5 ms·

I find the automated checkouts to be much slower than human cashiers. Humans can optimise the path from the conveyor belt to the bag so that the item just so h

by phire 10y ago

I find the automated checkouts to be much slower than human cashiers. Humans can optimise the path from the conveyor belt to the bag so that the item just so happens to pass via the barcode scanner. I could do that too, but the machine throws a hissy fit and doesn't let me scan the next item until I've placed it in the bagging area, and waited a second for the scales to stabilize. In the time it takes me to scan and bag one item on the automated checkout, an experienced human cashier can get 5-6 items bagged. And that's only if things go as expected. Sometimes the scales bug out. Sometimes I have to navigate menus to specify what fresh produce I'm buying (while human checkout operators have memorised all the numbers). Sometimes I make a mistake and I'm not allowed to self-correct it. I have to wait for a human to come along and fix my mistake. Not to mention, the machine is yelling instructions at me the entire time. "Yes I know I should use the pin pad to complete my transaction, in fact I did so while you were still playing the previous audio clip." The only time the automated checkout is faster is when there is a queue at the real checkouts. And even then, the queue might be worth it just so I can avoid the automated checkout yelling at me.

zelos 10y ago
Even if it's slower for the transaction itself, the fact that they generally replace 1 human cashier with 2-3 automated checkouts mean that waiting times are much shorter in my experience.
- aninhumer 10y ago
  Although I did discover at my local supermarket that if I'm buying alcohol at a self checkout (which requires someone to confirm my age), it can be paradoxically faster to go when it's busy, because there's always someone at the machines, whereas they rely on wandering staff to see the alert when it's quieter.
  - jstanley 10y ago
    Which also paradoxically means it's easier to turn up at a quiet time and steal the alcohol (even if you're underage!) than to buy it legitimately.
piyush_soni 10y ago
I've had the exact same experience. I could scan the items a lot faster than the machine allows me to (sure, not faster than an experienced human cashier), but it insists me to bag every item, has problems a lot of times when it stops and asks me to call a human agent, can't use some of the gift cards that I want to use with it, and doesn't override the price when the store has advertized a discount and the machine doesn't detect that. Also, for things that don't have barcodes (fruits/vegetables etc.), you have to 'search' from a list and either select the image of the perfect type of pepper that you're buying (or enter a code) - which makes it even slower. A human cashier remembers all those codes and very quickly types in. For a machine to do that right now, it will have to use some advanced image recognition techniques to just find out which of the 100 kinds of Apple it is - and set the price accordingly. Sure, all these problems can be theoretically fixed, but so far, I guess we're just not there.
RugnirViking 10y ago
One question I have about the automated checkouts at my local supermarket is they seem to intentionally slow the user down. For example, if you go to pay and put in a card, it says 'please remove your card, press the -debit card- button, and pay with your card' It seems like no reasonable person wouldn't notice this flaw, let alone the presumably several people involved in creating this software, so it leads me to believe that there is some reason the shops want to encourage not using these checkouts. I wonder why?
- phire 10y ago
  It's those dreaded words: Minimal Viable Product.
barrkel 10y ago
The slow part of human cashiers is waiting for the people in front of you to get their payment done and move on with their stuff.
- cableshaft 10y ago
  The payment part is unnecessarily slow at these things. We should be able to wave something at the device and walk out the door by now. But instead it's hit I'm done, wait a second to be able to hit pay with card, wait for it to tell you to enter a card, enter it, wait for it to tell you to enter pin, answer if you want cash back, wait a few seconds for it to accept and make a buzz to remove your card, wait 6 seconds for the stupid question "did you enjoy your experience today? yes/no" to go away (that I refuse to answer because it shouldn't fucking ask me in the first place), wait a couple seconds for it to decide to print the receipt and the cash to dispense, finally get your bags into your cart, and then leave. None of the steps are really that long by themselves, but in aggregate it's easily another 1-2 minutes checking out.
  - gregmac 10y ago
    > The payment part is unnecessarily slow at these things. We should be able to wave something at the device and walk out the door by now. Been using this for years in Canada. Most well known as PayPass (MasterCard) but also PayWave (Visa) and Contactless Payments (American Express). By far it's the fastest and easiest way to pay (including vs cash), and I use it whenever I have a choice. I'd say it takes me well under 10 seconds which includes taking out and putting away my card. I've noticed the newest terminals in sit-down restaurants are even working with it now, by moving the prompt for the tip to the start of the process (before you tap or put your card in) instead of the end.
Sean1708 10y ago
Automated checkouts aren't about each individual machine being faster than one cashier, they're about being able to serve ten people while only one cashier watches over.
PeanutNore 10y ago
I don't mind automated checkouts that much because I worked as a cashier as a teenager and based on that experience I'm able to check myself out pretty quickly. When there's a line for all of the checkouts including the automated ones, though, I avoid them, because the average customer is generally awful at using them and the lines at manned checkouts move much faster.
tofflos 10y ago
I guess it depends on the implementation. At my store you bring a scanner and some bags along, and scan and pack each item as you go. At the checkout you simply return the scanner and swipe your card.
- inetknght 10y ago
  What store is this?
  - DanBC 10y ago
    Waitrose or Tesco in the UK have these scan as you shop schemes.

