I hate it when my local Kroger has NO attended check out counters.

[Siwsan]

I usually try to get there after 8, when they usually have one attended lane open but this morning, every lane except for the self checked were closed. I was tempted to put everything back and walk out but the attendant at the self check saw me and asked if I needed any help. I said, yes, please, and he stepped right up and scanned my entire order, while we held a really lovely conversation.

Now I wish I had gotten his name so that I could write a letter to that branch, about what a thoughtful and helpful employee they have. I might still try, giving them the time I was there.

[XanaDUer2]

1. I hear you

I won't use self checkout. I've never been forced, yet, to only self checkout. There is no customer service anymore. Imo, this is a way to force everyone to eventually do everything themselves. Less workers.

[USALiberal]

24. ATMs? Self service gas? Nt

[George II]

79. I once asked a nasty right winger who was complaining online about gas prices....

....under Clinton, "what's the price of self-service gas in New Jersey?"

He never answered.

Trick question.

[USALiberal]

88. Lol, good one! Weird they still don't allow it. Nt

[Shrike47]

105. Neither does Oregon. I love it. I don't want to pump gas.

[moonscape]

145. I hate not having the choice to

pump my own gas. My car needs premium and the Oregon attendant put regular in my car instead. I was beyond annoyed!

[DownriverDem]

99. My Kroger

Always has a regular check out. I will not use self check out. Within a couple of miles is a Meijer and a Saveland. Maybe that has something to do with it. I would just leave my cart and go somewhere else.

[lagomorph777]

122. I almost always use it. It's so much faster.

[XanaDUer2]

125. Everyone should do what they think best for them nt

[Luciferous]

131. I do if I'm only grabbing a few things but it's a pain to use them for a whole cart full

of groceries. At least at Wal-Mart and Woodmans they make self checkout easy to use.

[lagomorph777]

133. Same here - for a hundred items, trained humans are faster.

And at Lowes, it's hard to fit a 2"x12"x12' in the bagging area.

[Luciferous]

136. Our Lowes has self checkouts but I have never seen them open.

[lagomorph777]

164. That's weird. Around here, 80-90% of checkout at all stores is self-checkout.

[Beatlelvr]

2. I had same experience

At a Ralph's (Kroger owned) a couple months ago. The employees are always welcoming and helpful. Nice!

[TheBlackAdder]

56. I got off work, did an hour's shopping at Lowes and at 8PM, they wanted me to check out 40 items.

.

I asked to open a register and they refused. I said I wasn't going to ring out 40+ items of varying sizes.

I just walked out the door to their amazement. I did a cargo drop and shit was taken from all over the store.
They asked, "Where are you going?" and I said, "Home. If you aren't going to check me out, I'm leaving."

That particular location then stopped forcing people to self-checkout.

.

[orleans]

63. i would have done the same thing. (and would have been so pissed off!) nt

[XanaDUer2]

65. Good

customers need to make a stand. My relative only does self, and I find it a pain in the ass. I can pack my own bags while the cashier checks me out. Much better than the willy nilly self checkout packing. You have to call someone over to help you with self.

[TheBlackAdder]

106. I also place barcodes down so it makes checkout even that much faster.

.

Try it next time. Let the cashier know barcodes will be down or facing forward.

While you're unloading the cart, do that and it really speeds the process a lot.

.

[XanaDUer2]

113. Thanks

[INdemo]

100. Another thing about Lowes is

if you place an order for pick up and pay for that order and an item happen to be out of stock and still show as available when ordered well what they do is take that item off and run your credit card again and chances are it will be declined because an order for lets say $300 was already paid ,yes the credit card will be declined and for me it takes 48 hours to be credited back to my account.

So I do not place orders for pick up

[TheBlackAdder]

108. That's lame. Most places preauthorize and only do the final ring at pickup, or issue credit back.

[True Blue American]

73. My Kroger has a manager who is always there.

I asked him to get Aunt Millie’s Cracked Wheat bread. A local company. They never carried that product. He wrote it down. Couple of weeks later it was on the shelf. I made sure upper management knew.

[niyad]

3. Writing or calling would be a very nice thing to do. The staff at my King Soopers is

Always very helpful. I have known most of them, and the manager, for years.

[Siwsan]

9. I just sent them an email

Honestly, the young man who 'helped' me really made my morning.

And, let's face it. These 'essential workers' got us through a hellish year. Anything I can do to show my appreciation is going to be done.

[luvs2sing]

4. Big problem with Kroger stores.

The one we used to go to, which is literally within walking distance of home, used to have a lane open at 8am. Then they changed it to 9am. A couple weeks later, it was 10am. This was during the height of the pandemic when most early shoppers were older people who were confused with self checkout. It was a zoo. We stopped shopping there.

I found a Kroger about 20 minutes away that has a checkout open at 8am. The woman who works it is absolutely delightful. Last week, she wasn’t there, and I had a full cart of groceries. The woman working at the self serve called the manager over, and he opened a lane and even helped me unload my cart.

Most Kroger stores in my area are poorly managed disasters. I almost pinched myself to make sure this was really happening.

