Does your favorite retailer have self-checkout lanes? Do you use them? Some folks see them as a tremendous convenience, while others are pretty much insulted by them… “Oh, so I WORK here now?”
I use them occasionally at Walmart and Piggly Wiggly. Usually, I have too many items. Somehow, filling the bag and then trying to remove it creates a hassle. Or, I have too much produce, and looking up the price codes is beyond my ability. And, is it just me, but do you also slam your items in the bag so that the machine “detects” them? Because, again, not bagging is also a problem for the machine. I have better luck at Lowes Hardware. I think “hammer, one each” is the perfect application of self-checkout.
Anyway, Consumer Reports surveyed over 60,000 people about their impression of self-checkout. In general, people are happy with them, something like 70% satisfaction. Others have very specific complaints. Such as:
- Machine didn’t work properly
- Customers ahead of me took too long
- I needed help, but nobody was around
- I couldn’t figure out how to use it
There were differences between men and women. The biggest being “I needed help, but nobody was around.” 20% men, 2% women. Why do you suppose that is?
There are more interesting stats at the original piece, including a breakdown by age, so check it out!
So, are YOU a Selfie? Why or why not? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!