Between Walmart and Kroger, 500 stores are about to ditch cashiers

[WingNot]

Every Walmart I visited over the holidays had 9 closed registers, and 1 open register with a line of about 20 people.

Incredibly frustrating. Is Walmart like that for everyone else?

I live in an upscale resort area and our walmart had all hands on deck leading up to Christmas.  In fact I was getting annoyed at the employes asking me if "I needed help finding anything" on every isle I turned down.  Check out were well womened.

Different story visiting my 'rents in my home town shopping at the local Wallyzoo.  If you found an employee they barely acknowledged your presence much less offered to help you.  Long lines at the check out.  It was miserable.

So I guess it depends on the area you live and the clientele they deserve.

[Frank Cannon]

I live in an upscale resort area and our walmart had all hands on deck leading up to Christmas.  In fact I was getting annoyed at the employes asking me if "I needed help finding anything" on every isle I turned down.  Check out were well womened.

A Wally's that has attentive employees? That's downright un-American.

[WingNot]

A Wally's that has attentive employees? That's downright un-American.

Funny you say that....The employees at that store ain't from America.

[Frank Cannon]

Funny you say that....The employees at that store ain't from America.

Right there is your problem.

[Cyber Liberty]

Every Walmart I visited over the holidays had 9 closed registers, and 1 open register with a line of about 20 people.

Incredibly frustrating. Is Walmart like that for everyone else?

#metoo.

That place has slid a long way from the days Sam ran the place.  He would have flipped over the lack of cashiers thing, it was really important to him.  He'd fire Managers that allowed that to happen.

[WingNot]

Right there is your problem.

I know.  Damn them H1 Visa holders with a good work ethic and  attitudes to match. 

[Cyber Liberty]

I don’t like the self scanners at Stop and Shop. I like talking to the cashier and bag person.

I have only used the self scanners if I have one or two items and just want to get in and out fast .
[/quote

I don't like the self-scanners at Fry's  (Kroger) either.  For one thing, the lasers can't scan my cell phone, where I keep my club cards, and a cashier also needs to intervene if I purchase alcohol.  What's especially frustrating about that is the attendant is never manning the station when I need him/her, even if he/she saw me walk up with the alcohol.  I've had to fetch the person from wherever the store manager had dragged him off to almost every time I've used self-scan. 

I've told the Managers I will wait for a human now before I even try self-scan.

[goodwithagun]

I love self scanners EXCEPT- we are almost completely organic and live in an area that isn’t. The good news for us is that we are technically in a Pittsburgh market, which means Kroger has to stock organic products. The better news is that our Kroger marks down fresh and pantry organic items at half price and we buy them up. Almost everything freezes. The clearance tags are a Hillary to scan so I have to use the methhead human checkout.

[goodwithagun]

#metoo.

That place has slid a long way from the days Sam ran the place.  He would have flipped over the lack of cashiers thing, it was really important to him.  He'd fire Managers that allowed that to happen.

Lol! Here’s a thread highjack! My husband was making fun of celebrities and their #metoo campaign. He calls it the pound me too campaign. Not the he condones Weinstein’s behavior, but that Hollywood pretends to be so upset about it while admitting that they knew it was going on.

[thackney]

Every Walmart I visited over the holidays had 9 closed registers, and 1 open register with a line of about 20 people.

Incredibly frustrating. Is Walmart like that for everyone else?

Usually some wait, rarely ever that bad.

We hit at least 4 different ones depending on the direction of other errands.  Some always worse than others.

[Applewood]

These days, self-serve is becoming the norm.  Even the airlines are doing it.  Southwest has kiosks where you print your boarding passes and the tags for your checked bags.  My last trip, I had to print a boarding pass for the originating flight and one for the connecting flight.  It was early in the morning and I wasn't awake I guess because I only received a boarding pass for the originating flight.  Didn't realize it till I was at the gate for the connecting flight. Luckily, a Southwest gate agent, taking pity on a not-too-bright little old lady, printed the pass for me.

I have no problem with self-serve at the supermarket -- when those things work.  Unfortunately, at my local store, those scanners more often than not break down.  Usually, it doesn't recognize something I scanned and will not let me go on to something else -- I have to wait till some slack jawed teenager comes over to fix things.  Last time I waited so long with no one to come to my aid and the other checkouts were crowded -- I just left my intended purchasers at the register and walked out. 

Unfortunately, in my little town,  there is no competition other than an Aldi in a really seedy neighborhood, plus the store itself has the ambiance of an old warehouse.  During the worst weather over the last couple of weeks, I took advantage of a grocery delivery service from a supermarket further away.  Didn't have to go out to do the shopping and I didn't have to contend with recalcitrant self-serve checkouts or some lazy, incompetent cashier.

