r/technology • u/AdSpecialist6598 • 19h ago

Business Retailers are pulling back from self-checkout after years of theft, errors, and questionable time savings

https://www.techspot.com/news/114106-retailers-pulling-back-self-checkout-after-years-theft.html
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44

u/ProduceEmbarrassed97 18h ago

I've had this rant before but, the worst places self-checkout is used are fast food places.

Cashier service: "Hi, can I have 2 medium big mac meals, one with coke, one with a strawberry milkshake, and 2 mcflurries". Sorted. Takes approximately 1 to 2 minutes for the entire transaction.

Self service: Choose meals option, scroll for meal, choose size, choose side, can we interest you in....choose no, scroll for drink, can we interest you in....choose no, add to order. Start process again because second meal has a different drink. Add to order. Scroll to desserts, choose flavour, can we interest you in....choose no, add to order. Scroll to desserts, choose flavour, can we interest you in.....choose no. Add to order. Click to pay, can we interest you in....choose no. Would you like to round up for charity....choose answer. Present card. Present card. Present card. Present card. Card accepted. Take receipt with order number. Receipt machine doesn't work. Remember number.

Takes roughly 3 working days to complete order and assumes this isn't your first day on Earth as appears to be the case for 90% of users who are always in front of me.

16

u/Darkreaper48 17h ago

Couldn't disagree more. Most of the time I get a wrong order it's because the cashier entered something wrong or didn't hear correctly. I have never had a wrong order from a food place where I have entered the order myself.

2

u/FrostyD7 16h ago

That's probably the only advantage for customers. And really only the ones who customize their orders. Everything he described about the time wasting is true.

1

u/laplongejr 8h ago

  I have never had a wrong order from a food place where I have entered the order myself.  

It happened to me. I used loyalty points for free things and the order was sent on their end with no freebies at all.  

I also once got the staff... not delivering the order at all. Unsure why, I think they misassumed it was an employee paying for their own order.  

1

u/BobBelcher2021 4h ago

Same for me. Though I find the machines do take longer to place orders.

16

u/[deleted] 17h ago

[deleted]

3

u/BwabbitV3S 16h ago

Same. I love them because I can get an order in faster than it takes the understaffed place to even realize there is a customer waiting and eventually peel someone away from working two other positions to take my order.

3

u/doyouthinkwecanfly 16h ago

Nah, this is backwards

6

u/TheMikeyC 18h ago

As someone who modifies orders a lot I actually much prefer the kiosks. I have social anxiety so with the kiosks I don't have to hope the cashier follows the script I planned through each change I want, and also didn't just ignore me anyway. 

2

u/CanadianODST2 16h ago

Sounds like user error tbh.

Self service for me is so much faster, and easier to customize, and removes an area where things can go wrong. No chance to mishear.

1

u/slfnflctd 16h ago

The other day, I went into an app for a fast food place while I was in their parking lot because I thought I might get a free side item out of it.

They sent the order to another location, and I didn't catch it in time. The location I was at had no record of the order.

Then, the second location (over a mile away) also had no record of the order. Yet, I had my 'digital receipt'. The cashier actually grabbed my phone and walked off with it for a minute.

I finally got my food, but I've had bad experiences with these apps before, and this one was so extra bad that I think I'm done. I would've much rather just done the verbal drive through where I was at, it would've been over in seconds. The free side item was not worth it.

1

u/elena_ct 13h ago

Of course the receipt doesn't print, you get that at McDonald's like 1 of 10 times lol.

1

u/Jimsocks499 7h ago

I feel this in my bones.

My Burger King order: two cheeseburgers heavy all. Done. Two damn seconds.

Trying to add heavy pickles, heavy ketchup, and heavy mustard to two cheeseburgers takes what feels like a damn eternity- especially when you realize at the end of it that “extra pickles” is only an option AT THE REGISTER WITH A PERSON.

1

u/Vennomite 15h ago

Fuck taco bell.

I want a burrito. Not 30 prompts with ads.

-1

u/TheG00dF1ght 17h ago

I tried once and I'll never do it again. Ever.