Figured we could have a topic for comments, questions, funny or crappy experiences on self checkout.
Today was my first official shift (8 hours, whew!) on U-Scan, or Self-Checkout (Express!). Prior to today, I had roughly two hours or so of training (about 2-3 months ago) before my official promotion to cashier. That being said, I did have good trainers and I have had practice while "doing breaks" for cashiers, which includes U-Scan.
Overall? I did great! Basically it is learning through practice, a whole bunch of clearing scale weight mistakes by touchy customers that won't leave bags alone, or the occasional child or mental midget that finds humor in spinning the bag rack. Scanning coupons is most of the work, and voiding off items can be a pain, but as a cashier you're basically playing mommy to a bunch of folks that can barely function enough to play the cashier game.
I say express because one lady had 25 items and was slowly scanning them, line was long and I was trying to buy a slim jim for my break. Every actual register was backed up too, but we're discouraged from using them for break purchases (makes no sense.) That, and one machine ran out of money so I was told to close it down, but didn't make any mistakes and learned pretty much everything so next time will be a piece of cake. Even weathered the storm twice fixing every person's problem.
I wouldn't mind one day a week of U-Scan, but preferably not 8 hours because it got very boring and I was mostly just putting baskets back and discarding loose bags/unwanted receipts and coupons, and for some reason standing around made me more tired than regular cashier work. Also having cigarettes down past the last register is annoying!
TL;DR
How do you feel about self checkout? Crazy experiences?
my first day at uscan the person had called out and they were like "so..youre the only person here that can do it." they trained me for 5 mins and was like yeah bye. it was very stressful.
but i do it every week now and it's not bad just BORING. they also try to enforce dumb rules over there and they change them every week.
I actually hated U Scan at first because it was really hectic and I checked every scale error instead of knowing which to clear. Now I know things like celery, flowers, precooked chicken, etc. always need to be cleared and not checked at all. Then you'd have long stretches of just standing there, which could get really boring. Now, I actually really enjoy it and like when I have long U Scan shifts. I'm not a people person at all, and I love that I'm not forced to say "Hi, how are you?" and "Have a nice day!" incessantly to everyone. Well, I'm probably supposed to, but no one gives a **** if I don't.
I've found that it's important to stay busy during U Scan shifts. I am constantly running baskets back and forth and wiping down machines. It's great because you get to keep moving instead of just standing in one spot your whole shift when you're on a lane.
And yes, OMG I don't understand how people can be THAT stupid. Jesus Christ. Every single day, you get people that just STARE DIRECTLY AT THE MACHINE AND DO NOTHING when it says to put the bags back in the bagging area! Jesus ****ing Christ, people! How retarded can you get??? Just do what the machine says and it won't yell at you! I've just started clearing everything when they remove the merchandise and monitoring the machine to make sure their payment has gone through. I've had no problems with people not paying so far.
The only thing I absolutely HATE about U Scan is when you get people with 30 coupons that try to come through. USE A LANE IF YOU HAVE THAT MANY COUPONS. Jesus people.
My only problem with U-Scan is when something triggers it to call for an attendant when there is absolutely no need for it. Ours do that for some reason... (not just me), and our attendants are a bit slow to react and clear it out.
Sometimes I like to be a wise ass and make it speak Spanish.
My only problem with U-Scan is when something triggers it to call for an attendant when there is absolutely no need for it. Ours do that for some reason... (not just me), and our attendants are a bit slow to react and clear it out.
Sometimes I like to be a wise ass and make it speak Spanish.
some items will never weigh right like flowers or clearance items sometimes. but i agree most of our u scan attendants are very slow to react.. could be that they are old but they literally just stand at the podium so i'm not sure what they are doing.
I prefer the Spanish voice.. i dont know Spanish but it's not as annoying
I hate U-Scan. It's always super loud and annoying... It also takes jobs from normal cashiers and sometimes people are just too lazy to get crap off their buggies and I have to run them down to get them to pay for things. It's rough, man.
