A few years ago I had my first encounter with this infernal machine. I hated it. I even had a friendly employee try to walk me through it, but it still took 3 times longer than if said employee would have just grabbed my groceries and did it herself. I just felt that when I go get food I should at least have someone efficient help me be able to buy it. The only positive thing about those stupid machines is that it has allowed me to buy certain things discretely without worrying that the cashier was going to give me a silly smirk or glaring glance. Flash forward a few years to today and I'm able to whip through the self checkout lane in no time flat. And then it hit me, I am working for the company I shop at and I am not getting recompensed for it. I'm working for free, and that's crap! The self checkout machines are ways that these companies get to show their uncustomer service and just have you do their work. For that reason I think that if I am going to scan and bag my own groceries or whatever I buy and have to do everything myself I should at least get a discount. Even 1% off would be appreciated. I had to go through hours of training and learn their systems to gain the proficiency that I have now, but I am not getting rewarded, no salary, no bonus, no 401k.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
If I bag it, I should get it cheaper.
A few years ago I had my first encounter with this infernal machine. I hated it. I even had a friendly employee try to walk me through it, but it still took 3 times longer than if said employee would have just grabbed my groceries and did it herself. I just felt that when I go get food I should at least have someone efficient help me be able to buy it. The only positive thing about those stupid machines is that it has allowed me to buy certain things discretely without worrying that the cashier was going to give me a silly smirk or glaring glance. Flash forward a few years to today and I'm able to whip through the self checkout lane in no time flat. And then it hit me, I am working for the company I shop at and I am not getting recompensed for it. I'm working for free, and that's crap! The self checkout machines are ways that these companies get to show their uncustomer service and just have you do their work. For that reason I think that if I am going to scan and bag my own groceries or whatever I buy and have to do everything myself I should at least get a discount. Even 1% off would be appreciated. I had to go through hours of training and learn their systems to gain the proficiency that I have now, but I am not getting rewarded, no salary, no bonus, no 401k.
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Yes, they have reduced overhead expenses because I am providing labor, I even did my own training. Wow. We already know companies always shift their, tax/additional product costs..etc to the end user, now they are shifting even more. Thank you technology.
ReplyDeleteAmen....I am with you on this one, those stupid self checkouts did require training when they came out, I mean how many times have we scanned an item bagged and then received the error code "unknown object in bagging are". Now having learned from those errors everything is done consistently and without error, where is the grocery store love?
ReplyDeleteHa! That is SUCH a good point. I can't stand those things either. I always try to race the people who are standing in the self check-out lines while I'm in the regular line for a cashier. I've always won too :)
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