[CurtEastPoint]

8. Sadly, my local Kroger is one of those disasters. Poorly managed, lackadaisical staff, 30 years

[Siwsan]

16. One of the reasons I'm such a fan of Aldi is, NO SELF CHECK OUT AISLES

I do 99% of my basic grocery shopping at Aldi, but there were some great Kroger deals, this week - 18 eggs for 97 cents was just too good of a deal to pass by. Oh, and the 15% off of 6 bottles of wine. Plus I got a nifty vinyl '6 pack' wine carrier, for free.

There are 3 Kroger within about a five minute drive from me and there are definite pluses and minuses spread among them. But, for the most part the stores are clean and well run, and I've always found the staff to be friendly and helpful.

[True Blue American]

80. I buy Aldi's specials

Mayo, ketchup, produce. Other things I know the sales!

[Amishman]

107. Aldi has less incentive to do self checkout as they have already optimized checkout speed

○ All items have large barcodes on all sides, so the employee doesn't have to look for it.
○ Bag yourself, and not at the register.
○ a second cart ready for your items to go into after they are scanned, so the cashier doesn't have to wait for you to empty your cart.
○ employees trained to have you insert your credit card before they finish scanning, so save the 30 seconds it takes for you to dig out your card.

These all add up, I am certain one checkout lane at Aldi can handle 3x the volume of a checkout lane at other grocery stores.

I'm pretty sure my local Aldi has fewer employees working than just the deli and bakery departments at other grocery stores.

[XanaDUer2]

126. ever use Lidl?

Lidl is like Aldi's.

[True Blue American]

77. Our stores had special hours

For the over 65. That was nice. Even Walmart.

[luvs2sing]

82. Yes, ours did, too..

but most of the employees had their masks under their noses or chins, at least at Kroger. We did not feel safe there. Walmart was better than Kroger.

[True Blue American]

89. I must be lucky

With the Kroger I have. If not on sale Walmart is 15 to 40 cents cheaper. Both clean with helpful employees.

[luvs2sing]

91. Since Hubster retired..

I watch the grocery budget much more carefully and shop where I get the best prices. Around here, that is usually Kroger. I compare prices between Kroger and Walmart and often go to both if it will save more than a couple dollars. I expected Walmart to always be cheapest, but that is not always the case.

In Columbus, it seems the suburban Kroger stores are better managed. The ones in town don’t seem to be well managed or staffed.

[True Blue American]

93. In Englewood

I do the same!But have always been a bargain Hunter. Small city, once a suburb.

[questionseverything]

157. There's a Kroger about a mile from my house

Sometimes the service is good, sometimes it’s a mess

It doesn’t matter, I will still shop there because the next closest grocery is 7-8 miles away

While i have a car and the trip would be no big deal tons of people here in the middle of our little city do not……if it weren’t for Kroger we would have a food desert 🌵

We do drive the ten miles to Aldi for the big trips (it is so much cheaper)

But for in between trips I am grateful for Kroger

[lpbk2713]

5. Last time I experienced that at Lowe's ...

I laid my four or five items down and walked out the door and shopped somewhere else.

If they think they are going to change the way it's done by offering no other choice then
they have another think coming. I'll order from someone else online if I have to.

[Dream Girl]

13. It's not going back. Remember the days before ATMs and self pumping gas. We don't think anything of

Things change.

[MineralMan]

15. So, you wasted some of your own time out of spite?

I don't get it. If all that is available is self-checkout, I use it. Often at stores like Lowe's or Home Depot, I choose to go through the self-checkout line to save time. Even if I have large items, there's a hand scanner you can use. There's always someone there on duty to help you if you have a problem, as well.

Now, if I thought that insisting on having a clerk check me out would mean they'd hire more clerks, I would insist, but it won't have that effect. Normally, if I go into one of those stores, I need something immediately for some chore I'm doing. So, self-checkout saves my time and I went to Home Depot or Lowe's to save myself some money, so saving time and money is the goal.

I pay with a debit or credit card, anyhow, so automating the process to let me check myself out is a benefit to me, and has no effect on Lowe's or any other big box store's hiring and staffing decisions. So, I use self-checkout when it adds convenience to my shopping.

[StarfishSaver]

41. For me, it's not always about saving time

I like using attended lines for several reason, including a sense (whether accurate or not) that I'm not helping to make the cashiers' jobs obsolete. I also like interacting with the employees. Except in a few circumstances, I find it worth taking the extra time.

[patphil]

61. I'm with you on this MineralMan.

My local ShopRite has a combination of self-check and attended registers. I'll use the self-check for small orders, and the full service lane when I have a cart full of groceries.
It's the most convenient, and efficient way to do it.
The same is true at Lowe's and Home Depot.
Although I do miss the smiling attendant rushing out of the office at the gas station to pump my gas, wash my windows, and then wave goodbye as I leave.
Of course I haven't seen that in 50 years, but it is a fond memory.

[MineralMan]

101. Well, stuff changes all the time. Adaptation is how we survive.

As you say, we pump our own gasoline these days, too. Self-checkout and self-bagging are some of the reasons prices are lower at those big box stores.

