Returning to checkout lines is fine.....provided they keep enough lines open to handle the traffic. The one thing I'd really like to see is enforcement of the # of items limit in express lines.

spider -

Me too! When I worked at Wal-Mart part-time in TX, I did turn people away with too many groceries for the express lane, got my butt written up for it too. Oh well, it was only part-time, had a full-time job, was working to get out of debt from my divorce.

I see complaints about rude, slow cashiers.

In RI...we have the BEST, most helpful, cheery cashiers.

I applaud using REAL PEOPLE.

If a line gets long, the store mngr. should open up a register and grab another bagger to move things along.

Trust me, PEOPLE CAN work together.

I don't use them because it takes away someone's job.

And I personally can't remember the last time I had a rude cashier--long lines with not enough lanes open, yes, but even that's gotten better. I shop Walmart and Winn-Dixie.

@RI mom, me too. Only if the other lines are long. Also, if I have one item. It's another one of those techno annoyances we have to put up with. But imagine, the stores spent all that money installing the stuff and now they're taking them out....talk about wasteful!

Actually, Albertsons wanted to tell us that there was more free items leaving the stores more than the items that were paid for! Self checkouts are a con artist delight!

The self checkout is great when I only have a couple of items and do not want to wait in line. I would never use it for a major shopping order. When you have a big order and are dealing with coupons, using a regular checkout lane is much easier.

I'm with RI and Alabama: the cashiers here are generally friendly and competent, and I hate to think I'm taking away a job someone needs. Besides - I never seem to have my frequent-shopper card on me, and the human will scan the store's card to give me the advertised prices; the robot makes you pay full-boat.

I only use the self checkout because I'm able to check out quicker since not many people use it. You don't have to worry about annoying people using coupons and price checks.

Getting rid of self checkout? Fine, but do a better job at staffing the registers. They usually have only 3 cashiers at their busiest and maybe 1 bagger to help out - which is why I began using self checkout to begin with.

The problem with self checkout lanes is that they will replace the people and then we will have more people in the unemployment lines.

The upside of it is, if we are bagging our own groceries at a self checkout, then the prices of the food and items should be dropped by at least 35% to 40%.

If the shopper has to do all the work, then the prices need to cpme down.

Unfortunately, the same applies here as to what has happened to the post office. We have email, so post offices are closing down and people are losing their jobs. Eventually the same will apply here in the supermarkets when one day you will walk in and find no one working at the registers any longer.

Email is nice, but is it really worth it if it cost people their jobs. The same here with these self-check out lines. People will lose jobs if they take over.

"annoying people using coupons?" Now people are supposed to pay more because you have deemed their use of coupons a personal inconvenience to you? Wow. People's sense of entitlement never ceases to amaze me.

I'm with Spider - enforce the # of items - especially the self-checkout. When we were stocking up for Hurricane Ike, there was a couple with 2 full baskets using the self-checkout when the sign clearly limits # of items to 20. Plus they were slow as all get out. Nothing bugs me more than to watch some dummy trying to check out or someone trying to talk on a cell phone and check out - slows down the system!

Where do you people shop? Rude? Snotty cashiers? I haven't met one yet!

We got rid of the self-checkouts for a different reason. Customers would take advantage of the lack of supervision and only ring a few things up and take the rest with them free of charge.

Flash5

Please use the self check out. I'm sure the cashiers don't want to deal with your poor attitude.

For a few items, self-checkout is fine. However, with lots to buy, it's quicker with staffed checkouts (meaning if there are no long lines). Usually, there's one to ring it up and another to bag (and if not, many times the ringer is very apt at ringing and bagging at the same time). Doing it with lots at self-checkout takes twice as long because you have to scan and then bag, doubling the time. Also, if you have produce, it's quicker in the staffed lanes. They punch it right up. In self-serve lanes you have to scroll through one thing after another to find the right icon.

Jerry,I agree with you 100%. Well said

Actually, Albertsons wanted to tell us that there was more free items leaving the stores more than the items that were paid for! Self checkouts are a con artist delight!

LIVE TO RIDE - that is exactly what I thought when I read the comments by Albertson's. What is bothersome is that the stores undoubtedly raised prices to pay for the installation and maintenance of the self-checkout machines, but you can bet that they won't lower prices when they remove the machines.

I opt for the machines every time over a live cashier, mainly because the local grocery does not keep enough live cashiers open to minimize long lines at those stations. Also, it's less annoying to deal with a computerized self-checkout than to stand behind the idiot who has a cart loaded to capacity, both top and bottom, stands there intently watching every move the the cashier makes, and waits until everything is loaded into bags and placed in her cart before pulling out her checkbook and taking another 3-5 minutes of my time while she laboriously writes the check. People, it's possible to multitask, to keep an eye on the cashier's accuracy while filling in as much of the check as possible so as not to delay other customers. Some people simply don't care how long the people behind them have to wait once they are at the head of the line.

Then there are those customers who have to haggle over a 2 cent difference in price between what they think the items was marked on the shelf vs. whatever the cashier rung up. The advantage to the self-checkout in circumstances such as these is that it's easier and quicker to resolve price differences buy getting the attention of the person who is monitoring the machines. At least, that is the way that it is at my store.

I have never run across a rude cashier in my life. Incompetent yes. Slow yes. Rude never. Maybe it is just you. If you don't like all the questions they have to ask you tell the store manager. If a cashier doesn't ask you if you want to open a credit card account etc they can be fired. Self check lines are not about saving you money. It is about corporate profits. If it was about you they would have the machine give you say 1% off your bill for using the self check line. What they found out is at the self check line there isn't the gautlet of impulse items for you to get through. It is hurting their bottom line.

Saw a comment about the self checkout lines being bad because they put people out of work. Same person questioned email because it puts postal employees out of work. LOL

Do we really need to be backwards looking and create make-work jobs just to keep people busy? If so, at least put them on road building and other public works projects where they might actually do some good. Maybe we should go back to plowing fields by hand. Would create lots of jobs.

Embrace the future, accept the fact that things change, and adapt to take advantage of new ways of doing things.

I think they are great until there is a price problem or I buy beer, then it takes longer to check out.

The cashiers are usually not the brightest people, and they often can't recognize the produce item or even find the bar code to scan. I can do it twice as fast, and bag stuff the way I like. And I don't have to explain that I printed the coupon from web site, and not xeroxed it from the newspaper.

Wow, where do you guys shop?! I shop at Farm Fresh and not only are ALL the employees friendly, they're fast and knowledgable. Farm Fresh has the best customer service as well as quality goods. And even though it's a big supermarket, they know so many of their customers BY NAME. "Hi Mrs. So&so" "Have a good day Mr. So&so"
PS No frequent shopper, loyalty card needed

I don't care what grocery store I'm in; there is nothing more irritating than grocery clerks chatting away with customers without a care in the world; or, holding up the line for twenty minutes to check if a bar of soap is $1.49 or $1.39. Not to mention, all the coupon clippers who wait until checkout time to start sorting through their coupons. Finally, let's not forget the clerks who show their job appreciation working at two speeds... Slow and Slower.

