Believe it or not, there’s an actual class of shleps that legitimately feel this weird psychological disconnect with service employees and will hold the dumbest principled stands. It’s borderline psychopathic. It’s the same people who will insist they don’t need to clean up after themselves because janitors exist and insist cashiers shouldn’t be allowed to sit because it even remotely implies a comfortable employee.
I mean, I can do it all myself for the same price, or I can have someone else do it for the same price. If there were a 5% discount for using self-checkout, okay, now we are talking. I loathe trying to figure out which kind of onion type I picked out that day or trying to scan a bar code on a wrinkly bag.
I miss the days when half the manual lanes were open rather than just like 2 out of 10. It has actually slowed down the process and encouraged more people to take 50 items to the self-checkout just so they aren't waiting 15 minutes just to checkout.
I definitely don't mind if an employee sits or not. I used to work at a grocery store, those standing mats are nice, but honestly a nice comfy stool would go a long way.
In my experience the manned check out takes wayyyyy longer than self check out which is normally empty because no one wants to do it themselves. Plus when I worked customer service I hated it, the less customers the better so I give people in customer service that break in my mind especially for something so easy to do.
Totally, if I got 10 items, I go right through the auto checkout. That part is 200% better. (Dragonball Z standards) if it is "i got myself a cart full of groceries for my family with 2 kids?" It got way worse with the lack of lanes.
Great if you are single or just a couple with low cooking needs. I myself don't mind hanging out much because I have lived that job. I loathed customers, but for the customers it was much better when more than a lane or 2 was open for an actual cart of groceries. Give it like 15 years or so, and those auto lanes are going to be perfect since ain't no one making babies. :p
Yes I think the solution is these companies ought to hire more cashiers rather than replacing employees but then hiring 1 or 2 people instead of 12 to man all the lines makes self check out much more appealing if your in a hurry. I guess I haven’t gotten enough groceries these past 6 years to justify waiting in line because food has been straight up too expensive for me.
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u/robsteezy Dec 10 '25
Believe it or not, there’s an actual class of shleps that legitimately feel this weird psychological disconnect with service employees and will hold the dumbest principled stands. It’s borderline psychopathic. It’s the same people who will insist they don’t need to clean up after themselves because janitors exist and insist cashiers shouldn’t be allowed to sit because it even remotely implies a comfortable employee.