-- Edited by BagBoy on Tuesday 18th of August 2015 11:51:02 PM
__________________
Would you like fries with th... I mean, your milk in a bag?
U-Scan/ Self-Checkout could be either terrible or great to operate depending on the given day. Sometimes most of the customers will get through their transactions okay and I can just stand up there and do nothing but most of the time some customer will line up with a cart full of 50 items and have a ton of coupons to go with it, call me or just look at me while I am already helping someone else and then get impatient when I don't get to them right away.
The people that really grind my gears though are the people that have a ton of produce items and expect me to enter all of them while I have to monitor everyone else as well. Kind of defeats the point of "Self" checkout.
Oh and the people who just come in for ONLY cigarettes and expect me to drop what I am doing to grab their cigarettes.
One guy the other day finished his transaction, left the store, came back in behind me instead of getting in line while I was already helping multiple other people and then tried to complain to my manager that I was helping others before him.
U-Scan draws the most entitled customers on the planet.
The shifts would leave me in tears because it was always my fault our cashiers left at 11. Overnight was even worse. I can't get on a register if I'm the only one here because you're not the only one in the store!
I actually find the customers at customer service less stressful!
The shifts would leave me in tears because it was always my fault our cashiers left at 11. Overnight was even worse. I can't get on a register if I'm the only one here because you're not the only one in the store!
I actually find the customers at customer service less stressful!
Not too long ago, I asked a guy who works service desk how much he hated being yelled at by customers all day. His response was that it's actually not bad because he just gives them whatever they want.
It really depends on the shift. I open Self-checkout every Sunday morning at my store, 8 hour shift, and it's not that bad. I have my regulars who come in all the time, and they make it a lot easier to get through the day. You do get a lot of idiots, and a lot of rude customers, but what I've found is that I usually have one of my nice regulars come in right after they leave to cheer me up.
Back when I used to work the closing shift though, it was a complete nightmare. Drunk people coming in and throwing tantrums, all the young people getting upset about me asking for ID and not understanding why I won't sell them alcohol when they've just told me that their friend standing next to them is under 21. Not to mention that everyone who has ever worked the closing shift at my store has been harassed by customers who would throw tantrums, go around throwing and breaking stuff, and refuse to leave the store, yet our store has no security. It's why I refuse to ever work that shift again.
We do have a lady right now who chooses to work closing shifts 5 nights a week so that she can get consistent hours, but no one else in the store wants to work it. Our CSM basically just has to figure out who will complain the least if they're stuck working that shift. Though right now since we just had two people quit, they don't even really have enough people to have someone do the whole closing shift. Last week, it was split up between 3 people, with me having the 12am - 1am part since I work night shift on my other days. The person I took over for only had less than 2 hours over there that night as well.
I like to freedom to walk around a bit, but it's murder on the feet and knees on long days.
There shouldn't be a skip bagging button. On days when I've been super bored, I've tallied up the numbers of customers who press it. Generally between 75-90% use it wrong, and of those who use it wrong, they use it wrong 3 times per order on average.
One of the worst things about self checkout is that it isn't supposed to be hard. It generally tells you what to do in plain English or Spanish. Lately, I've started coming over and reading the screen to the customers who just can't get it. Before I started working here, I had no idea that the average person is so ****ing stupid. It's amazing that the country even works at all.
Couponers. I do hate them, but it makes me furious when they come through self checkout. I'm a hardcore coupon Nazi. It pisses me off so much when they bring self checkout to a grinding halt, so I always triple check the coupons, check brand, minimum sizes and quantities, and drag it out as long as I possibly can. Getting cigarettes, change, ice, whatever I can. And I always rip up abandoned Catalina coupons (and receipts).
Self checkout doesn't necessarily take jobs. I think it's more about getting more checkout capacity for the space. And they aren't good jobs anyways. As a new hire, if you are cashiering past drinking age, it means you have made some serious life mistakes.
