I’ve started this post a dozen times and it makes me feel like I’m being grumpy and I delete it but I hope you’ll see that I’m not really being grumpy if you read the entire post.
It frustrates me to hear people say they’re not a paid Walmart employee and they’re not using self-check. There are two reasons I do understand this kind of thinking.
First, those of us who are older will remember a time when we drove up to a gas station and someone came out, pumped the gas, checked the tires, checked the fluid under the hood, had a nice conversation with us and we paid (or it went on daddy’s bill <G>) and we drove off. Now, rain or shine, snow, ice, frigid wind blowing . . either us or our husbands are out pumping our own gas, looking at the tire closest to gas going into the car and hoping the tires are right. That’s our “new” (though not very new) normal. Life has changed since the date of Pete at the gas station chit chatting while filling my Mustang with gas, then putting it on dad’s tab, while I was off to A&W Root Beer to meet my friends.
Everything changes. Obviously Walmart doesn’t care what we think . . they never asked me what I thought about self checkers. In fact, the Neighborhood Market closest to me has been remodeled and now has zero live checkers and I’ve heard that as they remodel the stores, that will happen in all Walmarts but I’m not sure about that.
Second, I can usually do the self check, bag the groceries the way I want them bagged, and be out of there in way less time than I can wait for a checker, explain to her that artichoke starts with an “A” and not an “R” (which actually did happen), not chit chat with a human if I’m not in the mood to chit chat with a human. Most of the time, when I’m buying probably most anything . . it’s about getting the best price for the best quality for the least amount of time. Yes, Walmart sells junk made in China but most everyone else does too — Target, Hobby Lobby . . most anywhere I shop. If I’m buying a gallon of milk that’ s $4.50 at the grocery store (and there’s only one near me that isn’t a Walmart) and it’s the same brand of milk for $3.98 at Walmart, and Walmart is closer, I’m getting it at Walmart.
Shop wherever you want . . but for me, if I’m saving money by shopping at Walmart and saving time by self checking, I’m happy . . or as happy as I can be since I’m out shopping and not at home doing something fun.
I can’t even remember the last time I didn’t self check. I have the Scan & Go app on my phone for both Walmart and Sam’s Club and that’s what I use. Scan it as I put it in the cart. If I change my mind, scan it again to remove it as I’m taking it out of the cart. Pay with my card on my phone at Sam’s; go through the self check at Walmart and show the QR code on my phone to the register. Done!
Yesterday we were at Sam’s and I didn’t really need anything (shopping when I don’t need anything is what got us into this mess of having too much stuff!). Sam’s flyer that came in Vince’s email had a bunch of stuff . . buy $60 of it and get $15 back. There were some things I needed so I spent the $60 plus a few – Tissues with lotion in them (with allergies, my nose is so sore but if I’m in the kitchen, I have been known to use a paper towel!), dental floss (I love Glide and it’s sometimes harder to find and was on the list), Swiffer duster refills (I use those things like crazy), paper towels and Bounce sheets. I had placed that order online Thursday afternoon to pickup curbside Friday morning. Then Vince saw some kind of promotion if we renewed our cards so he wanted to go in and renew our cards. While he was doing the renewal, I walked around to see if there were things I should pick up. I ended up getting a box of those vinyl/plastic sheet protectors for my cross stitch charts, a box of 500 envelopes. I buy one of those about every 10 or 12 years. I’ll give some of them to Chad and Nicole, but we were almost out in Texas so I think I have maybe 5 envelopes here. This will probably be the last time I ever have to buy envelopes since we mail so few things. I also bought a bag of caramel popcorn – snacks for when Addie is here, and a bag of flour tortillas. When I got to the front of the store, every checkout line was open and every line had at least ten people in it. I said “no way”, pulled over out of the way, got out my phone, did the Scan & Go. There was even a line to get out the door where he person checks your receipt but since I came from the other side of the store, where there are no checkouts, the guy walked over, I showed him the QR code on my phone that showed I had paid and I was out of the store before one person in line was done checking out.
So . . check yourself out or stand in line for 20 minutes . . which makes more sense to you?
Tracy says
I’m like you, it’s faster if I do it myself. I was a cashier at various point in my life too, it’s not a glamorous job, and some people weren’t nice, but most just said thanks and got on their way. I feel that the supermarket/box store has taken away the service aspect of retail, by the time a shopper gets to the cashier, they just want to get out of there. We have a gas station in town that, before Covid, would pump your gas, check the oil if you asked and wash the windows while they were at it. It was so nice, and small town friendly, I miss it.
Judy Laquidara says
Vince asked me today if there were any places that still pumped gas and I said “Probably somewhere!” so now I know where there’s at least one! Enjoy it and tell them thanks for me .. even though I’ll probably never experience it again.
Rebecca says
I’ve read (often) that Oregon has a law prohibiting self-service gas!