I went to Harbor Freight the other day to buy one item. They don't have self-checkout. Instead, you take your cheap crap tools to the check-out aisle, where the clerk wants your phone number, wants your email address so they can send you spam ads, wants to know if you want an extended warranty on the cheap crap tool that you bought to do something, and wants to know if you want to join the Harbor Freight Super Saver Club, before he/she rings up your item and lets you pay for it. The answer to all of those things is "No." If they had a self-checkout lane, I'd be out of there in a minimum of five minutes sooner so I could go home and use the cheap tool I bought on the project I'm doing.

Now I understand why Harbor Freight does that, of course. They want me to come back soon and buy some more cheap crap tools. I will be back, though, without their constant emails, etc. I love Harbor Freight!

On the other hand, I also went to Home Depot today to have some keys made so I can give them to the contractors who will be working on our current house after we've moved, when it's empty. I also bought a heavy-duty floor mop, because I have a bunch of cleaning to do. Because the keys were in an envelope and each had to be scanned, I went through the empty, clerk-operated checkout lane, where the clerk was waiting for the next customer. Everyone else was in the self-checkout lane and there was a line waiting. Go figure. The key-making machine is automated, but there's a big sign telling you to get help with it. I could do it myself - the instructions are right on the front of the machine. No-brainer. However, I let the nice man make my four keys for me, so nobody would get all bent out of shape if I did it myself. I have done it myself when the store was busy, though.

It's all a balance, and everything changes. Adapt or die. That's the rule.

[hamsterjill]

109. It would have an effect if enough customers insisted.

If enough customers did as someone has indicated upthread, asked that a register be opened, and walk out leaving items in the cart if it wasn’t...I think sooner or later the stores might get the idea.

But solidarity is lacking these days.

[MineralMan]

129. I remember seeing a self-checkout for the first time.

I ignored it. Then, one day, the lines were long at the check stands at the supermarket, so I went through the self-checkout. To my surprise, I checked myself out faster than any checker had ever done. It was a very satisfactory way to complete my transaction. As I used those lanes more often, the time was even shorter. I started remembering the shortcut codes for the produce I usually bought, too.

I still use the full-service lines when I have a lot of items, because I'm lazy and don't relish dealing with a full cart at the self-check lane. The supermarket I use makes the shopper load the items on a belt to be checked out, and makes the shopper bag his/her own purchases. So, the only function the checkout clerk really has is to scan the products and wait for me to plug my debit card into the machine.

Here's the kicker: If I use the self-check lane, I handle the items only once. I pick them out of the cart, scan them and drop them in a bag with one action. Except for produce, which must be weighed, but it's in a bag, so I weigh it with my hand ready to pick the bag up again and put it in the bag. One less handling of something saves time.

People in the beginning of self-checkout systems objected to the process. However, as they discovered how to use it well, they discovered that it took less time and less handling of the products. These days, many, if not most, customers at stores that make you load products on a moving belt and bag them yourself prefer the self-check lanes.

Of course, I could go to a full-service supermarket and let someone else bag my groceries, so I'd still be handling the products only once at check-out. However, such supermarkets have higher prices, and I'm perfectly capable of checking myself out. If it saves me some time and work, then why wouldn't I use it?

Does this eliminate jobs? Yes, it does. Does it mean savings for the customer in both time and money? Yes, it does. That's the bargain.

[hamsterjill]

143. I refuse to use self check outs.

It’s just a principle that I’m not willing to compromise.

[XanaDUer2]

149. Nor I

I'm never in that much of a hurry.

[MineralMan]

150. OK...

[kcr]

161. I don't either

I was sad to see a local chain finally give in and add some. It's a losing battle, but I refuse to budge.

[Siwsan]

18. Home Depot has a 'seasonal' attended check out booth in the garden section.

If I don't see one in the store, I head to that section.

[USALiberal]

26. Wow, silly! Nt

[CurtEastPoint]

6. Please do that. It means so much!

https://www.kroger.com/hc/help/contact-us/customer-comments

[Siwsan]

31. I did!!

I told them about the experience and gave them all of the information from my receipt. Hopefully they can identify the young man.

[StarfishSaver]

7. Whenever someone suggests I use the self-checkout

I respond, "No, thank you. I don't work here."

[USALiberal]

27. ATM? Self service gas station? Lighten up! Nt

[StarfishSaver]

35. ATM and gas stations use "self-checkout"?

Speaking of lightening up, you might want to take your own advice.

[USALiberal]

39. Isn't it a pain to pump your own gas too????? They're not paying you!!! Nt

[StarfishSaver]

42. Not sure why this topic has you so worked up. But please try to bait someone else

I'm not interested.

[MineralMan]

152. Yes. When do you deal with a person?

[Dream Girl]

10. How hard is it to scan your items?

I’m no spring chicken, but I actually prefer to scan my own, especially if I have 10 or so items. I find it much quicker.

[Treefrog]

20. Same here.

I prefer to bag my own also.

[USALiberal]

28. +1000, I can't believe people whine about this.

[Autumn]

37. First world problems are hard.

[questionseverything]

158. I signed in just to thank you for the laugh

And the reminder

😉

[Freddie]

38. I use self-check if I only have a few things

But I hate using it for my “big” weekly shopping. Found out the hard way that my local Giant only has self-check available after 9 pm.