by phire 10y ago

zelos 10y ago

Even if it's slower for the transaction itself, the fact that they generally replace 1 human cashier with 2-3 automated checkouts mean that waiting times are much shorter in my experience.

aninhumer 10y ago
Although I did discover at my local supermarket that if I'm buying alcohol at a self checkout (which requires someone to confirm my age), it can be paradoxically faster to go when it's busy, because there's always someone at the machines, whereas they rely on wandering staff to see the alert when it's quieter.
- jstanley 10y ago
  Which also paradoxically means it's easier to turn up at a quiet time and steal the alcohol (even if you're underage!) than to buy it legitimately.

piyush_soni 10y ago

I've had the exact same experience. I could scan the items a lot faster than the machine allows me to (sure, not faster than an experienced human cashier), but it insists me to bag every item, has problems a lot of times when it stops and asks me to call a human agent, can't use some of the gift cards that I want to use with it, and doesn't override the price when the store has advertized a discount and the machine doesn't detect that. Also, for things that don't have barcodes (fruits/vegetables etc.), you have to 'search' from a list and either select the image of the perfect type of pepper that you're buying (or enter a code) - which makes it even slower. A human cashier remembers all those codes and very quickly types in. For a machine to do that right now, it will have to use some advanced image recognition techniques to just find out which of the 100 kinds of Apple it is - and set the price accordingly. Sure, all these problems can be theoretically fixed, but so far, I guess we're just not there.

RugnirViking 10y ago

One question I have about the automated checkouts at my local supermarket is they seem to intentionally slow the user down. For example, if you go to pay and put in a card, it says 'please remove your card, press the -debit card- button, and pay with your card' It seems like no reasonable person wouldn't notice this flaw, let alone the presumably several people involved in creating this software, so it leads me to believe that there is some reason the shops want to encourage not using these checkouts. I wonder why?

phire 10y ago
It's those dreaded words: Minimal Viable Product.

barrkel 10y ago

The slow part of human cashiers is waiting for the people in front of you to get their payment done and move on with their stuff.

cableshaft 10y ago
The payment part is unnecessarily slow at these things. We should be able to wave something at the device and walk out the door by now. But instead it's hit I'm done, wait a second to be able to hit pay with card, wait for it to tell you to enter a card, enter it, wait for it to tell you to enter pin, answer if you want cash back, wait a few seconds for it to accept and make a buzz to remove your card, wait 6 seconds for the stupid question "did you enjoy your experience today? yes/no" to go away (that I refuse to answer because it shouldn't fucking ask me in the first place), wait a couple seconds for it to decide to print the receipt and the cash to dispense, finally get your bags into your cart, and then leave. None of the steps are really that long by themselves, but in aggregate it's easily another 1-2 minutes checking out.
- gregmac 10y ago
  > The payment part is unnecessarily slow at these things. We should be able to wave something at the device and walk out the door by now. Been using this for years in Canada. Most well known as PayPass (MasterCard) but also PayWave (Visa) and Contactless Payments (American Express). By far it's the fastest and easiest way to pay (including vs cash), and I use it whenever I have a choice. I'd say it takes me well under 10 seconds which includes taking out and putting away my card. I've noticed the newest terminals in sit-down restaurants are even working with it now, by moving the prompt for the tip to the start of the process (before you tap or put your card in) instead of the end.

Sean1708 10y ago

Automated checkouts aren't about each individual machine being faster than one cashier, they're about being able to serve ten people while only one cashier watches over.

PeanutNore 10y ago

I don't mind automated checkouts that much because I worked as a cashier as a teenager and based on that experience I'm able to check myself out pretty quickly. When there's a line for all of the checkouts including the automated ones, though, I avoid them, because the average customer is generally awful at using them and the lines at manned checkouts move much faster.

tofflos 10y ago

I guess it depends on the implementation. At my store you bring a scanner and some bags along, and scan and pack each item as you go. At the checkout you simply return the scanner and swipe your card.

inetknght 10y ago
What store is this?
- DanBC 10y ago
  Waitrose or Tesco in the UK have these scan as you shop schemes.