I enjoy grocery and department stores that offer the Self Checkout Service. It allows me to complete my shopping in a timely manner, speedily bag my items without fear of breakage and exit the building quickly, moving on to my next task or appointment. Like most people, my time is just as valuable as store clerks.

Don't misunderstand me, I don't mind socializing with Clerks and when I'm not on a timetable; I often use those lines to show my store loyalty. However, more and more, clerks display the attitude of "going through the motions for the paycheck, and that is the service they provide." I'd rather not deal with that drama and just shop and exit the building...

One final thought regarding the advantages of Self Service Check Out. There is nothing more irritating, than 10-20 people waiting to check out and only one very slow clerk processing everyone. Stores like to cut costs to increase their profit margin, this usually begins with Check Out Clerk Hours.

Has Albertson's considered all the backed up customers; and, the overworked and worn out clerk calling for check out help over the store speakers; that the few employees on duty are ignoring? Happens every day folks... Albertson's needs to rethink this error in judgement or hire and pay for better Check Out Clerks....

It's not user friendly - clumsy and awkward. I provide the bags, they do the bagging. I prefer it that way.

I noticed at Wal-Mart people take two to three weeks worth of groceries through self check out and they don't seem to know how to use them. I thought self check out was for 10 items or less. I really do hate self check out. I won't use them i will stand in line and wait. If I have to scan, bag and insert my own cash then I want 50% off I am doing 100% of the work.

I have no desire to interact with some rude, gum smacking kid while they are supposed to be focused on checking out my groceries. Save the chit chat and get my goods scanned accurately. I can run circles around most checkers in the self-serve lanes. Besides, I'm focused on the price display since there are so many pricing mistakes in my grocery store.

I'd rather go thru self-checkout and bag my own. When they teach baggers/checkers that bread does not go underneath 7 cans of vegetables and to stop putting so many heavy items in one sack so that it breaks in the parking lot and any glass items are shattered etc., then I might consider going through the line with the checker who loudly makes it known to everyone in her/his lane that she/he would rather be anywhere but working. If capable people can be hired who understand these simple, common sense procedures and if more than 2 checkers are on duty during peak shopping times, then I might go through their lines. But for now, I am happy to get my bread home unflattened and my eggs in one piece in sacks that are not ripped open with the contents strewn from the car into the house.

In my town, Walmart is the only store that has self check out lanes. They are great only when Walmart doesn't have enough check out lanes open, which is basically all the time.

Walmart claims to be their for the customer but when you go shop at their stores, everything seems to go against the customer. When they build a new store, they install almost 50 check out lanes but usually only have about 10 or less of them open no matter what time of the year it is.

Now, the problem i see with the self check out lanes is after you scan an item and it tells you to place in bag, half the time it doesn't know if you placed the item in the bag or not. So now, you have to wait for the worker that just loves their job to reset everything so you can continue to check out.

I have used these lanes when i had few items hoping to get out quickly but i saw some that were waiting in longer lines that got out before i did due to the machine not recognizing the items when i placed them in the bags and having to wait for the worker to reset everything so i could continue.

Until they come up with a different way of recognizing when items are placed in the bags, i will never use them again.

The one thing I'd really like to see is enforcement of the # of items limit in express lines.

There are many times that I'm waiting in line and the express line is empty and that cashier will call me over! So don't always assume that people are taking advantage of express lanes. If the store is busy, this does not happen.

I thought self check out was for 10 items or less.

My Walmart does not limit the number of items for self checkout. Neither do the grocery stores in my area that offer them.

survivor1: bread does not go underneath 7 cans of vegetables...stop putting so many heavy items in one sack so that it breaks in the parking lot and any glass items are shattered etc

Sounds like you've had some unlucky experiences at the grocery store. I suggest that you a) change grocers, and b) BYOB: bring your own canvas bags. Recycling needs to become a habit.

I wanted to agree with two posts above - the one about how a lot of customers in line act like they couldn't care less that people are waiting behind them while the line grows bigger, and the posts about baggers not bagging properly and putting heavy items on top of light and too many items in a bag so it breaks, I'd rather bag my own.

Heather: bring your own canvas bags: they don't break, and it's a good feeling to know that you saved yet more plastic from going into a landfill.

Humm... I smell the Unions, they stick like rotten fish! More convenience for consumers = less union involvement!

I smell neo-cons, they stink like s___

As a former grocery store cashier, I have to disagree with the comments made about cashiers lacking intelligence. It takes a great deal of intelligence and common sense to survive working in any customer service job. You have to be able to gauge people's moods and be able to deal with the entitled jerks on an everyday basis. I currently work for a retailer that encourages small talk and chatting between employees and customers. I'll go along with it but it drives me nuts because I think it decreases efficiency. Anyone with intelligence who has worked in retail knows how customers try to work the system. I've had people try to haggle with me thinking I set the prices, not someone in an air conditioned office who barely works on the floor. That's almost as bad as the extreme couponers.

I think some of the apathy that people encounter is because of the changing nature of American consumers. They expect Wal-Mart prices while receiving Nordstrom or Trader Joe's quality service. They don't want to pay more for good customer service. They also are not willing to pay more for knowledgeable employees who know the product they are selling. Management at most stores have gotten that message that people don't want to pay for quality and they want the cheapest prices, so they hire people with little or no knowledge of the product they are selling. They also hire people with little or no incentive to learn more as well. They complain when they are treated as a number when for most retail stores, that's what they are.

As a customer, I love self checkouts. First, most don't take checks. Also, the person manning the self checkouts at least at Meijer usually was one of the more competent employees. I wish my local Wal-Mart had them so I wouldn't have to stand in line in the "express" lanes where people bring over 20 items.

I find them annoying, Home Depot pretty much forces you to use them and it is pretty hard for oversized or heavy products. If you don't put the item on the table after scanning it, it throws a fit... yeah I'm gonna put a door or a showerdoor kit on there....

I find that it is better to have a person, laughing at the people saying the price should go down 30% for checking it out yourself, do you really think a few people making $8/hr are going to affect groceries that much? They could put them all at $20/hr and it wouldn't affect prices 2%, much less 30%.

I love it when the scanners accuses me of shoplifting "please remove item from the carousel and scan." When I have to call an attendent over to over ride the computer, anytime initially saved is already lost.

I love it when the cashier grabs my Doritos in their gamma-ray powered Hulk grip, slams it into the bottom of the bag, and then piles my canned goods on top. God forbid they have to straighten the bag to read the UPC. Then it's all over for the chips.

I always think to myself: "Is that how you like your chips? A pile of crumbs in the bottom of the bag?"

