self-check out

[baby jester]

so i just found out that Harris Teater a big food chain, has self-check outs. i am now excited to see if they sell good diapers because i think that self check outs are much easier to deal with than dealing with cashiers, what do you guys think?

 

[EmeraldsAndLime]

Well, yeah. Although I haven't seen, nor heard of self-checkouts in my area before.

But, eh! If it means dealing with less people, then I'm all for it!

 

[Takashi]

I would love it but i've only seen self-check outs at Home Depot

 

[chevre]

The only thing about them is that they tend to be closed at odd hours of the night (which is when I tend to go). Though, I haven't bought diapers in person in a few years now.

 

[teenbaby88]

my walmart has one its makes paying go a bit faster

 

[Ryan_d]

Make sure you know how to work the self checkout before you try, I have used them before, and usally they break down on me.

 

[Trevor]

I would have loved a self-checkout back when I first started buying them, but it's pretty irrelevant now. I'm not walking up and down each aisle of the store speaking in a declarative voice "I'm buying these diapers and I'm going to wear them!", but it just doesn't bother me much anymore. If there's a line, if they don't have a bag for them, if it's a woman or a man checker of any age, it just doesn't matter. It's almost funny how my diaper buying anxiety is now virtually non-existent and there aren't any good diapers to buy in stores. All that self-therapy gone to waste!

 

[James]

I love the self-checkouts with the touch screens. We got them at krogers in my area.

 

[Deltaomega]

The ones at walmart have someone usually watching over all of them so its not ENTIRELY 'self' checkout. Whether or not their admin display will show what each register is ringing up I have no idea but I do know they watch over the checkouts for errors.

 

[Angel-In-Diapers]

Most of our stores have those, although they break down with increasingly irritating frequency...

 

[Charlie]

The only thing I hate about self-checkouts is stupid people who take a full trolley of shopping to it... and slowly scan every item!

But for buying diapers, self-checkouts are great. Kinda takes away the fun of buying though doesn't it?

 

[starshine]

We have them now at Walmart, Home-Depot and Zehrs. I find them fun, but also a bit of a hassle. I was suck at one for 10 minutes because the lady couldn't figure out how to scan my phone-card.

 

[baby jester]

yeah Mandi even if you get suck (not a typo) at one for 10 minutes i still want to try them next time, and even though the anxiety doesnt really effect me anymore it is still better. i just have to watch out who is there because i dont go in there often so i wouldnt know if people i know shop there.

 

[Tigger]

What is a self serve checkout, and how does it work?

 

[ayanna]

As someone else already pointed out...make sure you know how the self-check-out works BEFORE you attempt to purchase diapers, because if you have problems a real-live person will come to assist you. So, my suggestion is to pick up something innocuous the first time through...like a couple of candy bars or a can of beans...something easy that, if you do require assistance, you won't feel embarrassed to be purchasing. Once you've got the system down go back and get your diapers!

 

[Darkfinn]

They only sell Depends and kid diapers... if you can still wear goodnites it's a decent plan... but otherwise eh..

 

[Peachy]

Ahh...Harris Teeter - I'm glad that place still exists after I left the U.S. (they once gave me a gift certificate after one of their employees screwed up) :biggrin:

I agree about the self checkout machines: They can be a good thing if you know how to work them and if they don't break down or your item does not cause any problems. Sure, the person keeping an eye on the machine will see on her screen what you're buying, but you don't have to directly talk to her - just look into the bag or at your receipt while you pass her and you don't even have to look at her at all.
They can also be a bad thing if the machine screws up. It did for me a while ago while I was buying onesie-like items. They're secured by a device that sets off an alarm at the exit doors, and sure enough, the machine did not disable the alarm advice. So a total of five (5!) different (evidently incompetent) store employees worked towards disabling the alarm device built into the packaging of my onesie-like item. I didn't particularly care, but I guess I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone buying potentially embarrassing items.

Peachy

 

[Squigma]

What is a self serve checkout, and how does it work?

It's like a checkout without the cashier there. You scan the items and then you put them in a bag and weigh them. If the weight of everything in the bag doesn't weigh exactly the same as all the things you bought then it won't let you buy it. But if it's fine you put your money in a slot and buy it.

I love the concept, it seems like a great idea to be able to buy things without having to actually interact with someone. But they freak me out - there's always someone watching the self-service checkouts really closely, it makes me feel even more paranoid then when I just buy diapers from someone normally! Besides, they don't have any in my town so even if I wanted to use them I couldn't

 

[dirtbike4x4]

For me, the self check outs don't really make much of a difference for me verses a regular cashier. I was nervous the first time i bough diapers, but it didn't take me very long to get over that. I'm pretty much just like, I don't give a damn what the cashier thinks so whatever. Also even though you actually check out yourself, somebody is still watching you. Where i live, all the self check outs are grouped in fours and a cashier stands in the middle of them to keep an eye on everybody and also to help if you have any problems.

As for the diapers available at harris teeter, i can't say i ever really looked that hard at the selection at our local one, but i have glanced at it as i have walked by. I seem to recal them carrying Depend's, Tena's, and some other genaric brand. Nothing beyond the basics.

 

[Kalloon]

A Sainsburys near my place has loads of Self-Check outs, but there is always nosey staff hanging around there, plus its right next to the Customer Service desk which is always crammed with people complaining.