[paleotn]

50. I hit self check out when I'm in a hurry....

and have only a couple of items. It's convenient and efficient....unless there's someone there with 5,000 items, acting like the 20+ year old scanner technology was just dropped from the sky by aliens. "How does this work??"

More than a handful of items, I go through attended check out as a courtesy for those in a hurry with just a handful of items.

[JCMach1]

51. NOPE, not. My job.

I would have walked out.

[Dream Girl]

72. Go ahead and walk out. You won't get the stuff you need. But they don't care.

They factor all this into their costs. It won’t change a thing. Check back in 2-3 years, it will all be self check out. They know the “resisters will die off. They do not care.

[spooky3]

118. But unless you live in a small town, you have options.

People who don’t like self checkout can shop at other stores.

The Whole Foods near me has plenty of checkout people working at busy times, plus a self checkout option. The Target also has multiple cashiers.

[JCMach1]

156. Precisely... Will take my $$$ elsewhere

[spooky3]

160. Voting with your feet and wallet sends a signal. Nt

[spooky3]

67. Inevitably the scanner malfunctions at my store.

Then one has to call over the overworked employee to reset it.

I think that’s one of several legitimate reasons not to like to use it.

[CaptainTruth]

120. Too hard at my local BJs, they use a scale that weighs each item scanned.

We take insulated bags to put our cold & frozen items in. As soon as we set one in the bagging area the computer voice starts saying "Unexpected item in bagging area, please remove item." No, it's not an unexpected item, it's our insulated bag, we want to put cold items into it as we scan them. There's no option to "zero" the scale with the weight of our bags. So then we're trying to figure out how to outsmart the scale, maybe if we put a few heavy items on it, it won't notice the small incremental weight of one of our bags? That seems to work until my wife starts picking up items & bagging them & then we get the computer voice saying "Item removed from bagging area, please return item to bagging area" even though the item was picked up & put right back down in a bag sitting on the bagging area. The item has already been returned to the bagging area but their system isn't smart enough to figure that out no matter how many times we pick up the item & set it back down... so a manager has to come & clear something & review every item in the bagging area & we discovered that some of them didn't get scanned because the computer was too busy telling us to move items around. At this point I'm looking for a brand name on the checkout monstrosity in the hope that I can get user feedback to their software development team to please smack whoever wrote the code for this thing.

The whole thing would have made a hilarious scene in a movie. I was talking back to the computer in Spanish & Italian because it certainly wasn't understanding English. The thing is, they used to have self-checkout with a scanner & a conveyor belt, which was great. My wife & I made a great checkout team, I'd scan in the order I knew we wanted things bagged & she would be down the belt bagging as fast as I could scan. We flew through the BJs checkout at a speed that would make an Aldi checker jealous. But now? It took about 5x longer & was a lot more hassle. With the idiotic weigh every item, you can't bag as you scan, & the bagging area isn't big enough to hold everything in an every-6-weeks buy so you have to create an unbagged precarious pile & then bag everything back into your cart while people wait behind you & you hold up the whole line... no thanks. We don't ever want to use that system again.

[Siwsan]

132. I tend to ask for help. Like, how do I weigh and scan these bananas! When do I scan my coupons!

The funny thing is, I just stopped at Harbor Freight to pick up some new sanding pads. There were 2 registers open, one dealing with a problem return, and the line of customers extended clear to the back of the store. I fully admit, that's an occasion when some self scanning stations would have been welcomed. BUT I patiently stood in line, for a long time. I think some of the clerks had been getting grief from the customers so when it was my turn, I just started my friendly chat routine. Her face lit up and she thanked me for being so nice and patient.

[Brainstormy]

11. my husband works for Instacart

and he hates Kroger, period. Says that all of their stores are understaffed.

[PTWB]

12. I am the opposite.

I would much rather scan my items and go than have to wait in a line at a staffed register.

And lately, the vast majority of my grocery shopping has been delivered straight to the house. I only go in for fresh produce that I want to inspect myself.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

163. I'm the same way.

It's nice to have an attendant nearby when the scanner doesn't seem to work for me on some items, but that's been pretty unusual.

I haven't done it much lately, though, with so many pickup orders.

[no_hypocrisy]

14. I'm a cashier.

I do more than give you the correct change.

When you ask for cash back, I’ll ask if you want a $20, 2 $10s, a combination.

I’ll advise you not to close the plastic bag with your clams. (They’ll die otherwise)

I’ll make sure you use your fresh basil within 72 hours. (Otherwise it’ll turn brown)

Finally, if your 2 bags of cherries cost $28, I’ll give you a heads up and let you delete it from your tab.

Machines won’t do that.

[Siwsan]

21. I have a habit of chatting with check out clerks

I can generally tell, within the first few seconds, if the clerk is equally chatty. Most of the time, they are. And I ALWAYS thank them, and the person who bags my groceries, which is something I learned from my dad.

[raging moderate]

36. Yes, you are all so helpful! Thank you, cashiers everywhere!

I always go to the lane with a cashier. If asked to use a self-check lane, I say, "No thank you."

