’re suggested to me by the staff, I always refuse and go to a lane where there’s someone working the register.
@martinfeld @maique I also avoid self-checkout. I don’t mind using them so much, but I prefer a real person 110% of the time. And I never liked the way that machine shouts at you with instructions and other stuff. Never had a real person shout at me...
Thanks for the article!
@martinfeld In the last couple of years, some of the self checkouts I’ve used have gotten substantially better (notably the ones at Target), but I empathize with you so very much here. The worst self checkout I’ve ever used was at a grocery store in Singapore, which made me feel like I had gone back in time to some bizarre pre-alpha version that never should have seen the light of day. Every time I did something wrong and locked it up, or it wouldn’t scan the item, or it would double scan and need an override to fix (or I’d accidentally be trying to buy alcohol after 10pm, but it would just fail the purchase and not tell me why)... I was there for 3 weeks, and not once did I escape without needing assistance. Total nightmare.
@Alcedine That sounds absolutely ridiculous. I can really relate to what you were saying about the multiple errors; the user experience is so poor that you end up finding multiple problems in one go. I’d almost be inclined to say that certain tech companies would be better at making them, however I wouldn’t want to them to because their success would just encourage people to spend less time facing other humans.
@martinfeld Given 10 lanes in a store.
(7) Full Service - Unlimited Items
(2) Full Service - 10 Items or Less
(1) Self Checkout - 2 Items or Less
@martinfeld @burk interesting, I tend to use self-checkout almost every time I go grocery shopping. To me it's fast and easy ... at least here at home. I tried it in shop in the UK and there I experienced it quite slow and cumbersome. The method used at the shops here is "handheld scanner based" instead of scanner at the checkout station.
@jemostrom Yes, it may have to do with the types of scanner on different machines. In my case, the errors almost always occur in the bagging area. If you linger for slightly too long as you put something into your bag, the sensor freaks out and freezes the whole thing. This has happened at a number of shops with different machines. /// @burk
@jemostrom That sounds much nicer. You do your scanning along the way and pay at the end ? Or is payment handled automatically ?
@maique @martinfeld Yes, we scan when we put stuff in our own bags, then when you get when to the checkout you put the scanner in a holder and then pay by drag your card and punch your code and done. It takes perhaps a minute. Instead of using the scanner it's also possible to scan and pay using your phone.
When I were in GB last year it took a lot more time to scan the stuff and the checkout station plus that I kept touching my bag which set off the alarms.
@jemostrom Thanks. That sounds much nicer, as far as workflow. Not considering the employment issues, I could see myself using that scanner/phone thing.
@jemostrom I haven’t seen this setup in grocery stores here yet, but IKEA have had it for years. Works like a charm.
@odd 😁 Here IKEA has handheld scanners but they are not wireless so they are fixed at the checkout station. Norway is leading the way 🇳🇴 😄
@jemostrom Yes, the set-up that you describe sounds like what I’ve seen at IKEA and it is much more reliable. Hand-held scanners do seem to make a difference.
@jemostrom I’m not so sure… I remember them being handheld, but I think they were fixed at the checkout station. It’s been a while…🤔 Well, IKEA is of course Swedish. 😉👍🇸🇪