I must shop at a really good grocery store. No rude clerks. They are always polite, but so am I. Bags always packed perfectly. Some times to perfectly, too many bags separating items that really don't need to be separated etc. They could open a few more lanes occasionally but the norm is a clerk is waiting in front of the lane so you can see where a opening is. Baggers always eager to take your stuff out to the car. Sometimes to eager. I usually just want my bags back in my cart. I am not that old and broke down but hell to the kid I probably look it. Occasionally a checkout mistake is made but 50% of the time it is in my favor. You have to be realistic. Sometimes fate, karma or God doesn't give a sh!t that you are in a big fn hurry. So stop being such a self absorbed cry baby pain in the @ss. If the store you shop at sucks don't shop there. If you know they suck but are the cheapest well DUH!

Hi Mozzie-6. Unfortunately in our small city the choices of grocers is limited to a WalMart, Safeway and a Shurfine store. So- a) nowhere else to go, b) they all have the same checkout systems and c) the nearest larger city to shop is almost one hundred miles one way to get there. I do have canvas bags I try to remember to grab when I am rushing around getting ready to go. I guess returning my canvas to the car when I get things put away would solve that problem : )

Kelly, what do you consider extreme couponing? In these days of higher and higher prices, couponing can make a difference in a families meals and nutritional needs. As a cashier/checker, I would think that people using coupons should be considered an accepted procedure that should be taken care of by cashiers with a smile, and not considered extreme or bothersome. Personally, I want quality of an item no matter what the item is, and if I am able too on that day I shop, will pay extra rather than spend my hard earned money on brands I know are sub-quality. And, I often do enjoy some chit-chat with a cashier if things aren't in a tizzy of a rush. And as for gauging peoples moods, try to take an x-ray in a kids mouth who can make himself automatically vomit on you just because he can lol, or try to explain too someone why the cost of their gold crown is what it is. And yes, they seem to think we have some control over the gold/silver markets or the lab costs for a crown, etc. It's rough out there these days trying to please and help consumers in any given service job. I guess I just enjoy sacking my own purchases how I want them. I don't like to ask a checker to sack things a certain way and get a look and a sigh. When that has happened, I just take some extra sacks and re-sack in my car. Better for me just to do it for myself I guess.

For those complaining about rude staff - have you ever worked retail? I'd say there are far more very rude customers than staff.

Work for a while at the checkouts and see how pleasant you remain.

99.999% of all the retail staff I've run into are good, honest people doing a mind-boggingly boring job dealing with some of the rudest people around.

Don't complain about rude staff - do a self-check first and make sure you aren't rude to them.

BJs65. Agree. Why make another's day unpleasant when you can make a positive difference instead? The Golden Rule never goes out of style.

I work at a retail store that has self check out lanes, I used to be a cashier but moved to a department. Overall I'd say customers were not bad, but every once in a while youd end up with the phone talker, life story teller, extreme coupon attempt (the place I'm at limits the number of coupons, and they always argue about it), or just general painintheass. One advantage for the cashiers though is we don't have bags, you are free to bring your own, but the store doesn't offer any. Yes, that is one of the two most boring jobs at the store, your back hurts from standing around all day, and there are some days nothing would make you happier than to punch someone in the face.

Kelly-2977471 said: "It takes a great deal of intelligence and common sense to survive working in any customer service job."

LOL!!!!!!!!

The funniest part was that she actually meant it!

No sorry Kelly... cashier takes practically no common sense, intelligence or any real skills at all other than basic counting.

Wal Mart's check out lanes are a very obvious demonstration of this fact.

Customer service are practically psychologists, it truly does take a great deal of patience, intelligence and common sense!

LOL!!!

No, actually it doesn't. Exactly why so many high school kids who have essentially zero real world skills are much better checkers than those ladies (I assume such as yourself) who have been doing it for years and seem to think that it's not just about the EASIEST job possible in the world.

Sure, you have to maintain a constant pace, however you can pause and adjust your shoe if you need to. Somebody on an assembly line cannot say that.

Sure, you may have to 'solve problems' but most of them have to do with 'how much does this item cost' or 'what is the store policy for X'. Seriously... not trying to be mean here - but that's child's play.

Intelligence? Really if you saw what I did for work, and were asked to do some yourself, you'd just sit there and laugh as you'd have absolutely no idea where to start, what to do, or even maybe what you were looking at. Ringing up somebody's purchases is in a completely different paradigm altogether, so much so that to hear the word intelligence applied to checking out of groceries, and doing CSR tasks that I'm seriously laughing here. No, what I do takes intelligence... being a cashier requires simple alertness but not intelligence.

As to common sense? In what way. No really... customer service jobs can be done by just about anybody - without any training whatsoever, minus the typical learning of the store policies, local laws about what you can't sell to a kid, etc.

In this day and age we try to make everybody feel good for themselves, to think that they're 'special'. Well we are. We are all unique and we all have our unique contributions to give to the world. However, when the notion of raising self esteem has gotten to the point where people LIE and even worse, lie without realizing how wrong they are (see: delusional) it is simply unacceptable.

No really... being a cashier is NOT a hard job, it does not require a lot of intelligence, common sense or any of the other traits that you would like to apply to yourself. Now - that doesn't mean that there aren't smart people here and there doing that as a job - but don't get delusional here and pretend that it takes a 'smart' person to do that job, when most of us with white collar jobs could do it while asleep.

However--you don't, do you?

I like to hear people say, "I'll have your job."--when they couldn't HANDLE my job. I obviously have knowledge that you don't, or you wouldn't ask me. You'd muddle along without.

I have to agree--being a cashier is really not hard. I worked as a cashier at a fast food restaurant and it was a brainless job. The funniest part was when the computers went down and we had to calculate prices by hand---there were only two of us (both college kids) who could determine the total purchase price by hand---the rest had no clue.

the computers went down and we had to calculate prices by hand---there were only two of us (both college kids) who could determine the total purchase price by hand---the rest had no clue.

Oh, dear god. No wonder the Chinese are beating us at every turn.

@karen-545203 - yeah I worked at Target for a few years way back in high school in Housewares, and was one of the people they trained as a backup cashier. I'm not here making random unfounded assertions as some of these people saying it "requires intelligence" (hehehe) are trying to say. I've done the job, and really, it is simple.

When they would do one of their backup calls for extra people at Target, you could literally see my line moving faster than the "full time" cashiers. It was very clear when the CSR Lead was sending extra people at my line and it was still shorter than the rest. I, spending less than 5% of my time at Target running cash registers, was at least 3 times as fast as the "veterans". And I never once had even a single penny off on a drawer.

Sorry, really... it's not a hard job. And when a 16 year old, future "college boy" is already spanking the people who have "years of experience' at quality, customer service score, accuracy, speed, and basically every other metric they had - that fact that somebody would try and say it requires intelligence makes me sad.

Chouse, it's obvious from your tone that you were one of the registered trained people who would try to get out of register duty as much as you could. I know the type. I had co-workers who would ignore pages to the register just to avoid direct contact with customers. I actually prefer shopping at Target to Wal-Mart simply because the store is clean and the stocking's done in a manner that the product is reachable on the shelves. I get annoyed at having to stand in line and employees just standing around not checking people out. At both grocery stores I worked at, both small locally owned chains, being in a public area when there was a line and you weren't bagging or checking people out would have been grounds for a write up.

