Mike is planning and packing for a motorcycle tour of southern Idaho – a geocaching adventure based on finding one geocache in each Idaho county. So, he's very busy while I feel as if I'm waiting for something to happen.
While shopping for groceries at Albertson's in Clarkston this morning, Mike and I found ourselves at the end of a line that was six deep – the only open checkstand. "They have something here called 'three's a crowd,'" I explained to Mike. They're supposed to call more checkers if more than three customers are waiting to check out. The shopper in front of us laughingly joined the conversation. "I don't think they pay any attention," she said.
At that point two more check stations opened and customers in front of us were invited to move. Then a young associate grabbed our cart and said he would check us out at the self-check. "You could have done this yourself," Mike observed jokingly, knowing that I have an aversion to self-check. I admit it was mildly embarrassing to have this kid checking me out at the self-check. But I had more than a few items and I was buying produce – two good reasons not to self-check. Seeing that bagging was not going to be provided for us at this station, I gave Mike our "green" sacks and suggested he bag our groceries which were piling up at the end of the counter. He dutifully did so.
The first hint of trouble came near the end of the checking process when the scanner refused to read the bag salad. Once we were over that hurdle, it then refused to read the milk. A supervisor showed up to assist, stating that the register had frozen up and the only recourse when that happens is to reboot it. "I understand," I said; "I have a computer." She further explained that we would have to start the check-out process all over. Apologizing profusely, they moved us – and our already bagged groceries – to the next stand, an area obviously configured for the shopper buying one item – no counter space. The associate was now working to unpack, re-scan, and re-bag our groceries in a spaceless area. It was a mess – and once again I was glad I was not my own checker. If the point of checking us at the self-scan station was to convince us to use it, the demonstration failed miserably.
How do you feel about scanning your own purchases? KW
4 comments:
It sounds as if you had the checkout from hell. Murphy says "If anything can go wrong, it will, and at the most inopportune time." The big problem is, this is getting to be the norm, rather than the exception. I wish you a better experience on your next checkout.
I hate self checkout! They always have problems will all the coupons I use and I figure with all the money I'm spending every year they can at least check me out themselves!
I like it at Home Depot - line seems much faster - but not at the grocery store unless only 1 or 2 items.
If I were a person confident of my technology skills, I might be happy enough to check myself out. As it is, I feel like Debbie -- that I'm a customer and they should appreciate me enough to serve me. But, of course, if you only have a couple of items the theory is that self-scan will save you time, but if there are problems, it can run into more time.
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