What's really been bugging me lately is that they've been getting on me to pull customers out of line and take them to SCO. It's simply not practical.
Up by me its called Speedzones, and generally as a UC I enjoy and hate the machines at times.
Like:
-when they work properly and don't whine about anything.
Dislike
-When I am bagging near one of them, I get looks if there is no Speedzone / UScan attendant available (if they are away from the station due to having to do liquor checks or something else like the Service Desk. "Please wait for assistance" "approval needed." (Customer peeks at me and I notice the light above the station is red, peek out while bagging to see if the attendant is there, and if not, mention it to the cashier / an available cashier or call out across the floor to the Service counter so that the customer can stop staring at me cause I happen to be nearby. Seriously, I'm bagging an order right now, I'm not trained in those, and I can't do anything about it. You the customer will just have to sit there and wait while I do my best as a good employee to get some assistance for you if there is none obviously available in the open.
I like to freedom to walk around a bit, but it's murder on the feet and knees on long days.
There shouldn't be a skip bagging button. On days when I've been super bored, I've tallied up the numbers of customers who press it. Generally between 75-90% use it wrong, and of those who use it wrong, they use it wrong 3 times per order on average.
One of the worst things about self checkout is that it isn't supposed to be hard. It generally tells you what to do in plain English or Spanish. Lately, I've started coming over and reading the screen to the customers who just can't get it. Before I started working here, I had no idea that the average person is so ****ing stupid. It's amazing that the country even works at all.
Couponers. I do hate them, but it makes me furious when they come through self checkout. I'm a hardcore coupon Nazi. It pisses me off so much when they bring self checkout to a grinding halt, so I always triple check the coupons, check brand, minimum sizes and quantities, and drag it out as long as I possibly can. Getting cigarettes, change, ice, whatever I can. And I always rip up abandoned Catalina coupons (and receipts).
Self checkout doesn't necessarily take jobs. I think it's more about getting more checkout capacity for the space. And they aren't good jobs anyways. As a new hire, if you are cashiering past drinking age, it means you have made some serious life mistakes.
What's really been bugging me lately is that they've been getting on me to pull customers out of line and take them to SCO. It's simply not practical.
LOL. This is so old, but Im reviving it anyway. Whoever you are, I hope youve managed to find something in life that makes you happy in the past few years. Cause damn. Maybe you should start couponing, Im assuming as a Kroger cashier youre pretty broke. Maybe saving some money will allow you to buy yourself something to give you a little joy.
They won't work with my school schedule, so it's been very frustrating and expensive, and my GPA is awful.
About all I've got is booze since a hair test is probable in my near future.
Couponing is tough these days. We've had to change policy due to profound coupon abuse. One of the things about extreme couponing (also known as coupon fraud) is that you don't really have much product choice. Let's say I could still get deodorant for a nickle. It's a completely ineffective brand in a scent I don't like. How many should I buy?
Thank you, though. You're not wrong about being broke. Due to car repairs, I'm not actually making any money this month. And then I still have Christmas shopping. ****.
As a couponer, you pissed me off at first, but now I just feel bad for you. You seem pretty miserable and jaded overall. Yes, coupon fraud happens (a lot) and plenty of couponers are *******s, but thats just people in general. Yesterday I was able to score 22 bottles of Aussie/herbal essences hair products and two bottles of head and shoulders for $2.54+ tax after all was said and done. I walked into the store with four paper coupons for those items and was within every arbitrary guideline. When I first started cashiers like you really bothered me and sometimes stopped me, but now I just realize your issues are less to do with me and more about yourself. Its not even something I do out of necessity, Im very fortunate in that regard. It is, however, amazing for my anxiety and its an easy way to help out my family who arent as fortunate as I am without making them feel like a charity case.
