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TalesFromRetail

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A place to exchange stories about your bosses, employees, or those interesting customers you see daily.

  • Remember that customer who yelled at you over coupons?

  • Do I really have to wear this ridiculous polo shirt?

  • The things you do after customers leave

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all 20 comments

[–]HolographicMetapod 4 points5 points ago

  • Please place the item on the scanner
  • Okay.
  • Error. Please place the item on the-
  • Okay, I just did that, but let's try again
  • Error. Please place the it-
  • ALRIGHT, JUST SCAN IT ALREADY.
  • Uh oh, there's been a problem. Please remove your item and try plac-
  • MOTHER FUCKER

Believe it or not, these things rarely just "work" the first time. No, i'm not mentally handicapped. I know how to line up a bar-code and wait until the machine checking the weight of the bags resets. At my local walmart, it usually ends up taking longer than just waiting in line. I get the customer's frustration on this one.

Edit: Apparently I am mentally handicapped, I thought the gif was supposed to represent customers pressing everything out of frustration :).

[–]MrDOS 2 points3 points ago

When my local Wal-Mart was built three or four years ago, eight self-checkout stations were installed.

They were removed in favour of cashiers last year.

[–]siciro 1 point2 points ago

They pulled out the self checkouts from my local Walmart years ago and replaced them with 20 items or less mini registers. Which are now staffed with 60 year olds. So no improvement in speed or accuracy of ringing.

[–]MrDOS 1 point2 points ago

As someone who was capable of properly using the self-checkouts (I believe they took them out due to geriatrics unable to comprehend the things), the checkouts are notably less efficient. Now, instead of being in and out for one or two small items in a couple minutes, I'm almost guaranteed a minimum trip of five or ten minutes.

I really hope, in forty years, our generation won't be as much of a hindrance to the technological progress of our grandchildren as our grandparents are to us.

[–]Icovada 1 point2 points ago

Please explain to me why can't someone just not put some items on the first scale to begin with

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]Icovada 0 points1 point ago

No, what I am saying is: can't you just stuff a lot of stuff in your good old raincoat and walk away scanning just a milk carton?

[–][deleted] ago

[deleted]

[–]Icovada 0 points1 point ago

To at least pretend you bought something?

[–]HolographicMetapod 0 points1 point ago

I see what you mean, I think it works that way because if the door scanner happens to catch something that wasn't recently scanned by one of the registers/self checkout, it will sound the alarm. Or maybe I've just bought into the crap that store managers tell kids to keep them from stealing, heh.

[–]Icovada 3 points4 points ago

Nah, that stuff only works with RFID tags. The square, super sticky price tags with a metallic spiral behind them, that I have only ever seen on videogames, razor blades and parmesan chunks (apparently the most stolen things, here).

If you didn't have to wipe the item on a giant magnet with black and yellow stripes all over saying "WARNING: DO NOT PLACE CREDIT CARDS OR ELECTRONIC DEVICES HERE" then there's no anti-theft device on it

[–]Wackydude1234 0 points1 point ago

I once had a guy place his debit card on my one at a usual checkout and then wondered why his card wouldn't work...

[–]Wackydude1234 0 points1 point ago

You're one of few people who do know how to do it...

[–]RKO36 3 points4 points ago

As someone that sometimes has to run 8 self scan registers on Sunday, I couldn't agree more with this.

[–]CountSheep 1 point2 points ago

What is this from??

[–]JosephSF 4 points5 points ago

[–]Wackydude1234 0 points1 point ago

You had to remind me of my job on my day off, didn't you!

[–]kieronboz 0 points1 point ago

I mock my colleagues who have to work on those.

[–]SomeGuy565 0 points1 point ago

This post makes ms feel smart. Never had a problem with any of the self scanners and I like use them everywhere I can since there's never a line.

[–]siciro 1 point2 points ago

The self checkouts at my local fred meyers are seamless and never screw up. I love shopping there.

[–]rosseloh 1 point2 points ago

When available, I exclusively use self-checkouts (I'm not a fan of cashiers making sarcastic assumptions about what I'm cooking on a given night based on my sometimes erratic groceries). I somewhat-jokingly think they need to have a training course for people before you're allowed to use the things.

I don't find it difficult... for me the process is: scan item, put on scale/in bag, repeat until finished, swipe card, sign name, take stuff. You don't even need to push any buttons on the touchscreen if you do things in the right order.

And then I get stuck behind the person who has to painstakingly read every single option on the screen before they push a button (including the "choose language" one at the beginning), and forgets to put things on the scale, causing it to time out and require the operator to come over...and so on.

[–]krystalbee 0 points1 point ago

That is EXACTLY how I feel every time I work the self check. It drives me insane.