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> In my experience, most stores are finding a reasonable balance. I hope you're right but this hasn't been the case at the grocery stores around me. QFC (a Kr
by techsupporter 3y ago
> In my experience, most stores are finding a reasonable balance.
I hope you're right but this hasn't been the case at the grocery stores around me. QFC (a Kroger-owned brand in the Pacific Northwest) has, at least at two I usually frequent, stopped staffing checklanes after 8 or 9pm. It's self-checkout only. These are at stores that have a lot of signage advertising that "summer hours are here, all locations open until 1am!"
I normally shop around 9 or 10pm and there has historically been at least a "push this button to ask someone to come to the in-person method". Much as I like self-checkout, I don't like doing it with a full cart of groceries. Both recent times, I was told rather bluntly that a full cart was my problem.
With service like that, I'd rather just go to the Amazon spyware grocery store. At least I can put everything in a bag myself and they're open until 11pm.
- Denvercoder9 3y agoSelf-service checkout at the store exit is such a wasted opportunity. In my (non-USA) grocery store I can scan product with my phone while I'm walking through the store and putting them in the cart; afterwards I only have to pay. Not having to take everything from my cart, scan it and put it back saves quite some time, even compared to cashiers scanning. There's also a handheld scanner for people that can't or don't want to use their smartphone.
- techsupporter 3y agoWe used to have that, at QFC/Kroger funny enough. They got rid of it because few people used it (I tried it and it was very clunky) and replaced it with more self checkout lanes.
- bobthepanda 3y agoRight, but the issue there seems to be execution, which admittedly non-tech firms dislike investing in.
- alex_young 3y agoI used such a system when I lived in Switzerland, and found it much easier for the reasons you mentioned. I did have an odd conversation with someone at work who warned me that sometimes they check your basket to make sure you’ve scanned everything before leaving, which I thought was an odd way to tell someone you like to shoplift. Anyway.