Friday, February 4, 2011

Reality check on checking out....

It is strange, how they just kind of invaded our reality. I'm talking about self check out automated machines. For the record, I hate them.  There is usually some item that comes up as a problem & an actual human has to intervene with the machine,  to get it to work anyway. I cringe to have a machine bossing me around-- SCAN YOUR ITEM AGAIN! or INSERT YOUR CARD NOW.  Hey! Take it down a notch, not like you are missing your break time.... ya effing machine. What is worse is if it's robotic voice tells me to have a nice day.That does not make me happy-- it creeps me out. A robot just told me to have a nice day, it's wrong on so many levels.
 Even if you like those machines-- you do know they are taking away the job of a human, right?

So many things are "Made in China"that we buy in stores... and now they are installing automated machines (who wants to guess if they are also Made in China)...
displacing workers of what few jobs we have left here in the United States.

Let's hang on to a thread of our dignity and join me in refusing to use the robotic cashiers.


What kind of customer service are we getting by allowing the stores to let us do it ourselves.... to do a task someone *should be getting paid for*.


Besides-- stick around those automated check out machines for a while & you can enjoy some colorful language & observe some serious frustration.

Hey! If enough people boycott the bullshit machines, maybe they will get rid of them & someone will either keep or have a job instead.

One web site touted this idea:
"So the next time you pay a visit to Walmart, check and see if they have the automated checkout system in place. If they do, go ahead and try it out. You might just never use a human cashier again."
Oh yes, wouldn't Wal Mart love that-- if they had NO human cashiers. No overtime, No health care benfits.  Not even minimum wage-- let the customers do the work!'


Across the pond in the UK:
"Tesco sounded the death knell for checkout workers today after opening Britain's first entirely self-service shop.




The Tesco Express in Kingsley, Northampton, has a total of five self-scan tills overseen by a single member of staff but no manned checkouts.
It is described by the company as an 'assisted service store' designed to increase efficiency and speed up the shopping process."

The point here is that while we have the chance, we should reject the machines. Sure some folks may find them to be "quicker", but in reality, it is just a quicker way to eliminate more jobs. 
1 person can oversee 5 machines- buh bye 4 jobs. 
Corporations like it like that. 
We the people ....  not so much. 




3 comments:

D.K. Raed said...

I hate them, too. Especially when they start asking for "optional information". Yeah, like I'm gonna give out my ph # etc while Mr Weirdo with The Dead Mouse Breath is creeping up in back of me.

I want a human checker! Didn't we learn anything from "The Terminator" movies?

Fran said...

Those machines must cost a pretty penny too.
I realize some checkers can be annoying... required to ask "if I found everything OK"....
Or the ones who have a 5 deep line waiting with full grocery carts, & they are clearly taking their sweet time & chatting with the customer about trivia.

But when the scanner goes amuck, they can punch in numbers & finish the sale....

The idea of going to the store buying stuff & then checking yourself out with a machine- therefore removing any human contact or interaction, is pretty creepy.
Consume! And while you are leaving & making your purchases you do the work & deal with a machine on your way out. It's like a Twilight zone scene....
Consume faster!

They remind me of the Hal 9000 computer. (threw the clip into the post just for fun!)

nonnie9999 said...

you'll hate me, but i love self-checkout. i can bag my own groceries the way i want them, and i can watch the prices as i scan so i don't get overcharged.