Judy Laquidara says
Really? So all stations in Oregon are full service? I wonder if they pay more for gas.
Tracy says
Oh Yes! I forgot about that, I spent a few weeks in Oregon during the summer of 2019. They won’t let you pump your own, they rush out to tell you too. The prices were the same as in CA, probably a bit more than MO, lol.
SusanB says
I just did a quick search and it seems that New Jersey (25 years after I moved away) is now the only state that still prohibits self-serve gas. Apparently Oregon removed that restriction a couple of years ago. There are a few, rare stations that have a combination of self-serve and employee-operated gas pumps. I ran across one in Springfield, MO a few years ago that also had free air for your tires. The free air is what I was looking for.
Judy Laquidara says
I don’t even remember the last time I saw a full service station. My uncle had a Gulf Station in Shreveport, LA when I was a kid. I’d go spend a couple of weeks with my cousins and we’d hang out at the station. Fun memories!
Duane says
I worked in a grocery store many years ago. Most of the employees had very few skills. The male employees; most of us were young, unloaded the trucks out in the heat, stocked shelves, and carried out groceries among other things. The older employees, most of whom were women, some who were in their 50’s ran the cash registers. They were older than us, and had paid their dues to society, and deserved to stay in the air conditioning. Their job was not easy, but it was easier than ours. It would have hurt me to see any of them out unloading a truck in Louisiana heat. When I see any store getting rid of the cashier jobs, I believe there are a lot of sweet old ladies, single mothers and some men who who would like to be standing there checking me out. Call me old fashioned, but that is one change that I will never be ready for. I don’t think the big box stores are passing the savings along to the consumer, the extra money most likely goes to a CEO sitting in a plush office in Manhattan. Yes, I still walk into the bank and talk to the tellers face to face. I have never used an ATM, and I will not until they make me. When I walk into the bank, I don’t have to show my ID to anyone, they know me. Technology is great, but there are some things that I can’t get used to. Rant over…….
Judy Laquidara says
I agree and I remember the days of the ladies checking at Blanchette’s, Broussard’s and George Theriot’s! 🙂
My son worked at WM for many years and he’s said how long it takes to train cashiers and how much it costs each store and I think the average amount of time a cashier stayed was a couple of months.
You’re right – the money is rarely passed down to the consumer but I can still do it faster and get out of there much faster than with most checkers.
Debbie Koczela says
Judy, there is no joy in grocery shopping anymore. Walmart is Walmart and we still shop there because we can get good value. I do love strolling through a Publix and Food Lion once in awhile.
My husband and I went to Sam’s Club yesterday also. I had been mentioning how the prices in Walmart, etc. we’re rising. We saw a news blurb about items going up in June such as Pampers, sanitary products. I said to my husband that we were going to get more toilet paper and paper towels before prices go up. Do I have room for storage? Not really. I won’t need anymore for the rest of the year. Value in that!
Self checkout…we do it all the time. Plus you are right in that you get to bag groceries the way you want them bagged. It is unfortunate because it takes jobs away from people. For me, I just think that it is their business and they didn’t ask me. As I mentioned, I don’t find much joy in shopping anymore. The only upside right now is that it is an adventure out of the house!!!
Judy Laquidara says
I’m not sure it takes jobs away because every store we go in has help wanted signs. I think too many don’t want to work or don’t want to work for the pay offered. I agree that if you’re having to drive to work, pay a sitter, buy better clothes, you may not break even but there’s a starting point and the only way to move up is sometimes to start lower than where you’d like to be. I would have staved if I had stayed with my first job but I started out filling in for six weeks for an attorney whose secretary was on maternity leave, from there I moved to a larger firm that eventually paid for me to go through the paralegal program. Had I sat home because I didn’t like the pay at the first job, I’d still be sitting home and would never have experienced a job I loved and a great salary.
Yes, it says something when going to the grocery store is an adventure in our otherwise uneventful day.
Liz says
…I don’t think that the number of jobs at the local Neighborhood market is going down since there are so many order selectors/checkers in the aisles! And, they are reducing the need for the regular checkers since their scanners are recording prices.
So, my market still has about 3 regular lanes with the self-check units in another area. However, they made the self checkout cramped and you take the stuff out of your cart, scan and bag, but there is no space for an extra cart to reload your groceries. So, I use the regular checkout lanes unless I have a small amount of stuff.
I’m shopping only every 3-4 weeks, so, I still enjoy going in to see what’s new at the store. And, I am also shopping for the freezer and pantry, so there may still be some buying stuff that’s not on the list.
Sara Fridley says
I’m the same – if I don’t have a lot of stuff and the lines are long then self-check is just the ticket. I firmly believe some people just need something to get offended about. If not Walmart self-checking then it will be something else.
Carolyn says
I’m with you I do self checkout. DH however hates it….