Target has started to restrict the number of coupons a customer can use on sale items, specifically the buy get get one coupons. Stores have gotten more restrictive on what online coupons can be used too. There was a coupon for "free" velvetta floating around online that was a fake. I didn't fall for it because it looked older and photoshopped to appear updated.

I work in a department store and see a lot of returns. My employer tracks every single return in their system and if you work in one area long enough, you learn to spot the serial returners. A coworker and I were discussing the woman who has bought and returned at least five different styles of sheets in the past three months. We can't resell the sheets because they've been used and are out of the package, so we have to marked them as damaged when someone less choosy would be happy with them. It's also interesting the percentage of returns that are the result of clothes being the wrong size because the customer was too lazy to try them on in the stores. There are certain items you try on to make sure they fit, especially bras. I know that if any item of underwear has been returned and looks to have been worn, the bra or panty will be destroyed in store. It's a practice that makes sense because you don't want to put something on the sales floor that someone has worn and their intimate parts touched. I know that some would claim that it's a waste and you could donate them to goodwill or salvation army, but if I were getting something from their second hand stores, I wouldn't want to purchase something that someone's private parts had touched.

Dave in NM

"annoying people using coupons?" Now people are supposed to pay more because you have deemed their use of coupons a personal inconvenience to you?

You will whistle a different tune if someone is grouponing in front of you with a cart full of stuff and you are behind only with a carton of milk and are in a hurry to go home.

"Chouse, it's obvious from your tone that you were one of the registered trained people who would try to get out of register duty as much as you could. I know the type. I had co-workers who would ignore pages to the register just to avoid direct contact with customers."

Nope, actually I came every time I was needed - it was a nice diversion from restocking random plastic totes and the other endcap sale items for a few minutes.

I didn't say I disliked it, what I said was that I could have done the job while asleep - and that those peeps out there saying it was challenging are simply wrong.

Those people simply don't have a lot of real skill is the point, as I could spank them across the board at a task that I only did on occasion.

The self-checkouts have their ups and downs. They are easy and quick,but if there is ANY problem that goes right out the door. And yes,the sensors for determining if your item is in the bag section do suck.

Back when it used to be "Have a nice day" to each other and then the stores started having their employees say "You have a GREAT day",I thought oh brother. You CAN'T be THAT happy working for minimum wage,can you?

Not sure about the wages today... but back in the day, I worked as stocker (over night... back then, stores actually closed at night. Stocking the shelves was considered too much of an inconvienence for customers to step over or around).

the money wasn't much - but for a college guy, the hours were fantastic.

I worked at an IGA, I still have great memories of the owner/boss, not like a lot of other companies, he was good to students trying to get somewhere in life.

I'm echoing what others have said but I think Albertson and other chains may be considering this because of the minority of customers who try to use the self checkouts to steal. I don't think it will cause the stores affected to hire more people. Instead, they'll go to 15 to 30 checkout lanes and staff the same number than they currently do. They'll hire the type that won't complain about the monotony of the job.

I loved the self checkouts at Meijer. The location I stopped at most frequently had some of the creepiest and slowest cashiers I have seen while shopping. There was one that had some interesting political views that he shared with customers who really didn't care a bit. I know Meijer is unionized but I'm still surprised he still had a job.

I wish my local Wal-Mart would add some self checkouts. Same with the Target. I hate going into Target and having 3 lanes open when there are at least 5 customers backed up. I'm not surprised having worked in retail since I know many register trained people will play dumb or avoid pages to come to open a register.

So, supermarkets want me to do the work, but don't offer me a discount for doing it. I'm, sorry, there is nothing convenient about that. Now, people are doing the work of the supermarket in PROMOTING them. It is very sheep-like as far as I am concerned. Oh, and by the way, prices are going up. I am 100% sure that is strictly because of the cost of producing those items, NOT.

And people wonder why we live in an anti-social society. Because it is easier to let a company make money off your back, while getting you to work, just so you don't have to interract with anyone anymore. I say the supermarket starts handing people other jobs while they are on line, say, filing papers or something else menial for no pay.

Derek - I guess its a matter of perspective. I dont see scanning my items and tossing them into a bag as any more "work" than pulling them out of the cart and putting them on the belt.

Lazy people will complain about anything, and even lazier people will think every action a person does should come with a paycheck or discount of some sort.

maybe we live in an anti-social society because I dont want to associate with folks who think and act like you do. seriously, it should be my right to avoid jerks like you as often as I can...and it appers, my best bet at doing so is to remain in the self-check out lanes.

next you're going to complain that they make you push your cart from your car to the cart corrall...horrors, doing someone elese work yet again!

do you live on welfare, just curious...

Derek -- I'm with Jessica. I still have to put the items on the belt, so unless I have a cartfull, I use the self-check. Although I can do without socializing with the checkers at my local Albertsons, the employee near the self-check is usually very friendly and ready to jump in should you need help. Also, there is nothing more annoying than standing in line behind someone with a gazillion coupons, half of which are outdated, resulting in a long debate with the checker. As far as Home Depot's claim that they do not have less employees but are putting them "on the floor" instead, I wonder where on the floor. There's never anyone there to help you if you need it.

@Jessica: Really? You might need more jerk and lazy in your life, then. In general.

Why? Because jerk in this case is simply expressing a point of view. Hyperbole included, perhaps, but you aren't above that yourself. Lazy, in this case, means thinking. I want someone to do a job for me, for proper payment, instead of paying higher prices yet finding services cut. Being generally from the left side of arguements, I would think you'd be big on that and not miss the irony of wanting more jobs without corporate rip offs, yet being a fan of self-check out without a discount.

Point of view is exactly true, and should mean at least consider what I am saying. If it is too incendiary, then you can go by this nicer paragraph above. I don't mind the disagreement, or even a bit of name calling in this case. But consider the other side of the coin.

And it is a funny line, but if you cut out all the 'jerks' in life, you'll find yourself pretty soon locked up at home and off the internet. Everybody who has anything valuable to say will sometimes disagree with you and sometimes they'll be a jerk about it. Thicker skin goes a longer way in finding the value in an opposing point of view rather than flipping out about it.

Cheers!

Derek, I couldn't agree with you more. Self-checkout is about less convenience, more expense to the consumer and fewer people having jobs - and people think this is a good thing because it means they'll never have to say "hello" to anyone. Are we really that much of a sociopathic society?

I dont know what the point of removing the self checkout lines is. My Local albertsons has 10 regular checkout lanes and 4 self checkout lanes. I have never seen more than 4 of the regular checkout lanes open at once...

How about keeping the machines for people who would CHOOSE to use them and hiring more check out clerks to fill all the EXISTING lanes before adding more lanes that will probably be cashier-less too.

Wal-Mart especially is notorious for this, the super center has like 30 checkout lanes but only 3 or 4 are open and there are about 1000 people trying to get out of there...