It's these "extreme couponers" that are the sole reason I will never be a cashier again! When it takes an hour or more to do an order because they insist they have the right product when it clearly isn't, the coupons are clearly fake (usually tell me it's a facebook thing - we don't take those), they have more coupons than what they are trying to buy (no I will not ring up 12 coupons for 10 items, will not let me), and just in general do everything to try to get it all for free. These are the kind of people who complain to management just to get a gift card!
As a couponer, you annoyed me at first, however at this point I simply feel awful for you. You appear to be entirely hopeless and tainted in general. Indeed, coupon misrepresentation occurs (a ton) and a lot of couponers are *******s, however that is simply individuals by and large. Recently I could score 22 containers of Aussie/home grown characters hair items and two jugs of head and shoulders for $2.54+ charge after all was said and done. I strolled into the store with four paper coupons for those things and was inside each subjective rule. When I initially begun clerks like you truly troubled me and now and again ceased me, however at this point I simply understand your issues are less to do with me and progressively about yourself. Its not notwithstanding something I do out of need, Im exceptionally blessed in such manner. It is, be that as it may, astonishing for my nervousness and its a simple method to assist my family who arent as lucky as I am without making them feel like a philanthropy case.
I personally like being on U-scan more than any of the other jobs at the FE, because of getting to move around so much instead of standing in one place. I haven't ever done it for a whole shift because I'm not technically a cashier, but whenever I get asked to help out over there I enjoy it. Like others have said though, the average intelligence of Americans leaves quite a bit to be desired. And it always makes me laugh inside when the old lady who you can tell thinks you are stupid because you work at Kroger stares at the screen saying "please remove all items from scale" and has absolutely no idea what to do and why it won't scan her groceries! My most stressful experience was when I was the only one there to close at u-scan, and since I'm underage they called in a lady from the gas station to help me. That was a little stressful, and when it was time to close, there were people still coming up after we had made the announcement that we were closed and trying to check out. Now I had said several times on the PA that if customers weren't up by a certain time we would be closed and they couldn't check out. However, there was one dude who came up 10 minutes after that time, and sure enough, we were closed. We told him to leave and he pulled an attitude. Thankfully a guy on n.c. came over and made sure he left peacefully, but he was mad and yelling I wasn't sure how it was going to go lol. I guess I hate it when people come in at the last minute and then expect you to stay open while they fill their cart and then come painfully check themselves out. The closing time is when the workers are scheduled to leave, and they already have to clean up and pull tills and whatever, they do not need you to wait until after the last minute to check out! Anyway, all that aside, I do like U-scan, and when there are two attendants on our big one it is fun to stand and chat if its not too busy.
I personally like being on U-scan more than any of the other jobs at the FE, because of getting to move around so much instead of standing in one place. I haven't ever done it for a whole shift because I'm not technically a cashier, but whenever I get asked to help out over there I enjoy it. Like others have said though, the average intelligence of Americans leaves quite a bit to be desired. And it always makes me laugh inside when the old lady who you can tell thinks you are stupid because you work at Kroger stares at the screen saying "please remove all items from scale" and has absolutely no idea what to do and why it won't scan her groceries! My most stressful experience was when I was the only one there to close at u-scan, and since I'm underage they called in a lady from the gas station to help me. That was a little stressful, and when it was time to close, there were people still coming up after we had made the announcement that we were closed and trying to check out. Now I had said several times on the PA that if customers weren't up by a certain time we would be closed and they couldn't check out. However, there was one dude who came up 10 minutes after that time, and sure enough, we were closed. We told him to leave and he pulled an attitude. Thankfully a guy on n.c. came over and made sure he left peacefully, but he was mad and yelling I wasn't sure how it was going to go lol. I guess I hate it when people come in at the last minute and then expect you to stay open while they fill their cart and then come painfully check themselves out. The closing time is when the workers are scheduled to leave, and they already have to clean up and pull tills and whatever, they do not need you to wait until after the last minute to check out! Anyway, all that aside, I do like U-scan, and when there are two attendants on our big one it is fun to stand and chat if its not too busy.
