Even worse, here in Canada at the Sobeys owned stores, you can opt to use your own reusable bag (plastic grocery bags are now outlawed) but if you do they prompt an employee to come check your bags. They never actually check, but if there isn’t an attendantbaround you just have to wait there until they notice and end the prompt. I waited for 10 minutes the other day because the employee went off for a break or something.
Comment on Walmart, Costco and other companies rethink self-checkout, some stores removing them
gekkonaut@lemmy.world 9 months ago
unexpected item in the bagging area. place items in the bagging area. unexpected item in the bagging area.
Sway_Chameleon@lemmy.world 9 months ago
fruitycoder@sh.itjust.works 9 months ago
Oh man I nearly gave my SO an aneurysm because I started scanning items while she set up the reusable bags. Both of us were so over that stupid machine getting made about those bags sitting there!
Sway_Chameleon@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Oh same note too! If you dare start doing something before you’ve gotten those bags ok’d, or if you plunk down a bag before it prompts you to do so it’s like you’re committing a felony.
captainjaneway@lemmy.world 9 months ago
You gotta time it with a heavy item. Some machines have tolerances for weight (or so it seems). So I always pick my heaviest item and put it down at the same time I put the bag down. Basically bagging it and placing it down at the same time. That “tricks” the machine into not realizing the extra weight is from a bag since the bag should be within the weight tolerance of the heavy item.
I’ve never had it fail.
Cort@lemmy.world 9 months ago
You know, around the 5-7 minute mark I’d be dumping my reusable bags and walking out.
Sway_Chameleon@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I would’ve but I had just spent an hour getting a cart full of groceries and I wasn’t about to go do that again somewhere else. Plus I couldn’t imagine, at the time, they’d be gone that long.
anarchy79@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I’d keep the bags. You get what you give.
ilinamorato@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Is this really something people struggle with? I don’t understand this complaint. I haven’t actually heard that alert in decades.
CoggyMcFee@lemmy.world 9 months ago
You heard that message decades ago?
ilinamorato@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Yep. My local grocery store had them in 2003, and that was probably the last time I heard that message.
Jestzer@lemmy.world 9 months ago
The closest grocery store closest to my house is the only self-checkout store around me that still uses scales and they’re awful. There are certain items it doesn’t pick up on and it forces you to bag your groceries after checking out, making everything slower. I avoid that place at all costs, even though it’s the closest to me.
ilinamorato@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I think they all still have scales, but I think most people’s problems must be with poorly-calibrated ones or something. I haven’t had trouble with them in a very long time. What I have trouble with is the camera above assuming I’m stealing and summoning a person every single time.
Jestzer@lemmy.world 9 months ago
I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the ones I use have a disabled scale, but only that one grocery store I mentioned actually uses it. It could be that they have poorly calibrated scales, but if that’s the case, then all of the ones they use are. Self-checkout everywhere else is a breeze.
gekkonaut@lemmy.world 9 months ago
still alive and well at CVS in Manhattan as of last week. using your own bag just instantly locks the machine, even if you want to place it on the floor. I just abandoned it and went to the real checkout.
ilinamorato@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Interesting. Around here they all have options for if you’re using your own bag. You just hit the button and it tells you to put your bags on the machine, and then you go on with your life. Sad they haven’t rolled that out everywhere.
Viper_NZ@lemmy.nz 9 months ago
Item removed from bagging area.
lud@lemm.ee 9 months ago
I’m thankful pretty much every store here deactivated that sensor shortly installing self checkouts.
Transporter_Room_3@startrek.website 9 months ago
A Kroger near me recently updated their self checkouts and now they’re way more sensitive, they view any hand movements on its little camera as “you just slipped something into the bag I’m calling the employee over”, and you can’t mute them anymore which is the lost infuriating for me. I have trouble doing things with a lot of noise, and having a loud ass computer yelling about everything it’s doing makes my checkout take easily 3-4x as long. There is no benefit to disabling the mute button, it still screams for employees when something went wrong, and it only frustrates and irritates everyone who can hear it, employees included. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard the employees complain about it too.
Geriatrickid@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Yeah the Meijer by us is sensitive like this and when it starts inevitably flashing with approval needed an employee comes over, scans their badge and an overhead security camera clip of me scanning the last item displays on screen.
Which is so awkward to have to stand there with this employee who I’m sure is just as sick of the process as I am.
I don’t shoplift and I enter all produce honestly, it makes me want to start scanning my avacado as bananas.
Transporter_Room_3@startrek.website 9 months ago
Legit!
I’m already being treated like I’m doing shady shit, might as well actually pullshady shit.
Ibex@lemmy.world 9 months ago
Practice your sleight of hand movements. I’ve figured out how to make it look like I’ve just scanned one thing but moved two at both Walmart and Kroger self checkouts without any alarms going off. Helps a lot with my getting my employee discount for having to run a register.
Spacehooks@reddthat.com 9 months ago
Ugh I had a grocery store with great self checkout and then they added the dumb sensor. Became worst experience. I assume it was intentional sabotage to the self checkout experience. Least that is what I would do.