I agree there should be still a couple of these lanes but stores here have figured out you can have one cashier for a lane and one for 8 self-checks. This way they are still only paying 2 people with less waiting. All stores have these driving me nuts unless you want only 1-2 things. Because there is no option of checking out with a person unless you want to want to wait in the one long checkout line. You still wait for the person in front of you with a full cart.

Some people would wait in line for Days, if it meant getting any food at all. Some people would even travel great distances just for the opportunity to stand in those lines. Some people are murdered while standing in those line, just to eat or for a drink of water. And someday, if we keep being so petty and greedy and self-absorbed, we can all stand in those lines too and pine for the days when we had it all and all we did was whine and complain.

Perhaps, FedUp. But until those days get here...

Get me into the store and back out with as little hassle as possible...

As for the "people with larger orders in their carts" as folks farther back in line have two or three items: Easing this situation only requires common courtesy and The Golden Rule, not ubiquitous and jamming self-checkout machines. If someone behind me is obviously dashing in for milk or a snack and has only a couple items, but I have our week's order, it is reflexive to me to turn around and invite them to go first ahead of me, joking, "It would be a crime for you to wait there with your ice cream melting while they ring my order out. Please go ahead of me." The genuine appreciation and smile is a cheerful spot in my day, just as some common courtesy no doubt is in theirs. This is also the human factor that no machine will never duplicate.
If you have a kindness shown pass it on.
As for this article even though it hadn't ocurred to me at first I'd imagine that several commenters notion that theft prevention is likely Albertson's main concern is probably right, sadly.

You are so right about inviting someone behind you with only one or two items to go ahead of you. I do it too and it is nice to see the genuine surprise and smiles. Make someone's day and be nice, it will come back around. Be sure to BYOB (bring your own bag), those bags at the stores are getting thinner and thinner and food is getting more and more expensive.

The real reason that the self check out lines are being eliminated ( not just at Albertsons ) but at many chains, is theft. It's seriously effecting the stores bottom profit line.

Shame as it will also stop the free food promised to minorities by Obama.

Dick Sicario -- You may well be right about theft, but when did Obama ever promise free food to minorities? Does that mean that when caucasians are in the minority in a particular location, they're supposed to get free food? Please let me know where--I'm running low on various food items.

And I WANT the people who WORK the express lanes to have the ba11s to stand up to those customers who flat out ignore the "20 items or less" sign, and ask them "Which of these 20 items will you be purchasing today?" :)

I don't mean going over by two or three items. I am "lenient", although I myself stick stringently to the "rule" at my local express lane. But, seriously dude?! THIRTY SEVEN items! I kid you not! And the checker ... at Walmart ... said NOTHING! Why even HAVE a frigging express lane!

Never use it...

I love the self-checkout. I've had too many instances of the cashier 'accidentally' putting in the wrong code for produce. Amazingly, it always ends up being for the most expensive one. You wanted the yellow onions that were on sale for .99/pound? Sorry, the cashier put in the code for red onions that were 2.99/pounds, whoops! But hey, it's not like there's a sticker on them w/ the correct code or anything....

The only time I dislike the self checkout is when I go in the afternoon and every time there are the curious nitwits with 50+ items who decide to ignore the item limit signs and try to learn how to use the machine. Otherwise, my biggest issue is w/ the Stop & Shop self-scanners that go w/ the self-checkouts. They're seemingly great because you can bag as you shop and the portable scanner keeps a running tally of your bill. With me, however, I seem to get routinely selected for a 'random' audit (to deter shoplifting, not that many employees will admit it) when I go to pay. When it happens 3 times in a month it's annoying. Add to it the fact that using the portable scanners while shopping opens up additional savings you won't get otherwise and you're left w/ a dilemma.

My favorite grocery store trip was at one of those machines, though. One Friday evening the store was practically empty. I approached the aisle for one and there was a 40-something woman standing there reading a magazine. I tried to use the machine and she started yelling at me in the snottiest voice possible that I couldn't use the machine and was a terribly rude and horrible person because I'd be in her husband's way and couldn't see they were using it. He was still shopping and she was just reserving the checkout for him. I stepped over to one of the other 3 available self-checkouts (yeah, read that again) and started using that one. I was a little baffled and angry after being rattled from the experience, but I was trying to hold my temper. Her husband showed up just after I started and I saw them trying to use "their" checkout. I was paying and bagging my groceries while they were still trying to get started. As I left, I saw a store employee come over to help them with the malfunctioning checkout. Realizing that it would have been me stuck there otherwise, I showed my appreciation by smiling, waving, and very loudly saying "Bye, goodnight you two," to the wife.

Kevin, Ding! That is what irks me the most. People line up to do labor themselves that the store no longer pays a cashier to do. Notice that Albertsons is claiming that they will increase cashier hours...

yes and I refuse to look up produce codes that is what a cashier is for.

Kevin...Bingo. You have the correct opinion. I hate and never use self check outs. I pay enough for my goods and part of that is the wages for the store employees. If I have to wait too long I will stop shopping at the store after I e mail the manager and the company headquarters.

Got news for you guys...getting rid of the self-check-out line will not increase hours for the checkers. When the store gets busy, people working on the floor and in the departments are called to help. You guessed it...now no one is available to help anywhere else in the store.

Sales and sales alone determine the amount of help in a store. Getting rid of self-checkouts will not increase sales.

As for the theft aspect, shoplifters don't need self-checkouts to steal. That's what emergency exits are for.

jpeg: You sound so sure of your position, but how does it follow that having more jobs for humans to do doesn't equate to having more jobs? I'd need to see some data, rather than just your say-so, before I believe robot checkers don't steal human jobs.

...choosy moms choose .gif.

"I won't bag the items myself, I'm already paying enough for the groceries."

How hard is it for you people to place a small item into a bag? It takes just as much effort to reach in to your shopping cart and put the item on the conveyor belt. Only the laziest of humans would complain about placing groceries into their own bag if they're not seeing some kind of monetary incentive. Jesus.

How hard is it for you people to place a small item into a bag?

That's fine if you're only buying one "small item" - but if you have a full grocery order, it DOES take more time for the average person to bag their groceries. It doesn't help that the bagging area at most self-checkouts is so tiny that you can't fill the bags properly. And forget it if you're trying to use your own reuseable bags.

What I don't get is this: do you people honestly believe that the self-checkouts appear via magic? Do you honestly believe that nobody designs, builds, delivers, installs, and maintains them? Are those not jobs, or do you have to be face-to-face with the person to know that there is a human being involved somehow?

I use a store where I already bag my own food. Unless I have a lot of coupons, alcohol, or a full cart, I prefer to use the self-checkout because I can usually get though the lines faster than the lanes with checkers (with the lines, indecisive people, check writers, etc). I usually am getting enough items to warrant using the checkers. They have always been polite, but I do have issues with my items getting squished on the belt and I try to bag it as fast as I can and I try to order the "squishable" items to the end of the line. I have no problem with checkers. People who steal should be punished (although that happens to every company and is part of the price we pay for goods). Progress will happen - I don't want to cost people jobs, but that is the way of the world of progress. We need to find other niches for jobs. I like keeping the checkers staffed appropriately and still having the option for a self-checkout. They both have their places. I do feel sorry for the people with 5 items stuck behind 2 people with huge cart loads (& I hate it when that's me, too).

