Do you think there is a possibility self-service checkouts will replace staff?

I think there will always be cashiers because couponers don't know what to type in if a coupon scans wrong and has to be manually entered. Every time I use the self checkout at IKEA, the IKEA chocolate bars scan wrong and I have to get help. Plus, not having a cashier would make it too easy for someone to slip a couple of extra items into their bag. It's not a good idea.

 

Self service check-outs are OK for when you don't have many items, but with many items it's tricky, it takes too long and we mess it up, it's not as simple as it looks. For this reason and others I don't they will ever fully replace people, but the tendency is for less people and more machines of course.

 

I think we will eventually reach the stage where about half prefer self service, and half prefer staffed tills. I fear though that for cost saving reason either one of two things will happen. Ever staff checkouts will be abandoned completely, or there will be a 1% service charge for using them. What do you think about this possibility?

 

I use self services when I have a few items, the self service can get on your nerves sometimes , I remember going to one with a large buggy and I can tell you it was the worst experience ever. the scanner kept saying take unauthorized item out of buggy and that really worried me cause that item would have been scanned already.

 

I totally agree. If I didn't use them so much I would think that yeah, maybe in about five years they would but at the store that I go to they are always having some glitch that requires staff to take care of. If you scan more than 5 of the same item like several gallons of water then it freezes and I'm left searching for where the teller went and have to go flag them down to fix it. Annyoing.... maybe if they can get the machines to where they don't freeze like that then possibly in a few years they will replace them.

 

I am becoming more familiar with the self serve checkouts and I am starting to like them. They are pretty self explanatory and were it not for those odd items that I don't know how to deal with, I could use a self serve checkout on most occasions. I was reluctant to go through with produce as I didn't know how to enter it, but it is easy to learn.

I think we will see more self serve checkouts in the future and the number of cashiers will decline. I think there will always be a need for a cashier and a need for someone to monitor the self serve checkout. When it comes to having a lot of items without bar codes, the cashiers are way more efficient. As there is often going to be someone who doesn't know how to use the self serve on a particular item, there will always be a need for someone to assist. I think cashiers will be phased out as they retire with fewer new ones hired on.

 

Staff won't be replaced entirely. Try to picture a store without anyone to help you find items you want to buy. It would be very inconvenient if you're in a hurry.

And of course there's the issue of trust. Not everyone who walks into a store is a 'good guy.' Even with staff, CCTVs and such, some kleptomaniacs still manage to steal stuff from supermarkets. Now get rid of the cashier and see how things go.

 

No, I don't think that would happen. I never go to the self-checkout, I prefer an actual cashier to check my items out, it's safer and faster. There are many people that don't like the self-checkout, and it wouldn't be practical specially for elderly people, people with special needs and things like that.

 

Absolutely not.

I never use the self-service lane, except in Sam's Club where it is actually a billion times easier and quicker.

In general, I like full service check-outs in grocery stores. I go to high end grocery stores, largely, for the customer service. I like that if I cannot find something they will send someone to get it for me. I like that if they are out of stock of something they will write a rain check. I even like having help to my car, on occasion, especially when my cart is full of food and my arms are full of children.

And I know for a fact that I'm neither alone nor weird in this. There are plenty of people (mostly women, I think) who fully enjoy the experience of customer service in their favorite grocery stores. For that reason alone, self-service will never replace lanes.

Also - look at stores like Aldi. They boast of super low prices because they keep costs (including staff and frills) to a minimum. Yet. They don't even have a self-serve checkout. Sure, it is bag your own groceries, but each lane is fully staffed, and the speed at Aldi beats most other grocery stores I use.

 

I have tried the self checkouts and most of the time they are pretty easy, but I have had some times when I've run into a problem and need the assistance of someone who works at the store to help me out. So I definitely don't think that self checkouts would replace staff because as convenient as it may seem for some there are other people who don't mind just going to a regular cashier rather than taking their chances with a self checkout that might be more of a headache than easy.

 

I do not think this will happen.

i do not think this will happen because people will cheat the system. They will put products in their bag that they did not pay for. That would only lead loss for the company, and they would have to spend extra money on security. Which is stupid because they would not have this problem if they keep their cashiers.

I remember Walmart use to have those self-service checkouts. They had to remove them quickly because people were abusing the system.

 

I love the self service check-outs and use them often. They are great for the kids as well as they help me scan the items and put them in the bags. While I agree it is nice to have the personal touch sometimes I don't feel like going through the small talk with the cashier and I just want to get my goods and go.

I don't think they will fully replace cashier staff in the near future but I can foresee a reduction in staff numbers as 6 (or more) checkouts can be monitored by one person. Some folk will still want to be served by person though and I wouldn't be surprised if supermarkets did start charging extra for that service, much in the same way that banks charge extra for in-branch transactions.

 

As some other people have said on here, I think the mostly likely scenario is that check-out would be mostly automated with attendants standing around for when problems arise, to check IDs for alcohol purchases, etc. It's really unfortunate because those attendants would probably be full-time employees who were cut to part time, or at least saw a pay cut, for doing less work than before. I'm not a fan of self-checkout and have probably had more troublesome experiences with it than simple ones.

 

Like you say, self service tills are not always the most reliable. If you lift a product out of the bagging area, it gets all hissy. If you try and use your own bag, it gets hissy. If you even just take a bit too long to put something in the bagging area, it decides you're trying to steal from the shop. Ultimately, there will always be a need for someone to come over and say 'Yes sir, sorry sir, let me fix that'. Although in the far flung future, that person could be replaced by a robot, but that's a long time off.

 

I don't think it will happen unless there are systems good enough put in place that can rival the comfort and convenience of having someone there to be flexible with each and every situation that can prove to be unpredictable sometimes. Also there can be some problems with security and theft but like I said with effective systems in place these can prove to be just minor problems and I do think it is possible but maybe there just not much reason for it right now since hiring people is equally just as affordable as buying a machine.

 

I bet that it is real fear for a lot of people out there. I know that at my local spot here they have replaced two check out aisles with the self check out thing, and I have to say that I like it, but I can see where some people do not and will argue against them. I am okay either way, but I also do not think that you can get rid of all human elements completely...maybe I am wrong though.

 

Oh yes, it will definitely replace them eventually. There will probably just be one person to make sure the machines are working.

 

To say that it's unlikely simply because they currently don't function very well is silly. It's inevitable that machines will replace humans eventually. This kind of technology hasn't been around for long and look at what it is already able to do. If you meant by your question will they replace humans in our lifetime? Maybe. If you meant will they ever replace humans? Most definitely.

Most mistakes nowadays are due to human error. The reason that people may not want to trust machines is because they are scared and feel like they don't have control over the situation. In reality, machines are a lot better at doing human jobs than humans are.

 

Yes, I believe machines will continue to take the place of staff. Especially in places where folks are pushing to make the minimum wage higher. At some point it will be cheaper for businesses to just buy machines instead of hiring actual workers. Personally I find the self checkouts pretty convenient and fast, most of the time. Of course, some places don't have good machines, so they are out of service a good portion of the time, it seems.