To Scan or not to scan!

You still have packers? 4 of them!!!???? Here in Australia we got rid of packers ages ago. The bigger supermarkets have been trialling self scanning _ I haven't seen it yet. Do you remember the days before self service fuel stations. You used to get your battery, oil and tyres checked as well as someone filled yoor tank. Remember bank tellers, there were once lots of them...there were no automated machines. Once upon a time people had these jobs...now machines are taking the jobs and what happenend to the people? You can bet your life they were not absorbed by the company. Most companies are downsizing because wages are one of the biggest expenses for a company and these days the shareholders want a bigger piece of the pie and it's all about the bottom line. Be careful about crossing over to automation...you are doing about 3 people out of a job for every machine.

We have no places in my town where we scan our own so I have never done this..Sounds like I might do this.It sounds fun... Honey I'm sorry I didn't get to this before.. xoxoxoxoxxoxoxo Mom

It´s almost 1am over here and I should really try to get some sleep:-)). I generally use the self scan when I go shopping. The main reason: there are no queues. Over here most people prefer waiting and having their shopping scanned by a cashier. It´s less work especially at some supermarkets where they put all your stuff in bags for you. All you have to do is pay. I prefer to this by myself if it means that I don´t have to wait. Patience is not one of my virtues. Love and hugs to you. XXX Dana

Hi mummymo! Oh yes I love to go through self scaning. Especially if I only have a couple of items. We also have them at walmart too. Which I love. They save me so much time!Now my hubby doesnt like them and he would rather wait. Thats why I dont bring him shopping with me!hahahahah xxxx

We have the self checkouts at some stores around here. If I only have a few items then I'll use the self checkout but if I have a lot of items then I don't usually check myself out. I'll let someone else do it for me because sometimes those self checkouts drive me crazy. I'll scan something and then put it in the bag and then it will tell me I need to put my item in the bag...I already did...so quit bugging me. LOL So if I have a lot of items I don't like having to deal with the self checkouts.

I have never used the self scan checkout, but my husband and my daughter have. I would rather someone else check me out because I would be so afraid to be accused of stealing somehting or not ringing something up right, especially if I have a coupon to use.

Huh and you talk about me being up late I told you to go to sleep when I put the Phone down See you don't listen either Ok self scan no I go to the Check outs The one time I did use it I caused havoc the stupid machine kept bleeping because I did something wrong So in the End a Member of Staff finished it of me I think they where worried in case I blew the thing up Then I asked her where I had to pay for it she looked at me as though I had escaped from somewhere, well I didn't know there was a Thing where you had to put the Money in And do you know my Kids stood away as though they where not with me and they where laughing So now I go to the Check out those self things are rubbish And yes the Kids where still laughing when we got to the car and yes I was in a strop xxxxxxxx

I LOVE the self check outs! hah for the same reasons as you mentioned, and also because when you get BULK items, lol, you can ring them in as the cheaper items and THEY NEVER KNOW lol. I used to ring in jelly belly's which are really expensive here as regular jelly beans!! but i guess i wasn't the only one doing this cause now they dont sell jelly belly's anymore. lol. Is that bad of me ? lol i love to save a few dollars.. hehe its not really stealing! i AM paying for it! *giggles*

I most certainly just love the self-checkout lanes. I think I didn't used to mind shopping as much as I do now, so being able to check the items myself just leaves me less person to deal with. Sometimes I'm just not in the mood to deal with other people's mistakes, so it makes life easier. The lines seem to move a lot faster too!

Our Walmart has them but not the grocery store where I shop. I have never used them so I don't really know what I would prefer! I might have to try them in the near future!

I really can't stand those self checkouts. It seems like every single time I use one there is always one item that it doesn't like, can't figure out, is clearance tagged and the machine doesn't recognize it or something. I avoid them now at all costs. I end up standing there waiting longer for help than I would with somebody in front of me with a couple of hundred dollars worth of groceries.

yep we have them, occassionally I will use them but I have to have less than 20 items I refuse to go through with a whole shopping cart of stuff and then check myself out. because most likely have at least 2 to 3 of my kids and I want to make sure they aren't getting into anything that they shouldn't LOL so I would have to say I use the person rather then the machine more. LOL!!Have a nice day?

I agree with you that the self-checkouts are much more common nowadays. I prefer to do the checkout process myself as long as I don't have over the 10 or 20 amount of items limit that they have posted on a sign above the checkout. Of course, I think that's not as big of an issue now that they're putting more and more self-checkouts in stores. I'd rather do the checkout process myself because, like you said, I can check the accuracy of the prices. I can also bag them myself and not have to worry about something getting smashed or disfigured. I can also take my time, which means as quick or as slow as I feel like going, (with respect to the time of those waiting in line behind me, of course). Waiting for someone to scan all of my items is really irritating at times because sometimes the item doesn't scan correctly or they have to check the price of the item. Sometimes it just makes me want to jump over the belt and do it for myself! (LOL) I think before long, there will be between one and three associates and all self-checkouts at every store. This way, stores won't have to hire as many employees, thus saving the store a whole lot of money having shoppers do everything themselves. Of course, I don't know how much the modern technology of having all of the checkout machines would cost, but I'm sure it would save time and money in the long run. Great discussion!

I have used the self checkouts on occasion but prefer to have human contact. At our walmart stores they have price match for all our stores within 50 miles, so it's easier to use a regular checkout so they can do all the price match items. The town I live in only has one grocery store and it's so old fashioned there. They still have the old fold up carts to push around the store and when you get to the checkout the open up the end scoot the items out and bag them. It's kinda of nice but annoying at the same time, esp if I take my baby with me because I have to take him out of the cart and carry him to the end of the checkout area.

Well I think you can guess what my answer is , You know I love to shop and part of the fun is the wee chat with the check out operators . I never hold them back but know most of them here and Perth , Falkirk , Alloa and grangemouth and cumbernauld , So no I have never used them , I never talk to people much :) :) :) xx

I don't have time for those self scanners. I prefer to get things done the right way. My vision is not very good, so I'd rather have my groccery items scanned by someone who knows what they are doing, and who can see exactly what it is that they are doing.

Yes, I often use the self-scanning checkout, especially if I don't have an awful lot of shopping and am short of time. I hate queueing anyway, so to avoid that, self-scanning is the obvious way out. It's fun too! Brightest Blessings my dear friend. xxx

We do not have self-scans at Stupid - I mean, Superstore, up here in Canada and I do not feel comfortable to use them. For one thing, what if there is a marked down sales price not registered at the cash register? And some of the goods are hard to scan so for them you would need to go to the cashier so she can write out the price for you. I have seen the cashier scan some item again and again because it did not work. So until they find a way to scan items that are hard to scan, then I will let the cashier do it for me. Besides wouldn't they have to have them paid by debit or one of those swipe credit cards?

We have not such system of check out by self scanning in our country. We go to cashier and he or she scan checkout enter in calculating machine and give the printed cash memo along with the stuff we purchase right from the supermarket.

Hi mummymo! Oh that is great! If that is available in our country, I would surely scan the groceries myself. I would rather do it instead of letting the cashier do the scanning because I would really could check the prices of each item. Unfortunately, here in our country we don't have that kind of service. Just my thoughts. take care and have a nice day! :)