Time is money. My time is valuable too. I'd much rather do the work myself and get out of there a lot faster.

They are NOT gonna increase the cashier's hours. Please do not be so gullible. They will save money by returning the machines to NCR and meanwhile, count on you to just wait in line......cause really - what else are you going to do?

Not go to Albertsons.

LOL - Retail managers are experts at squeezing every employee to do maximum work on less and less time. They cut hours all the freaking time and make employees do more than one job with fewer hours and then b*tch and moan because things don't get done right or at all!

Eeesh! I've said this many times - it really does take a special kind of stupid to be a retail manager these days!

(and no I will not apologize for that statement!)

No need to apologize, you hit the nail on the head. I am old enough to remember what customer service really was. I'm not sure it even exists anymoreEven if you are lucky enough to be able to speak to someone who's primary language is English they are likely too busy texting, chatting, etc. to help you. Those who are competent are now doing what was 3 peoples jobs a few years ago so nothing gets done well.

Clever.

exactly! Read between the lines people. Economy/jobs poor promotes pilfering produce.

I work self check out at the store I work at and I am always on top of things that is going on around them and I can say I have stop a few customers along the way that try to scam the sytem (steal!!!). They call me the "selfcheck crime stopper" and I don't even get a bonus for saving the company lots of money.. I say get rid of self checkout !!!

Take notes and then in your next review, ask for a bonus based on how many you catch. The other option would be to just let them by.

My lowes has them over here in Maryland. Maybe it's there and you just haven't been in to see it?

Oh BS, there's NEVER anybody waiting in line at Home Depot! --Yet they still want you to check yourself out! --sucker...

The last two time I was in Home Depo, I ONLY saw two workers, the girl at the service desk and the pregnant lady babysitting the self-check pods.

No self-check in my Lowes, and the lines are terrible (never more than 2 registers open, and one is in the service-desk area and gets distracted by that duty.)

I love LOVE the selfcheck at Kroger. It is perfect for my small orders and I am smart enough to operate it. The clerk is attentive and friendly, walks over to get my coupons before I can take a step in that direction. I like to spend my dollar coins there - the machine doesn't ask what they are, or ask the manager if they accept them.

They may be losing some pilferage at the selfcheck, but having an attendant on-the-ball probably cuts down on it.

mailman8

"... and I am smart enough to operate it. " ....

... you are the one I want to be behind! Not the one who THINKS they know how to use it and end up causing the line to back up! ;)

Reminds me of the time I was waiting at the pharmacy counter to pick up already ordered prescriptions for my son and myself. The clerk was having a nice conversation with the person in front of me about the state where they both moved from. I waited and waited. And waited some more. Finally, its my turn. I had 5 items in my cart and asked if I could pay for them there (the person in front of my had done that, as well). The clerk said, no, because it would take too long and there was someone behind me. Hello??? I WAS that person! God, I was mad. So I asked if I could take the prescriptions up to the front registers, and she said she could give me the charge slips, but I would have to come back after paying to get the actual prescriptions. It was at that point I said nevermind--it was already 6:15 and I had to pick up my kids at day care by 6:30. I was so mad I was in tears. UGH! Give me a self checkout anyday, so I don't have to deal with rude, obnoxious and selfish people like that!

don't go to the grocery at 6:15 when you know you need to be somewhere in 15 mins. I bet your one of those a-holes who drives like a bat out of heck because wherever you want to be is more important than everyone's safety

Uh aggrevatedofficeworker I do not believe that I saw where it said she got to the store at 6:15. She could have been in line for 20 mins while the "NICE" cashier had the long conversation. I agree put my stuff on the counter ring me up and do not ask me how I am or how my day was. They do not really care and if you want to have a long conversation with someone tell them when your break is and they can chit chat on their own time. I am tired of having to wait behind people who think their life stories must be told before they finish checking out. Hence self checkouts allow the non-needing attention to ring up pay and go. Not only that but the younger cashiers DO NOT know how to bag food. I have to stand at the counter and say no do not put my bread in with my raw meat etc. So if I have to do that I would rather bag it the way I want it!!!!!!!!!

I believe you totally missed what wlc was saying. She waited behind someone for some time while this person and the clerk talked about "my home town." She did not go to the store 15 minutes before she needed to be somewhere else.

I hope she complained to the manager.

It would take another half hour to get hold of a manager.

I routinely have pleasant conversations with the checker while she rings me up, but I've never felt like that little interaction increased the time it took to get in and out. I'm sort of surprised to see how many people hate talking to cashiers. What's so offensive about someone asking how you are and whether you found what you needed? People didn't used to hate other people so much.

Dave in NM: Nobody's bitching about the minimal chatter you cite. What you describe takes less time than processing an ATM card. I'm talking about a proper conversation, like they're hanging out in the back yard with iced tea. It happens way too often.

My local Albertson's must just train their employees well. Their cashiers are always pleasant, but I've never been held up because they're having a lengthy conversation with someone. And the only time I've had to wait in line at their pharmacy for more than a few minutes was when the pharmacist took the time to explain a medication to an elderly customer.

I was sorry when Albertson's left our area, as they stocked things that you can't get anywhere else around here. If they were still around here and I had just two or three items, I'd be disappointed that I couldn't get out quickly.

really Dave in NM - yeah I was standing behind you and 3 others like you... chatter chatter - each of you took an extra 2 minutes - 6 minutes total out of my day because you participated in inane senseless chatter...

And human-trash uses the self-checks to steal like a mother trucker. They have 5 cans of cat food and only scan 3. They slide the 2 stolen ones into a bag no longer on the monitor scale.

Self-checks also mess up computerized inventory control programs. The customer scans 1 bottle of soda and then hits the multiple item option for all 5 bottles...which are all the same price......but different flavors. Now the computer thinks the store sold 5 bottles of the same flavor and the run out of the other flavors because computer says those other flavors have not been sold.

BlueDevilBasher - I thought I was a pro on these machines - where is that multiple item option?? I would like to know because I sure would use it.

The multiple-item option is usually just on registers operated by employees - and they abuse it like crazy, screwing up the inventory-tracking systems. If a selfcheck has that option, the person who set up the system is an idiot.

That's what I thought - I have never seen one on the self-check outs.

I agree with you, mmm Goldstein. I too have walked off leaving them with a full cart to put back.

In that instance, I had left my sick dad at home long enough to buy groceries. Had a full cart and filled the conveyor belt waiting for 3 clerks to finish their gossip session and check me out. Because of my imposition on their time, I was rudely informed that I needed to take it to the automatic check out line... I laughed and left, Immediately. I left everything right where it was when they told me that. Bet me, babe. It would have amounted to about $250 and I was the only customer in any of the checkout lines. It was a brand new store... a year later they were out of business. Seems some checkers thought wrong. From then on, I drove across town when I had someone to sit with dad.