Trying to clown on Americans yet here you are probably a foreigner and got free handouts. Most of the cashier cant even count the exact change a customer is owed without the help of the register. Im sure youre no different, free loader.
I am not a foreigner, I am a red white and blue American and I don't get government handouts. I'm in high school and I have a job and I do a lot better at it than plenty of adults. I am not clowning on Americans either I just think it's sad that people can't read the stinking screen and understand it! That's all lol you can't disagree that a lot of people are dumb
Trying to clown on Americans yet here you are probably a foreigner and got free handouts. Most of the cashier cant even count the exact change a customer is owed without the help of the register. Im sure youre no different, free loader.
But there is no change to count because of the change shortage. So no need to worry if you cannot count it.
It's really not that hard. She verbally tells you one, two, three what to do. Most people just fail to listen and follow through to the instructions. I find it funny as hell when the sco knows less than the customer asking for help.
Trying to clown on Americans yet here you are probably a foreigner and got free handouts. Most of the cashier cant even count the exact change a customer is owed without the help of the register. Im sure youre no different, free loader.
Haha oh yea forgot about that whole change shortage thing
But there is no change to count because of the change shortage. So no need to worry if you cannot count it.
I still miss the old SCO. It was much, much harder to learn, but you had so much more power (if you weren't retarded). And it was more stable.
You could even total it for the customer, and then press the card button for them from the podium. And if you were a sadist, you could even run paper WIC checks.
And issues regarding the weight of items were presented in real time, rather than a meaningless screen at the end of the transaction.
I just wish Kroger would pay more attention to the competition.
Winco's and Walmart's SCO machines can figure out that I want to pay with my card when I insert it at the payment screen. It's been like that for years now. It's disappointing that Kroger can't make that leap.
I think one of the worst things about working SCO is that it gives you misconceptions about how stupid the average person is.
The average person is pretty much retarded. Working at the fuel center, I regularly have to go outside and press the fuel grade button for the customer.
Has anyone else had corporate come in to their store and put little heart stickers on the floor in the middle of U-scan? We are supposed to stand on them and "turn around like microwave" as one of my co-workers put it. We used to just stand by the register and most of us still do, but I don't know what the point of these new rules are.
That's easy. The point of new rules is to provide the illusion of corporate provided value such that six figure morons can keep their jobs at the expense of ours.
I'm honestly and continuously shocked that Amazon or someone else hasn't eaten our lunch already.
It honestly shouldn't be that hard, considering all the waste, inefficiency, and mismanagement we see every day after goddamn day.
Has anyone else had corporate come in to their store and put little heart stickers on the floor in the middle of U-scan? We are supposed to stand on them and "turn around like microwave" as one of my co-workers put it. We used to just stand by the register and most of us still do, but I don't know what the point of these new rules are.
The points of the floor stickers is to established that the SCO Attendant "home" is. In reality, you will never be on the sticker and should be jumping from SCO lane to SCO lane to help customers. I'm actually kind of shocked they haven't redesigned the SCO pay station to eliminate the counter portion, which could cause cashiers not to lean on it and or be by it.
Has anyone else had corporate come in to their store and put little heart stickers on the floor in the middle of U-scan? We are supposed to stand on them and "turn around like microwave" as one of my co-workers put it. We used to just stand by the register and most of us still do, but I don't know what the point of these new rules are.
The points of the floor stickers is to established that the SCO Attendant "home" is. In reality, you will never be on the sticker and should be jumping from SCO lane to SCO lane to help customers. I'm actually kind of shocked they haven't redesigned the SCO pay station to eliminate the counter portion, which could cause cashiers not to lean on it and or be by it.
In other words, Kroger Corporate is implying that SCO attendants are too stupid, forgetful, or dizzy to "know" where their "Home" or "station" is???? How breath-takingly condescending, offense and insulting. Kroger = Kindergarten.