[True Blue American]

84. That, my Lady is customer service! The kind I used to give!

[Tess49]

92. I shop at a store that is a family owned local chain. Their prices are great, and they have a

huge selection of food items and other things. They hire handicapped youngsters to bag groceries, and they will walk me out, and load my items into my car. The cashiers are patient with them, and will give them a hand if necessary. They have self-check out. I don't use it. I am grateful to this store for giving these young people jobs. Usually, their bagging is not the best. I don't care. I enjoy talking to these kids, and am thrilled they have been given an opportunity to work.

[XanaDUer2]

98. Publix does the same

a great group of kids earning money. They load your groceries and take your cart away. My old back appreciates that. I work serving people all day.

It's not my job to be a cashier. I enjoy chatting with the staff. Fortunately, they'll open a register if they have to. Great customer service.

Now I'm on a very reduced salary, I have to shop at Wall- mart. It's a mess, but I save $50 to $60 dollars now. Still use manned cashiers' lines.

[Tess49]

151. So, I went to my store this afternoon. My bagger/helper was the sweetest kid ever!

[IronLionZion]

96. I like cashiers and baggers if I have a lot of groceries

I was a bagger years ago. Some staff are better than others. So I'll go with cashiers in stores where I know the workers are good.

I use the self checkout if I only have a few items, because I can't store that much in the bagging area before the machine complains about the weight.

[HAB911]

17. I don't work there, they don't pay me

to do their job.

Same concept as WalMart relying on 911 for security

[USALiberal]

32. Lol, self service gas?? Nt

[moose65]

45. How many times are you going to post that?

We get it.

[HAB911]

139. is there a counter I'm unaware of?

Probably forever.

[mac56]

68. Really, dude, give it a rest.

[lpbk2713]

147. Do you see mac56 was not replying to you?

Check the upper right corner.

[HAB911]

153. lol, mea culpa

two beers and I lost my mind

[lpbk2713]

155. Been there. Done that.

And I'll probably do it again.

[HAB911]

154. my deepest apologies

for losing the thread, please forgive

[aggiesal]

119. Last time I was in Oregon, we weren't allowed to self pump gas ...

there was a gas attendant pumping for me.

I believe it's the law there, so that more people have jobs.
We pay a little more, but I have no problem with that, if it pays for someone's job.
Also, the gas attendant will pay for goods and services that will eventually get back to me.

The same reason I use the Cashiers instead of the self checkout line, more jobs for
cashiers and baggers.

[HAB911]

142. last time I was in NJ

that was the case too

I guess some don't have the money to pay that little extra, I do.

[HAB911]

141. sure, but I don't like it

[Dream Girl]

33. These companies are well aware of customer attitudes. They know that older customers are

Resistant but trust me, they’ve done the math and self check out is a net positive for they bottom line and Staffing issues. Older folks who don’t like it willbalk but most will eventually come around.

[mac56]

70. "Self check out is a net positive for the(ir) bottom line"

Well, as long as they're happy, that's the main thing.

[Dream Girl]

76. No my point is that they know there is a portion of (older) customers who will be resistant,

This is already factored into the equation. They do not care. Enough people either don’t mine or actually prefer self check out to negate the self check out haters.

[roamer65]

19. I hear ya, Siwsan.

They do that a LOT down here in the Metro Detroit area. I love the store and it’s selection but having no checkout personnel grinds my gourd as well.

[Siwsan]

23. Meijer always seems to have at least one attended check out, even at 7 in the morning

I'll wait in line, if necessary.

The last time I was there, before 8am, there were several attended checkout counters, which really surprised me.

[True Blue American]

90. That was the store I had such poor service!

Did not want to name names because all stores have bad days. I try to put myself on the other side. I have been known to speak up to customers giving clerks a bad time. Been there.

[kirkuchiyo]

22. I'm the exact opposite.

One of the stores near me has a self checkout app. I scan with my phone as I go, it shows pricing right away. When you check out you just scan the code on the register and it loads your order. Sometimes you have to wait for a spot check but it is pretty infrequent. I then walk out to my car and bag my own items in re-usable bags. But I absolutely hate waiting in a line and few people use these. Now, there are some other stores here that if I can go through a regular checkout line with a cashier with no wait I'll do that rather than the you-scan-it line.

[Act_of_Reparation]

25. Same.

I opt for self-checkout whenever it is available.

[Siwsan]

29. I think it's my union background that makes me more 'anti-self checkout'

But I also accept this is the direction stores are heading.

[USALiberal]

30. Same here! Nt

[Sympthsical]

34. Does Kroger sell alcohol?

I like self checkout. I'm in and out. When someone has a cart with 50 things, and I'm there with a little hand basket of stuff *chef's kiss* Our Costco has 8 self-check outs. Same deal. I don't have to stand in line for 20 mins.

However, California has a law that you can't use the self-check outs if you're buying alcohol. I've more or less gotten around this by either going before close if I know I need something for the next day, or just grabbing something after gym in the morning before the store gets busy (gym is literally across the parking lot from Safeway).

It's an understandable law. But annoying.

[Siwsan]

43. I bought my wine at that 'self check'.

I think what happens is when you scan the bottle, it alerts the attendant to come by, check your ID and enter some sort of 'approval' code.

