Adult Children by Stephen Beals for May 19, 2024

and if they had the choice they wouldn’t be having such conversations actually nor work in such places shrug

It has happened twice recently that I went to the store and I heard one of the self-checkouts say “Please put the item back on the bag area before continuing”. In both cases, there was nobody there. Those things don’t even work when they’re not being used.

Self check was developed as a cost saving measure, supposedly to save you money

Shoplifting took off to such an extent it is leading to massive losses

Several large companies are looking into reducing or eliminating self check

When I’m at the grocery checkout I show the store loyalty card on my phone and then tap the CC reader with my phone to pay, even while my groceries are being scanned. Then the checker tells me the total and waits. And waits, until I say it’s all done. I don’t know why they don’t automatically get feedback that I’ve paid.

When Costco began their self-checkout, I used it all the time, but the employees that were put there to help speed things along got to pushy for me so I went back to the cashier lines.

Tabby sure knows how to deal with customers!

Attagirl Tabby….

..whoosh, right over her head..

I use self-check only when I absolutely have to. I prefer real cashiers.

People like this charming customer need to be forced to work at least one day as a cashier.

Tabby loves poking the locals.

Tabby saying the cashiers crouch down and look at their phones when customers approach reminded of the time my wife and I toured a headhunters’ village in Borneo. We were told the tour company had negotiated permission for us to enter the village and, more importantly, be allowed to leave uneaten. There was a list of things we weren’t supposed to say or do. We couldn’t make eye contact with them or else the warriors would take it as a challenge and the tour company couldn’t be responsible for what happened. The young male warriors had loin cloths over their swim trunks. The young female villagers wore flower leis and grass skirts over their bikinis. What amused me the most was that as we approached each work station, they all hurriedly put down their cell phones and picked up spears. knives, sewing supplies, cooking utensils, etc. I desperately wanted to make eye contact but didn’t. They were putting on a show and I thought I should cooperate.

I love how Tabby goes along with the customer’s ridiculous statement and contributes to the conspiracy theory. Personally, I like self checkout for small purchases. When I have a cart full, I opt for professional help. I truly appreciate all the hard working people in retail and always offer my thanks.

Customer service needs to be called what it really is- corporate service.

It’s amazing how much power people like grocery clerks have at the upper management level.

The commissary added these a long time ago. They truly were a fast, efficient way to get things done. They had a limit of 10 items. This commissary was one where you show your ID card at checkout, so there was always someone there, but they covered 4 registers (which were 2 in front of the other 2 and the checker stood in the center). I am home-bound now, so I haven’t been there in years. I should hope they still have them as they were much quicker than even the express lane.