I use the self-checkout machines at Reasor's all the time with no issues. The one and only time I tried to use the junkers at Wal-Mart, it made me want to punch a baby. 
Walmart customer, angry with self-checkout machine, loses tooth in fight
- Thread starter Old Fart
- Start Date
No kidding!
Selection can't be beat in my town, and they are hands'-down much cheaper than our other stores.
This I can see... I get bombarded by folks when I go to WM... I usually try to go at 6AM when I get off work, makes it much better. The times I have to go in the evening or something, OMG... it's horrendous how many people I run into that I'd rather not see. I've perfected the "Wal-Mart Walk" which has nothing to do with my weapon, only with keeping my head down and looking like I'm concentrating on trying to remember what I needed or find something specific. Then, when someone recognizes me and says, "Hey, man!" I can usually just nod back or reply the same half-distractedly and stave off any attempts at conversation. Works about 80-90% of the time, thank God, or I'd NEVER get out of that God-forsaken place!
I use the self-checkout machines at Reasor's all the time with no issues. The one and only time I tried to use the junkers at Wal-Mart, it made me want to punch a baby seal with spiked brass knuckles.
FIFY.
I do not use the self-checkout EVER ... If I wanted to work at Wal-Mart ... or Home Depot ... or any other place that has those things I'd go in and fill out an application.
Weird--it's like you know me or something. Have you been following me? Do you work for the NSA?
I wish they'd keep the self-check counters open 24x7, so I don't have to wait in a 30-minute line at 11pm while the slowest checker in the entire Wal-Mart corporate structure mans the only open register in the whole damned store--and has to request a price check because some chick brought up a cartload of all the store's items with no bar codes on them. I'm surprised that they haven't figured out that you can have that one checker cover seven or eight self-check registers; that would seem to be right in Wal-Mart's corporate wheelhouse.
And I LOVE the self-checkout at Home Depot--I don't know the PIN for my debit card, so I always hit Cancel, and the HD machine automagically runs it as a credit card. On the WM system, it doesn't matter if I press Credit first, it tries to run it as a Debit card and asks me for the PIN, then when I hit "Cancel," I have to go back and choose Credit AGAIN. At least I can skip the superfluous first step by just swiping the daggone card...
ETA: DO I LOOK LIKE A <BLEEP>ING PEOPLE PERSON TO YOU?
Since it's just for me, I usually shop lightly at Walmart. With a few items in my cart, I see no point in waiting in line at the checker's station behind several people with heavily laden carts. If I can just scan the items myself at an available kiosk, pay, and leave before the checker is halfway through the first prepper's cart - why not? My time is worth something.
^^^^This. OMG.
Yes, your time is worth double that of a Wal-Mart checker because they 1.) aren't paying someone to check you out, and 2.) you're doing the work they would normally have to pay someone (like, if they ever opened up an extra lane) for free.
That's also why they make it just inconvenient enough that people peel off the regular lanes and head over to the self-checkout lane. I'm finding more and more, there are no checkers available at certain hours - that to me is just plain wrong.
I really hate when the person working the self-checkout bull-pin comes over and tries to take you out of the lane you're in and says "I can get you over here" only to lead you into the stock-yard of self-checkout Bull$#!+ and leave you (that's happened to me once - never again).
Thankfully I live in a place where I'm not forced to shop there, but before I moved, I was in a small enough town that "not shopping" at Wal-Mart meant a 45 minute trip. Why wasn't I able to shop at other local stores? Because they all shut down when Wal-Mart undercut their prices (and then subsequently raised them and stopped selling a lot of items those other local shops sold).
Fun fact, the city council in my old town gave Wal-Mart free land and tax-breaks to lure them in - those same tax-breaks and free land were not given to the small local shops.
Man, some of you guys are really angry... 
I have smooth experiences at self check devices, and I have issues, I don't let it bother me. It's change, and it is here to stay, and will grow and expand, so I suggest you get used to it.
Reducing staff for check out has been on all retailers radar screen for a couple of decades now.
I have smooth experiences at self check devices, and I have issues, I don't let it bother me. It's change, and it is here to stay, and will grow and expand, so I suggest you get used to it.
Reducing staff for check out has been on all retailers radar screen for a couple of decades now.
Its because it costs less money to the retailer when you choose 'debit'. And the king of retailers is the king of saving money too.
When youre at the checkout of any store, youll be posed a question debit or credit? And although the outcome seems the same (a deduction from your checking account), its a different process with different consequences, and it uses two different networks.
So you have a Visa check card. Choose credit and youll be asked to sign for you purchase. All signature transactions go through the Visa network, and come with the additional security offered by credit card companies. That includes fraudulent use protection and Visas Zero Liability Policy.
But stores really dont like this option, which is why they ask you the debit or credit question. And the reason? Banks get a much larger percentage fee from the merchant or vendor when you sign for your goods, and it is an enormous source of non-traditional revenue. Thats why banks offer reward points and incentives to check card holders who choose the credit option (my banks debit card tied to my checking account is a cash back rewards card).
On the other hand, when you choose debit, youll be asked for a 4-digit PIN number. This purchase is then processed through an EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) system like STAR or NYCE, etc. These networks dont provide the additional liability protection offered by Visa. However, the store wont incur the same hefty fee that they will have to pay if you choose credit, so stores like this option. The debit/PIN# is the only option that allows a cash back transaction, and doing it this way avoids ATM fees, so it's a good choice when you do need some cash. Its possible that more people choosing the debit option will equate to lower prices in stores, but theres really no way to predict what stores would do with any extra savings most likely, theyll get passed on to the shareholders.