I too, refuse to shop Home Depot because that is what they prefer, not to pay labor costs for cashiers, eliminating jobs, later information proved that out.

You probably park in the handicapped spaces, although not handicapped, leave your cart behind other cars, eat grapes that you haven't paid for while shopping, grab handfuls of samples, try to pass outdated coupons at the register, throw your trash on the parking lot, etc........

Recommendation...anger management! I'm sure they'd rather someone like you leave their grocery cart than have to deal with you in their line anyway.

Spike, where do you get the idea that he'd do something illegal simply because he'd leave a cart behind?

I leave a cart behind too if the store does not adequately staff itself to perform the task that I am paying it to perform. I take my business elsewhere. But that doesn't mean that I do something illegal like park in handicapped spaces, steal, or litter.

Believe me that the self-check out lanes were sold to retailers as a cost cutting tool. I guarantee the sales pitch included numbers showing how many hours they could cut or how many staff persons could be laid off. It was never about customer convenience, it was always about CUTTING COSTS and CUTTING JOBS!

To Yeah Self-Checkout, there is nothing wrong with controlled anger. Perhaps more of us should get angry at large corporations that continue to find ways to fleece us. Have noticed that a half-gallon of OJ is now 59 ounces? Have you seen the shrinking cereal boxes, tuna cans, mayo jars and ice cream packages? How about the shrinking peanut butter jars? Pay attention, because they do not reduce prices, just the portions. Wake up and get angry, then do something about it.

Did you know that nobody in charge there finds out about your *vote with your abandoned cart*?

But now some worker with no power, who is just trying to get all the stuff done on their task list for the shift.....a list which 2 years ago was spread out among three workers.....gets to fall further behind and instead of running a register during the rush gets to drag your cart around, putting back all your perishables....instead of running a cash register and getting me checked out of there.

Thanks for making my wait in line EVEN longer.

"Goldstein" - that cart you desert at the checkout, does it contain stuff like fresh meat, ice cream or other frozen goods, items that spoil if not returned immediately and hence have to be destroyed, making grocers (or somebody in the chain) add to overall prices they charge to make up for the losses?

"Spike, where do you get the idea that he'd do something illegal simply because he'd leave a cart behind?"

Simple, the "me first syndrome". You see it in traffic, restaurants, boarding planes, and any other human activity. I like to watch cop shows---the number of times you hear, "Don't you know who I am?", and, "I'll have your badge!", is laughable

and people like you drive up the cost of food. what if some employ don't find your cart in time and every cold or frozen thing goes bad. I have found steak,milk,eggs,etc.... just left behind a aisle and everything is hot. I you go into a busy store dont act you are the only one in there and that we cater just to you look around there are lots of people there.

Yup...those left behind carts really shows them!!

You do realize it's usually a 16 year old worker who returns those items to the shelf right? Do you really think they care if that steak or milk has been sitting out for a hour or two? Nope, back on the shelf it goes. Now who did you make pay for your stupidity? The next customer who grabs that item.

All you losers that just leave their carts of groceries behind think that your accomplishing something? You wasted 1/2 hour picking those items and the manager just gets some clerk to put them back. Big deal. Most likely you're too stupid to use the self checkout anyway.

Yes, I do realize that it's just some underpaid 16-year-old who has to put them back. But, like it or not, that underpaid 16-year-old is still a representative of the corporation that is not adequately maintaining an effective retail operation.

But in all seriousness, I do not leave perishable items behind. I do usually return those simply because I worked in a Walmart once and had to deal with someone who put their unwanted steaks in a shoebox in the shoe aisle. Found them several hours later.... If I leave a cart, it's a cart with nonperishables. But I really don't care who has to put it back. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not condoning this action simply because there is a line; I don't expect a grocery store to be completely line-less. I'm talking about more serious offenses, like if I waited in line for 20 minutes while the old grandma in front of me wrote a check only to have the cashier say to me "It's time for my break" (Yes, that has happened. With my cart unloaded on the belt.)

Sabre - I don't know what I'd do if that happened to me (the "time for my break incident"). I'd probably go find a manager - I KNOW I wouldn't be able to just let it go. I shop at Tom Thumb and Market Street in Texas - a little more expensive, but the service is EXCELLENT. No self-checking out for me. I'm just not that coordinated. It's fun, I have to admit, but ONLY if no one is in line behind me and I have maybe 3 or 4 things. Otherwise the stress of holding up the line isn't worth it. I don't mind the cashiers talking to me. It's a thankless job, and I try to be nice to them. My daughter's first job was as a cashier at the same TT where I shop, and the stories that girl brought home...

The only time I ever left a full cart in the store was when my now-26 year old son was 18 mos. and I hadn't let him have a nap before we went to the store, and when he threw a screaming fit I figured the store would rather put the groceries back than listen to him screaming. I know I would. Good times.... :)

@Muhamed Jesus H Vishnu-Goldstein: Your tactic works- which is why some here decry it. There are cameras above those areas. Employees do call a manager when there's an unusual event- and the person putting the stock back is still a person with a job who spends money in your local economy- whereas the automated checkout system is money lost to it- money that ultimately goes to China or to corporate headquarters instead of supporting other local jobs.

When money gets sucked out of your community by tactics like automated checkout, everyone you know loses- and someone far, far away gets and keeps your money until there's nothing left. Look at the stores that push it hardest- WalMart and Home Depot- and get a clue- it's not good for your community. It destroys jobs, and pulls money away from the local economy that never comes back.

Support your local economies by supporting local jobs- and you may save your own job. Muhamed Jesus H Vishnu-Goldstein gets it. Why don' t the rest of you?

Here's the link to Albertsons page; the link to the 'contact us' is on the upper right. Instead of just saying it here, say it there too. They won't realize the negative impact until we speak up. (I just sent them and email stating my saddness/displeasure in the removals.)

Albertsons will not care. They are tired of human-garbage going through the self-checks and stealing the store blind. When the self-checks are gone, they will see a decrease in shrink and an increase in sales.

Seems Albertson's will also see a decrease in crabby jerks who hate talking to people and think nothing of leaving someone a pile of work to do because they're so immature they would rather stalk out in a huff than just wait their turn.

Enjoy those *all meat* hot dogs at Aldi's ?

I agree that Aldi's is the way to go. With a couple of exceptions their products are just as good and cost half as much. I can't help but laugh at people that won't buy things without a "brand" name! There are only so many companies that make crackers, soup, coffee, cereal, whatever... Aldi buys bulk and requests their own packaging but it's still the same product. I know! I work for a company that has sold to Aldi's. Same items that we sold to several big name stores.. only in a different package. Aldi's price tag - about $6.00, other stores about $15 or more for the SAME thing.

Talk about lines - I have been in Aldi's a few times to get a few items, and the wait at checkout is never less than a half hour. It may be the place to buy two weeks of groceries for a family of 8, but total nonsense if your time has any value and your cart has fewer that 50 items.