Has anyone else had corporate come in to their store and put little heart stickers on the floor in the middle of U-scan? We are supposed to stand on them and "turn around like microwave" as one of my co-workers put it. We used to just stand by the register and most of us still do, but I don't know what the point of these new rules are.
The points of the floor stickers is to established that the SCO Attendant "home" is. In reality, you will never be on the sticker and should be jumping from SCO lane to SCO lane to help customers. I'm actually kind of shocked they haven't redesigned the SCO pay station to eliminate the counter portion, which could cause cashiers not to lean on it and or be by it.
In other words, Kroger Corporate is implying that SCO attendants are too stupid, forgetful, or dizzy to "know" where their "Home" or "station" is???? How breath-takingly condescending, offense and insulting. Kroger = Kindergarten.
Exactly! It's not that we never stand in the middle if it's busy, but sometimes there is nothing happening and it is perfectly reasonable to lean on a register because you've been standing all day. Of course you shouldn't turn your back to a packed SCO area, but there is no need to come by and force us to stand on the stupid heart if there's nobody there!
god the U-Scan at my store is always a mess. I'm usually the closing cashier so Im there from either 2 to 9 or 2 o 10. Every single time i get to self checkout, its messy and the bags are pretty much empty because the lazy old man that opens is well... lazy. But thats not the worst of it. My supervisor, for some reason, wants EVERYONE to learn U-Scan. and some people cannot handle it. we have 12 machines so we are supposed to have 2 people there at all times. lately, the entire stores hours have been getting cut so my supervisor has been scheduling, not only managers to self checkout, but cashiers who cant handle the business of it. Our store is always busy. so we always need 2 people. but managers have to run the front end and they cant do that if theyre at self checkout. and they cant be at self checkout if theyre running the front end. so someones getting screwed. we're supposed to shut down half of the machines if there is only one person there but they would never do that in the middle of the day when its busy so its usually me who ends up ****ed. there were so many days where i was left by myself during rush hour, with all 12 machines being occupied, with customers asking for help from left, right and center. its frustrating. and the people that cant handle it, but are still forced over there, provide no help and make it feel like you might as well be by yourself. and we've told the supervisor before that some of these people just cant handle self checkout and shes like "wElL eVeRyOnE hAs To LeArN iT" like why tho? why not just stick the same people to it that are good at it? that the front end managers say are perfect for it because we actually know what we're doing? idk. its just frustrating overall. i prefer self checkout cause i hate those ****ing plastic screens they put up at the registers that make me feel like damn hamster. and i also like that i can walk away from rude customers and i dont have to deal with it too much as when im on the register and i have nowhere to go. but other than that, its stupid the way my store is run. just a mess.
what i like to do to **** with the stupid or rude customers is whenever their screen gets stuck on the "Help is on the way" message, and they say "I DONT NEED HELP" i say okay and walk off without clearing it.
I think part of the problem is that cashiers competent enough to run SCO are somewhere between competent and superstar at the register, and cashiers who struggle with SCO need complete and total hand-holding.
So, really, with only two or three cashiers on a good day, management is forced to choose between Quevision and SCO.
Quevision was impossible to meet pre-covid and appears to override SCO utilization in priority, so there you go.
I like having choices. Shopping alone for a short list, I use the handheld scanner, scanning items as I put them in my tote. At the check stand, I only have to scan the barcode to view my total, then pay and leave.
My only problem with U-Scan is when something triggers it to call for an attendant when there is absolutely no need for it. Ours do that for some reason... (not just me), and our attendants are a bit slow to react and clear it out.
Sometimes I like to be a wise ass and make it speak Spanish.
I was in another Kroger and went through U-Scan and for some reason it decided I "needed help." I was just buying a small bottle of soda. Rather than wait, I just left the payment on the checkstand that the u-scan watchers stand at and left. I didn't have time to wait. I don't "need help" to purchase a soda. And it's not theft either. They can review the cameras.