[Sympthsical]

57. Ahh, that makes sense

Yeah, in California, you can't use self-check out at all if you have alcohol.

[Siwsan]

59. He actually had to scan my drivers license.

At the staffed check out lanes they might request to see it, but I've never seen them scan it. And, trust me, there's not a shadow of a doubt that I'm well above the age of 18. By decades. But it did get me a belated 'happy birthday' wish, since that day was a week ago.

[True Blue American]

94. Liquor is in a closed area.

Beer and wine on the shelf.

[marble falls]

40. Walmart says they loose millions in shoplifting from the self serve registers.

[Siwsan]

46. I really don't understand the set up with these stations

Someone told me that when you scan something, the technology takes into account the weight of that item, so the weight of the items you put in the bags should match the data intake. And, that could be complete nonsense. I have no idea.

I could easily see how someone could be tempted to slip items into their pocket. or bypass the scanner when the attendant isn't looking, but I'm sure the whole area is covered by security cameras.

[mockmonkey]

60. I've seen that at some food stores early on

You had to put the item on the scale or you couldn't scan the next item. I don't think I've seen that lately but I like to have a cashier scan my stuff. I don't think they weigh anything at our Walmart because you can use the portable hand scanner for large items like cat litter that I keep in the cart.

[FakeNoose]

44. They probably had last-minute call-offs for Juneteenth

This Juneteenth holiday caught all retail employers by surprise, I'm sure. It would have been a smart move to declare it a holiday for next year, and thus allow employers more than 24 hours to schedule their workers' hours and shifts.

I do not minimize the importance of observing this new holiday. It's just that employee work schedules are normally made up a week to 2 weeks in advance. That's especially true of retail establishments and always true for holiday weekend shifts.

I'm suggesting this time, give Kroger a break.

[Siwsan]

49. Juneteenth is tomorrow

This was just a recurring staffing issue.

I had one other experience at this same Kroger where there was no attended check out at 8 in the morning. And I needed help with my purchases (coupons and such) so at least I had an employee helping me.

[RegularJam]

47. I'm a big fan of having both options available.

But if the store is open, you should have a staffed checkout lane. In concept, they did in your instance.

[BarbD]

48. Time is my friend.

At 83, I'm just grateful to still be upright. Living alone, shopping is a social event for me. I enjoy chatting with the cashier, people waiting in line with me.

I realize the bottom line drives business and nobody is catering to the elder market, but for those small businesses who do care, I am a loyal customer and am willing to pay extra for the attention.

[Siwsan]

53. I really don't mind standing in a check out line.

I'm retired and my time is my own.

And I'm the same way, when it comes to chatting.

[JCMach1]

52. I am with you, but more so..I would have walked...

I am a not a fan of reducing labor to stoke corporate profits.

[Siwsan]

58. Well, I did get an employee to do the check out process for me.

And he was happy to do it.

But I agree - I'd MUCH rather deal with a human being. Again, a big reason I do so much of my grocery shopping at Aldi. I might have to rent a cart, for a quarter, and bag my own groceries, but there's a human to scan my groceries and their prices are definitely lower on enough items to make it a good value place to shop.

Plus, in my experience, they have the friendliest, most helpful staff I've ever encountered, outside of Trader Joe's.

[Xavier Breath]

54. If I only have a half dozen or dozen items

then I am happy to do my own checking out. The attended lanes are usually busier and involve a longer wait, and self checkout gives me the flexibility of grouping the groceries as I see fit (and ensuring the frozen/cold items are all together). So, I only go to an attended lane if I have a lot of groceries. But, I always want that choice available to me.

[mockmonkey]

55. I use the attended lane when possible

Almost every time I've used the self check out in the food store or see someone else at the self check out something is wrong and they have to wait for someone to come over to push a button. What's the point? It's fine if you have only a couple of things and are in a hurry.

Before self check outs they never seem to have more than two cashiers at a time plus the service desk. Waiting in line doesn't bother me at all but waiting to see if anyone notices that the trouble light is on at the self service check out annoys the fuck out of me.

Kroger's bought out the local Pick N Save and Copps stores and I dislike the layout and the stores in general now so I go elsewhere.

[ShazamIam]

62. Private equity organizations have been busy buying the grocery stores, profits first,

maximize profits, and all made possible with monopolization to eliminate competition.

https://prospect.org/power/private-equity-pillage-grocery-stores-workers-risk/

(prospect now requires a sign-in to read .

https://retailleader.com/private-equity-money-and-grocery-retailers-what-does-it-mean


https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-01-23/fairway-was-mismanaged-and-looted-by-private-equity


Edit add: Kroger lists as still privately owned but is in a, "partnershhip," with private equity.
https://www.pehub.com/kroger-lindsay-goldberg-launch-pearlrock-partners/

[MissMillie]

66. Has anyone ever done any analysis on how prices have been affected

by the fact that stores are employing fewer check-out clerks?

Have the stores passed the savings onto the consumers who now have to deal with the lack of service?

[XanaDUer2]

74. Good point nt

[Lancero]

115. This is just personal experience...

Going off of the two dollar generals that I stop at, one with a self-checkout and one without.