Jean - The thing I like about Aldi's is that there's just one of everything. You don't have to choose between eight different kinds of Rice Krispies or twelve flavors of Doritos. I hate grocery shopping with a passion, and if the Aldi's wasn't so far away, I'd shop there a lot more. Not having to debate between twenty brands of brownie mix cuts down on all kinds of time.

How long has Aldi's been in your area? When they first entered this market area the closest one to me was about 45 miles from here, but soon there was one 35 miles away, then 25, and now about 12, in the closest town which provides true "shopping" options. Think that in a lot of the country they are still getting built out, so you may be in luck. Unfortunately, the lines can be long at the one near here, especially on Friday evenings, because they never have more than two of the four checkouts open.

We now have an Aldi's in town and we love it. The store is always spotless and though there are few national brands, I've only purchased one item that I thought was not as good. The produce is prepackaged but cheap and I've not gotten any bad fruit yet. The cashiers are polite and quick. Love this store!!

Walmart is getting rid of them because too many customers are going through the self-checks and stealing the stores blind.

The human-trash always causes a good thing to be taken away from all the decent people.

wal-mart is a place I don't want self-checkout, it's insulting with the power they already have over us to do the bagging and scanning too. But at the grocery store unless I buy a lot which I usually do not I love the self-checkout. I usually buy groceries at the co-op anyway, where I usually still bag and answer the same stupid questions every day. I hate when people act like robots

I wouldn't shop at Wal-Mart anyway, but the fact that Target isn't replacing humans with robots is just another in a long list of reasons to go there instead.

yes... except self check isnt more accurate, in fact I find more items there ring up wrong than in a regular checkstand, and it is actually slower... I routinely work the self check out at the grocery store. I see it all the time, I'm constantly fixing prices at the machine. And I find it slower then a regular check stand half the time because of having to fix the prices constantly and price checks. And news flash.. We all are properly trained (videos, computer training, etc) to bag groceries still so your bread should come out just fine

Duh - if the price is wrong at the selfcheck, it is also wrong at all the other checkouts. The same computer looks up the prices, based on the barcodes. The difference is the customers in selfcheck notice the problem and complain. The people in the other lines expect someone to do everything for them, and don't notice the over-rings. The price management at the store must be really sloppy to have so many corrections.

And properly-trained does not mean properly-performing. If there is no followup, the rules learned in training mean nothing.

Useless busywork jobs won't put Americans back to work.

BUY THINGS MADE IN AMERICA - food grown, harvested, processed, and packed in America.

Don't wear socks or underwear unless you can find some made in America. Don't buy a TV or DVD player unless made in America. Insist on country-of-origin labels on all retail items, including the raw materials in them.

Take it that you have a 30-yr-old, black-and-white Zenith TV and no DVD player?

part of my job is to maintain self-checkout lanes, and i make way more than a cashier. The biggest problem/slowdown is customers not knowing how to use them. If you don't know how to use a computer, stick with the regular lanes.

They aren't going to hire more people. That's all there is to it.

DAMN...where are all these surly people?

RI has the NICE ones.

It seems like the older clerks are nicer than the younger ones as a general rule in our area, but it depends upon which store I'm patronizing. Oddly enough, the clerks at the Aldi I shop at are pretty cool, despite the fact that the chain doesn't have a reputation for being a good place to work (although the clerks are well-paid for what they do--about fourteen dollars an hour to not only clerk, but also to restock, inventory, and clean.)

But Aldi's doesn't expect their workers to do all three things at the same time....and at 14 bucks an hour to do what other grocery stores pay minimum wage....those Aldi's workers better be happy and friendly...or at least ACT like it.

DAMN...where are all these surly people?

RI has the NICE ones.

As a former Rhode Islander, I'm glad to know that's still true. The clerks at the First National store my mom used to shop at were the best I've ever seen.

Guess what, I'm the customer. They don't have to love me or even like me, but they are going to check me out. But of course, I'd prefer that they be civil, as I will always try to be with them, if they'll allow it. Apparently I'd enjoy checking out in at least most of RI!

I agree with your statement about all the anger here! Perhaps they're the reason they encounter so many rude cashiers - you get out what you put in.

I do not share in the "rude cashier" complaint that many have. I understand the dynamic from both sides, having been a cashier for a number of years. Treat people like you want to be treated and respect the job that others do...

This has nothing to do with *increase the person-to-person* interaction. Albertson's is ready to cut out all the stealing which takes place at self-checks.

My store had them. A shopper was stopped one day to do an *audit* and she had 75 bucks worth of products which she had not scanned. That's a lot of cans of cat food, bottles of soda, baby wipes, bags of tater wedges from the deli.

Self-checks gave the human-garbage a license to steal.

The clerks do it for minimum wage and they get cussed at by customers because the customer's coupons expired 4 days ago, or because they look 14 years old and don't have their ID while trying to buy ciggies or booze....or my favorite....stink like a 15 pound sack of elephant poop that's been sitting in the hot sun all day.

I loved the self-checks at walmart....old people and the technologically retarded would never use them. So no waiting in line. I miss the self-checks.

Tell us where you work so we can come in there do your job and tell your boss you are not needed. Then you can join the old people and the rest of us humans you don't like at the unemployment office.....until they run out of funds.

In Columbus, you didn't bag your own groceries at Big Bear or Harts, and they were 2 different stores owned by the same company. I miss Big Bear though.

I knew that they weren't the same company but the Hart's and Big Bear grocery stores were located in the same building in New Philadelphia. Most people in our county simply called both stores "Hart's" because of this. Our Big Bear (but not the Hart's) was always a self-bagging operation, which was nice because you could pack the bags as heavy or as light as you wanted them. Hart's and Big Bear are greatly missed back home.

Have you been back to New Philadelphia lately? Want to know if it is still the wonderful All-American little town that it was on my vacation years ago. My best friend lives in Columbus, and when I was there last year it seemed like all of the old Big Bear stores were still sitting empty. Kinda sad ...

RIquall, I'm back home fairly often as I still have family and friends who live in the area. I grew up about twenty minutes south of New Phila. Being the Tuscarawas county seat, it's still a pretty town, peppered with small businesses, and a fairly decent place to raise a family, especially if your family earns its living through the medical or educational fields. The neighboring community of Dover is also very nice; many people live there and commute to the Akron-Canton area for work as the cost of living is reasonable for the most part. I think that the former Big Bear/Hart's store now houses a mobile home sales business, which is at least better than being another abandoned commercial building.

Thanks. IIRC, it's a good piece to Akron/Canton, but a straight shot right up the Interstate. Anyway, glad that the old Big Bear isn't just sitting empty, at least at one location.

Canton's only about twenty-five minutes from Dover if there's no major construction on 77. One of the best things about Tuscarawas county is that Cleveland is only two hours away, downtown Columbus is three hours drive, Wheeling is two, and Pittsburgh (where I live) is an hour and a half. I, too, hate seeing empty store fronts.