My local
branch of Asda has been busy removing some of their traditional,
cashier-operated checkouts and installing yet more self-scan tills, this time
with conveyor belts suitable for larger quantities of shopping.
My nearest
Sainsburys already has a large number of self-serve checkouts, both ‘basket
only’ style and ‘trolley-sized shop’ variety. However, despite the number of
these checkouts, many shoppers still opt to queue at a cashier-operated till,
especially if doing a large shop. I have to say, I’m not a big fan of the
self-scan concept, and tend to avoid these tills if possible.
If I have
just two or three items and the other queues are very long, I may be persuaded
to go for the self-serve option, but it’s never an automatic first choice.
However, if I’m filling a trolley, I find it quite enough just to load my
shopping onto the conveyor belt, and then pack it at the other end, without
having to scan it myself as well.
Indeed,
there are quite a number of shoppers who actually need help to pack their
purchases and therefore need to be served by a ‘real person’. The elderly,
disabled, harassed mums with babies and toddlers in tow, or me on a day when my
hands are refusing to work, all appreciate the human touch.
It seems
that the most worrying aspects of increasing the number of self-scan checkouts
is the effect it will have on staffing numbers. Fewer checkout operators need
to be employed in supermarkets as a result, delivering yet another blow to
employment figures.
Of course,
you may feel that self-serve checkouts are a great innovation, and in small
numbers they do have their place, but spare a thought for those whose jobs may
suffer as a result and fellow shoppers who really need the input of a friendly
cashier.
What do you
think? comments@shoppersjoy.co.uk
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