If you have the option, do you use the cashier or the self checkout line at the grocery store? What about other types if store like hardware stores?
Depends on how much I’m getting and how long each set of lines is.
No. A byproduct of self checkout has been the downward pressure on the quality and professionalism of cashiers to the point I’d rather do it myself than to subject myself to a level of incompetence that borders on feeble.
Cashier is not a career path many aspire to, but like any job there’s a floor. I’m willing to admit maybe it is my area or maybe only the places I frequently, or leaded gasoline poisoning my brain to the point of overblown irrational anger. BUT I long for a courteous, competent experience at any service establishment. I expect a 50/50 chance at a positive experience anywhere I go that interacts with the service sector. Maybe it has always been that way.
But, yeah. DIY as much as possible.
Where do you live?
American south
Always self checkout. At least it doesn’t try to make eye contact.
Generally at most stores, no.
However, I do most of my grocery shopping at Wegmans. When I’m there, unless I’m just picking up a couple things, I use the cashier lanes. While there is some variation in skill level, they tend to be much better than most cashiers in other stores.
Depends on what I’m getting. Small stuff, maybe 8 items, no produce codes? Self checkout mostly. Alcohol or anything else that requires a cashier step in to approve it? Original recipe.
No, i just put things in my pocket and leave. Don’t see any reason to use the cashier
Of course I use cashier. I have like 40-50 items when I go grocery shopping and a lot of them have codes. They dont pay me enough to do all that work. Maybe if I have like 3 things and the lines are long I’ll go through self checkout but that’s the only time
Yes. I prefer a cashier. I like it better. I like having an expert do it. I like baggers too. Same with hardware stores. All stores.
I try to use cashier aisles whenever possible. In every type of store. Partly because I want to be contributing in a tiny way to someone being employed, and partly because of bad experiences in the past with self-checkout systems.
If I’m not in a rush (and no line) and no cashier is open I always ask the bored (usually elderly) person for help
Fuck it, they’re bored and I know the machines have cameras that track how much that person is needed. If no one asks them for help, they stop having a job.
This is kind of the way I look at leaving carts out; everyone has this righteous outlook on putting your cart away as it’s judge of character. Obviously you haven’t worked in retail before; I would jump to oh you need help taking this outside? Or, hey there’s some carts out there can I go get them. Because you know what, standing in a square (register) all day long is like prison.
I don’t get the logic here. You can still say “hey there’s some carts out there can I go get them” when the carts are neatly in the corral. There’s no advantage to just leaving them wherever.
Where I shop there’s only two in the center parking and you may as well take it all the way back into the store if you’re not in the main parking area. I mean I’m not saying I don’t put a cart away if the corral is nearby but I mean I’m not going to take 5 minutes to put a cart away. Also those magnetic wheel locks, nothing I can do about that, it’s anchored to where it locks.
I also had some bad experiences with the self checkout. I rather spend a bit more time going through the cashier line then the self checkout if I can get a better experience. I do find the self checkout at hardware stores with those scan guns to work well most of the time.
I always use a cashier, since that means a normal person gets paid. Self-checkout just makes the rich richer.
also i don’t work there. i am not getting paid to play the cashier
On the other hand, I’m willing to compromise on my principles to ease my crippling social anxiety somewhat.
It depends. If i only have one or two things and there’s one open, I’ll use the self checkout so I can get out as fast as I can.
If I have a cart full of shit, multiple coupons, loyalty card, there’s no way I’m doing all that myself. At that point, I’m stuck for a while no matter what, so I’ll wait for someone else to do it; I’m not getting paid, they are.
Yep. I don’t go to the store to work. Fuck that.
Y’all know this is just yet more transfer of wealth right?
Edit: Allow me to go further. You have heard of trickle down economics? Supporters say if you let billionaires keep more money, they will create jobs and the money trickles back down
Checkouts where you scan your own purchases is the perfect counter example. They charge the same, AND steal your productivity.
I do self checkout because I want to bag my own groceries. I bike with a trailer, and I want to be able to make sure all the crushable items are in one place so I can load them on top.
I use the cashier, but still bag my own. Just kinda like bagging groceries
Yeah, but at my grocery store there tend to be folks with disabilities doing the bagging, and I wouldn’t want anyone to take it the wrong way if I told them not to do their job. Even if that’s not a problem it still feels awkward having someone just standing there.
I generally prefer self-checkout because it’s faster, but I will also use cashier if that is faster. I used to absolutely hate the cashiers, because you have to talk to them. But I’ve gotten better at the mandatory “hello,” “how are you?” "have a good day"s as I’ve gotten older.
Good call on the cashier convo. It’s basically automatically at this point, in a good way.
Self-checkout, every time, anywhere it’s available. It’s faster and I don’t have to talk to anyone.
Exactly this, it’s just more convenient even if you are doing more of the work youself
It’s not even more work. At a staffed checkout I still have to grab all the items and put it in my bag. The only extra work at the self checkout is making sure it beeps while I move everything to my bag.
Also, I’m not an expert on grapes, and really can’t be trusted to tell the difference between the $1.99/lb green conventionally grown grapes and the delicious $7.99/lb organic Gum Droptm grapes
I’m pretty sure ours are all barcoded so you can’t make that mistake.