[WingNot]

Lol! Here’s a thread highjack! My husband was making fun of celebrities and their #metoo campaign. He calls it the pound me too campaign. Not the he condones Weinstein’s behavior, but that Hollywood pretends to be so upset about it while admitting that they knew it was going on.

@Cyber Liberty   Set you up.  He always does this shit. 

[Cyber Liberty]

@Cyber Liberty   Set you up.  He always does this shit.

That's because I'm so eclectic, a regular Renaissance man. 

[WingNot]

That's because I'm so eclectic, a regular Renaissance man. 

Yeah yeah yeah...throw it back in my face!   

 

[Fishrrman]

"Between Walmart and Kroger, 500 stores are about to ditch cashiers"

This will go really well, until folks start walking out with things and the losses prove to be greater than the cost of keeping the cashiers...

[Frank Cannon]

I love self scanners EXCEPT- we are almost completely organic and live in an area that isn’t. The good news for us is that we are technically in a Pittsburgh market, which means Kroger has to stock organic products. The better news is that our Kroger marks down fresh and pantry organic items at half price and we buy them up. Almost everything freezes. The clearance tags are a Hillary to scan so I have to use the methhead human checkout.

So you are a dirty filthy hippie.

[ConstitutionRose]

A Wally's that has attentive employees? That's downright un-American.

The Walmart employees in the little town of Eden are so friendly and helpful I am always certain I've accidently wandered into an upscale place.  I've concluded it's a small town thing.  I save my Walmart shopping for on my way home from visiting clients in that area.  So different from the Walmarts in the city.

[Idiot]

I live in an upscale resort area and our walmart had all hands on deck leading up to Christmas.  In fact I was getting annoyed at the employes asking me if "I needed help finding anything" on every isle I turned down.  Check out were well womened.

Different story visiting my 'rents in my home town shopping at the local Wallyzoo.  If you found an employee they barely acknowledged your presence much less offered to help you.  Long lines at the check out.  It was miserable.

So I guess it depends on the area you live and the clientele they deserve.

Ok that's funny right there...lol.  You live in an upscale area and you shop at wallyworld.....uh huh....   

[Suppressed]

That's because I'm so eclectic, a regular Renaissance man. 

I used to be called a Renaissance man, then a jack-of-all-trades.

Now the term is "unfocused".
                   --Thomas Eleri
 

[Joe Wooten]

The Walmart employees in the little town of Eden are so friendly and helpful I am always certain I've accidently wandered into an upscale place.  I've concluded it's a small town thing.  I save my Walmart shopping for on my way home from visiting clients in that area.  So different from the Walmarts in the city.

Eden TX?

[Idiot]

Employees steal more than the customers. Also no $15 hour to pay, no workers comp, on and on.

@mrpotatohead

I find it amusing that they have 2 employees watching over the self checkout at Walmart.  They could almost check them out faster themselves.

At Home Depot they also have a self checkout with one employee working it.  I hardly ever see anyone using it.  What a waste..... 

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I find it amusing that they have 2 employees watching over the self checkout at Walmart.  They could almost check them out faster themselves.

At Home Depot they also have a self checkout with one employee working it.  I hardly ever see anyone using it.  What a waste.....

The stuff I buy at Home Depot is usually too large to go through the self checkout. Seems silly to me to have one there.

[Cyber Liberty]

I find it amusing that they have 2 employees watching over the self checkout at Walmart.  They could almost check them out faster themselves.

At Home Depot they also have a self checkout with one employee working it.  I hardly ever see anyone using it.  What a waste.....

I mentioned upthread the Fry's at which I shop has several self-scan registers and an attendant, but the Store Manager keeps dragging that person off to run little errands like swapping cash at the regular registers and such.  They're never there when I need them.

[Oceander]

I find it amusing that they have 2 employees watching over the self checkout at Walmart.  They could almost check them out faster themselves.

At Home Depot they also have a self checkout with one employee working it.  I hardly ever see anyone using it.  What a waste..... 

I always use the self-scan area at Home Depot (and Lowe’s) whenever I can.  If other people don’t want to use it, that’s fine with me. 

[Cyber Liberty]

I always use the self-scan area at Home Depot (and Lowe’s) whenever I can.  If other people don’t want to use it, that’s fine with me.

Dittos.  I use that at HD and Lowes too,  No loyalty card to fail scanning, and no alcohol that needs to be approved by a human.  Sometimes there are anti-theft devices that have to be removed or disabled, though, but otherwise a pretty fast and easy experience.