Joyce says
I’m one of those “I’m not being paid to work here, so someone else can check me out” people. LOL I honestly don’t want to have to figure out how to weigh the fruit I buy by the piece, etc. I’m generally not in any particular rush to go anywhere, so I can take the time I stand in line to let my mind wander and/or people watch. I waffle on whether I hate Wal-mart, or am happy the prices are better. If they go to all self-check, though, I will likely take my business elsewhere. I am happy for anyone who wants to do the self-check. I’m not opposed to the option, especially since it hopefully makes the cashiered lines shorter for me. 🙂
Judy Laquidara says
There’s something for everyone! 🙂
I hope your store continues to have cashiers.
Barbara says
I’m a Target shopper, it’s a loyalty thing, and I know so many people that work at HQ. Target has a long history in our community.
Other than a few quick trips to Home Depot, I haven’t been anywhere in over a year that uses self-checkouts. I struggle with using them. I get so many errors, “remove item from bagging area” is one I get a lot. If I’m just buying one or two items, it still makes you use a bag, which I don’t want. When it works well, self-checkout is fine, but when the attendant has to come over to clear error messages, or something I trying to buy doesn’t qualify for self-checkout, it’s more annoying than waiting in line.
Judy Laquidara says
Sometimes if we’re buying spray paintn or Nyquil, or something else that is “dangerous”, the attendant will have to come help us but otherwise, I’ve had good luck with them. I mostly use Scan & Go on my phone, scan whatever it is before I put it in my cart then when I get to the front, I grab a handful of bags and bag it as I’m putting it in my car. Of course, if it’s raining or snowing, I bag it in the store but I try not to go out on those days.
I stopped shopping at Target 15 years ago. I think we went in the one here once when we were searching for something, didn’t find it and will probably never go to another one. I don’t blame Target. They have the right to make their policies. I don’t expect them to change because I disagree but they don’t get my dollars.
Cindy F says
I prefer the self-check out. It’s faster than waiting in line. I admit to missing having my gas pumped for me when it’s winter…lol
Judy Laquidara says
Me too. Around here, we don’t have that many consecutive cold days. There are usually a few warm days thrown in here and there so I try to fill up on those days.
montanaclarks says
I’m a self checkout person but I just learned something from you–I didn’t have the Scan and Go app but I do now!!
Judy Laquidara says
You’re going to love it. I grab a handful of bags, and bag my groceries in the parking lot as I’m putting it in my car, unless it’s raining or snowing. I hope you like it as much as I do.
Claudia Wade says
I don’t have a strong preference regarding self check. Sometimes I self check, sometimes not, depending on my mood. But I do have strong feelings about Walmart in general. I feel their practice of hiring mostly part timers (who then don’t qualify for benefits) keeps poor people poor. It’s a shady, nasty practice.
If it is true that many Walmart employees qualify for government assistance because they can’t get enough hours at Walmart, that means as a taxpayer I’m subsidizing Walmart’s profits. So I won’t set foot in one. Lastly, given a choice (which I realize I’m lucky to have) I will ALWAYS choose to shop at grocery stores that are unionized. Organized labor created the middle class, weekends, paid vacation days, and put an end to child labor. Luckily I have a great, unionized grocery store nearby. I may pay more per item, but my husband and I are older, and we don’t eat that much. I will always pay more anyway because I buy smaller quantities. I don’t buy milk by the gallon, it would go bad long before we would finish it. So I buy by the half gallon or even by the quart, paying more per ounce, but avoiding waste, which I hate.
Just my opinion. Have a great weekend, everyone.
Claudia Wade
Judy Laquidara says
Right now, there are so many places in our area begging for employees. Some are fast food, part-time but many are full time, decent jobs. At this time, at least around here, people should be able to get jobs. I agree that part-time, low wage, no benefit jobs help no one but no one in those positions HAVE to stay in those positions – especially now with help needed everywhere.
Rebecca says
When they first were installed, I saw self-checkout referred to as “shadow work.” However, I like them especially for when I have only a few items. The husband really prefers them, so he doesn’t have to deal with other customers (“oh, you’ve been checking me out for several minutes, so I guess I’m going to be paying you…let me decide what I’m going to use” “do any of these coupons [holds up newspaper page] apply?” etc.)
Linda in NE says
Even more annoying than the couponers are the ones who bring in every ad they can get their hands on and want to price match every item. And then argue about said item. I watched that once in a store and I think the clerk was ready to bean them.
Susan Nixon says
Sometimes I do one and sometimes the other. I’m not crazy about self-check, but sometimes I do it. We don’t usually have long lines, so I’d never be waiting in line 20 minutes anyway. I’m lucky to have an Aldi, a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Mkt (because I won’t go inside a super store), and a brand new Food City all within 3 miles of my house. No long lines anywhere.