No difference in prices between the two.

All those savings get passed on, right into the shareholders pockets.

[True Blue American]

69. They know who was working and if he was the only one working, pretty sure they would know

I send emails when clerks are great. That way Corporate knows. Kroger is excellent and busy.

On the other hand I was in another grocery. 3 times I asked clerks about a product. The last one was a bagger. She gave me excellent advice.

Then I got to the register. Saw one manned open. I put my groceries out, waited. Turned saw 2 women carrying on a conversation. I waited thinking the one facing me would tell the other one. Finally I motioned. The one facing me told the other one. She finally turned, shuffled slowly over. Rang up my groceries, threw them up on the turn style. I had to put them in the basket myself.

The second girl stood and rubbed her belly the whole time, not offering to help. I guess I was supposed to be impressed that she was expecting. The big store had maybe 10 people.

I thought about reporting but just decided not to go back. The store is based in Michigan. And not well stocked.

[Politicub]

71. I gravitate toward self check-out, but prefer to be checked out by a person.

The main reason why I do self-check is to make sure that I get the discounts from the shopper card, digital coupons, buy three of something to get a better price, etc. There are so many issues with discounts that I can’t keep up with watching the screen as a checker tallies my groceries.

[yonder]

75. Yes, good plan on the attaboy to Kroger.

The feedback should rightfully get to the employee and probably a nice change for Kroger too, who likely mostly field complaints.

There ain't enough pats on the back these days.

[AllaN01Bear]

78. i have always felt that the selfs are a attempt to take peoples jobs .

[AllyCat]

81. They did it yesterday at our K-Roger owned store

If we aren’t paying people to check groceries, why are their prices so high?

[nykym]

83. Their name or number may be on the receipt

if you kept it.

[Captain Zero]

85. In that situation, I scan it AS SLOWLY AS I CAN.

and when the machine speaks to me I talk back. I say things like, "If you want a fast checker, you need TO HIRE one and pay them."

[LAS14]

86. I hope that doesn't happen at my grocery store. What do you do...

... when you've got veggies that need to be weighed?

tia
las

[homegirl]

87. If the merchant

gave a small percentage discount for self check out I might be tempted, and that is a BIG might. After all the merchant is saving on labor costs which is my primary objection.

The union should address this self checkout act against workers.

[Nasruddin]

95. Experience is not good

My self check experiences in these parts (Northern CA) has not been good either.
It seems like the odds of a self check breakdown are pretty high for each item, so ... if you have a large number of items, eventually you're going to win the lottery. Then you're going to have to wait for the attendant to fix it - this is usually far longer than the checker takes to untangle a pricing snafu or a mislabel.

I've heard that the Home Depot self check has improved a LOT in the past year - I haven't used it, but then you usually have only a few items at a place like that (at least that's me - if it's a lot of material I've preordered). And I'm not fond of HD.

The grocery situation is a mess. If I have a few items, I'll chance it. Recently I was in a Safeway & the self check situation made the attendant look like a ping pong ball - every customer had a breakdown, & he was hopping from one to another, multiple times, trying to get 'er done. One person, acting as the checker, for about 9 self-service kiosks. The customers of that store vastly preferred the manual checker - but there was only one, and the line ran thru the store.

Sure, it'll work eventually. They can do their science experiments on someone else tho.

[aggiesal]

97. Ralph's is the local Kroger's store in San Diego ...

and I stopped shopping there when Krogers lobbied against paying living wages
and even closed stores because of it.

I will not go to a self checkout line, because I'm not being paid to do their work.
I don't think I'd self checkout if I got 10% off on all my items for self checkout.
This would at least pay me for my work, but that means less jobs for the cash
register person and packing person.

As it is, I usually see 4 self checkout stations with 1 person manning them and 0
baggers. So Krogers is saving the salary on 7 people but their prices don't drop,
and we end up doing their job.

[TexasBushwhacker]

102. I was just going to say

In cities that required ongoing hazard pay for essential workers, Kroger and its affiliates closed stores rather than comply.

Meanwhile their CEO was paid his highest compensation to date in 2020 - $20.6 Million - which was $6.4 Million more than the previous year. That's a 45% raise. Yeah, Kroger can suck it.

BTW, Vitacost is owned by Kroger too.

[rickford66]

103. Hint. When you appear as an old confused person, they do it for you.

This works at Lowe's and Home Depot also.

[NBachers]

104. I hate self check out.

[Demovictory9]

110. Target does that in the morning. One station is lit up

With no one at it. They act surprised when you want your order rung.up

[aggiesal]

111. That's because society is turning into lemmings! n/t

[Dream Girl]

123. Huh? Lemmings? I don't understand.

[aggiesal]

137. Too funny.

[grantcart]

112. Just the opposite. Can you manage to pump your own gas?

Last time I was in a line I was stuck behind a woman that kept changing her mind and taking things out of the basket. After 20 minutes she told her 6 foot son who was sitting in the motorized cart for handicapped customers to run and " buy some vegetables and he jumped up and ran to the produce. We were trapped for another 5 minutes.

If there are no lines I will go to a cashier manned counter but the best feature of the auto checkout is one line for 10 machines so you don't get stuck in some line with a customer causing unnecessary delays.

My favorite place allows me to skip checkout altogether.

I use a phone app and scan as I put it in my basket. That allows me to check not only the price but the total in the basket. At the end I push a pay button and walk out showing my phone to a clerk.

If you are arguing the most labor intensive inefficient technology then why go halfway? Why not insist they don't scan it but manually enter each item with the keys?

[Mr.Bill]

114. In California they have to have at least one attended checkstand.

They passed a law that alcoholic beverages can't be sold through self-check-out.

[h2ebits]

116. Many years ago. . . .

I had a neighbor who worked in admin at a King Sooper's store. Her major task was entering pricing into the computer system and "correcting" pricing for items on sale so the barcodes would scan correctly. Back in the day, if an item rang up at the incorrect price and the customer caught the error, the customer would get the item for free. It was/is an onerous task to perform with accuracy.

That was when I started trying to monitor the pricing as the cashier scanned each item in an effort to spend less money on my weekly family grocery full-cart shopping. That was then and this is now.

I have slowed down a lot from those days and now shop on a need to buy basis, which means that I have much smaller quantities at any given time and I watch pricing very carefully.

I mostly shop at the Natural Grocers by my house. They do not have self-checkout and always have at least 1 cashier available at all times. When the line builds up to a couple of people, the cashier will call for backup and another cashier will open a register and so forth until they "handle the rush." I have always found cashiers to be most helpful and thanked them but in a non-consistent manner. During COVID restrictions they were not allowed to bag our groceries so we had to do it ourselves. I will NEVER forget again to say "Thank you for all of your help." I also try to show up there--COVID or not--to shop when it's not busy so that I don't hold up the line.

Although I didn't want to use self service when it first started, I have grown to appreciate its usefulness. Most places have more than one station--some have many stations. There is only one line for all of the stations so my lack of speed isn't all that noticeable as other people finish more quickly and move the line forward. Also, there is a cashier on duty to help with any problems and I can save the time of standing in line behind the full grocery cart people.

[alphafemale]

117. Kroger's is one of the WORST for actually using a human.

I do not know whether it is bad training or crap technology.

But they are nearly as bad as K-Mart once was at the process of actually getting you checked out and taking your money.

K-Mart was the WORST.

You would stand in a check out line for a half hour even if there were only three people.

I always will use the self check.

Publix is efficient. They know how to do things.

[XanaDUer2]

127. Publix is

They're a model of great customer service

[Siwsan]

130. I've never had a bad check out clerk at the Krogers I shop.

Of course, I'm never there during a rush time so that might explain it.

[BannonsLiver]

121. This thread has it all

It comical to me that folks would stand in a long line for half an hour to buy a 2-3 items rather than stepping over to the self checkout lane and doing it themselves. My time is more valuable than some outdated ideas of the way “things used to be.”

[diehardblue]

128. I just walked pass three customer service counters in Dillard's while

trying to find somewhere to pay for my merchandise. None of the counters had available clerks. It is maddening when that happens.

[IcyPeas]

134. It is intimidating for some people. I will use self checkout when I have a few items

but if I have a cart full of groceries I will stand in line and wait to be served.

I find the self check out confusing at times. fruits/vegetables/errors ..... I have to stop and put my glasses on to see the screen. It's a hassle.

[OriginalGeek]

135. Do self-checkout lanes really save labor cost though

There are always at least 3 actual people at the 6 self-check stands in my Costco. They direct traffic for the 2 lines that head into the self-checks and make sure people are aware when one opens up and they almost always do all the scanning and checking with their handheld scanner just to keep everything moving along.

I used to be in the "Stop replacing humans!" camp but I don't see where they really do - at Costco anyway. Even with the self-check lanes there are plenty of regular checkout lanes always open too. SO I go through self check there because they do still have people and I usually only get 3~7 things at Costco so those are always way quicker than waiting behind people with the giant rolling flats piled high in the regular lanes.

I don't know how it is at wal-mart because I refuse to shop there and the rest of my shopping is at Publix where they have 0 self-checkout lanes and constantly monitor the open lanes and are pretty swift to open a new lane if they see more than a few people waiting in the current lanes.

I'll bet they know exactly who was working the self-check when you were there and I agree he deserves an atta-boy. I'm pretty quick to complain to a manager if I experience less than acceptable service* but I am also even quicker to praise folks who do a great job for me.


*And that's a pretty low bar so I don't complain a lot. A customer service experience has to be pretty miserable to draw my ire.

[msongs]

138. one recalls when store ads bragged about having lots of open lanes and they'd open new ones

right away so customers would be better served, not hedge fund managers

[BobTheSubgenius]

144. I sometimes give an "attaboy" or an "attagirl" when their service is such...

...that some praise is in order, then hope the management passes it on.

[Siwsan]

148. I did send Kroger an email, praising the employee

I got a notification that they received my comments, and they will get back to me, later.

[BobTheSubgenius]

162. Good for you!

I bet complaints outnumber kudos 10 - 1.

[ananda]

146. That happened to me once.

The attendant at the self check asked me if I needed help
and did my order too. It felt good.

[Hotler]

159. I always flip-off the camera. nt