The Next Phase of Poor Customer Service

[TexOkie Shaver]

My wife came home from the grocery store yesterday with about 20 bags of groceries. She was so mad, she could hardly express herself. After she calmed down, she told me that her go to grocery store (an offshoot of a big box discount store headquartered in Bentonville AR), had completely redone their check out area. First she had to stand in one long line instead of picking a checkout and standing in that line. When she reached the head of the big long line, she then waited for a register to come open. When it did, she moved to that register and began to check herself out. Yep, no checkers, just a row of self checkout stations.

Needless to say, she is moving her business to an Oklahoma chain. We will pay a few percentage points more, but at least she will have a better selection that she can count on and a human being to operate the checkout.Also, she will be moving all our prescriptions as well, and at our age that’s a bunch of money they just lost.

But,I don’t fool myself. They won’t even know we are gone. This is how Sears, K-Mart, Woolco, Gibson’s to name a few, met their demise. Loss of customer service followed by loss of customers.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Where I normally go, they've left cashiers, but they've gone to 3 check lines instead of the 7 they had. That plus each line having people spaced out makes the lines go up the isles and around the store. I don't even know what's more annoying, waiting in all that, or trying to shop in an isle that's full of people waiting to check out?!

 

[Acmemfg]

Sign of the times...

 

[mrlandpirate]

This too will pass
When we remove our head from ......

 

[Mr. Bonney]

Yep, here in Arizona, too.

I'm half expecting the doctors office to retire the physician and then we can go in and do our own surgery and stitches on ourselves from a buffet style medical counter. (Only half joking)!

 

[Whiterook]

Does it feel like you are doing their work for free? I am betting the savings on cashier wages are NOT passed on to the customer.

 

[Atlantic59]

I see where you are coming from, but what they have done actually makes sense to an Industrial Engineer. It is scientific, but very impersonal.

There is an entire discipline called queuing theory that concerns itself with similar problems. Putting everyone in the same line reduces average wait time for all and provides maximum utilization of their equipment, at the cost of lengthening wait time for a few customers who are more skilled at picking faster moving lines, or get lucky in the line they choose. Note the single line system shortens wait time if you unlucky enough to get in line behind a person who is slow checking themselves out. You will just move to the next open checkout station.

From the public health point of view, they can maintain more distance between people and avoid exposing their employees to prolonged close contact with others who are shedding the virus. No more getting stuck behind someone writing a check, or having a long conversation with the cashier. No more switching lines in frustration. That means less time for everyone to be exposed to potential infection.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

Does it feel like you are doing their work for free? I am betting the savings on cashier wages are NOT passed on to the customer.

You can bet on it.

I wonder what percentage of customers will move to another store. Probably less than 5%. The sheeple will continue to follow the store’s direction. They might grumble, but most wont change.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I see what you are coming from, but what they have done actually makes sense to an Industrial Engineer. It is scientific, but very impersonal.

There is an entire discipline called queuing theory that concerns itself with similar problems. Putting everyone in the same line reduces average wait time for all and provides maximum utilization of their equipment, at the cost of lengthening wait time for a few customers who are more skilled at picking faster moving lines, or get lucky in the line they choose. Note the single line system shortens wait time if you unlucky enough to get in line behind a person who is slow checking themselves out. You will just move to the next open checkout station.

From the public health point of view, they can maintain more distance between people and avoid exposing their employees to prolonged close contact with others who are shedding the virus. No more getting stuck behind someone writing a check, or having a long conversation with the cashier. No more switching lines in frustration. That means less time for everyone to be exposed to potential infection.

The change in how they queue the customer wasn’t the major source of her frustration, it was checking herself out and bagging her own groceries. Her biggest complaint was that she didn’t have anywhere to put the groceries once they were bagged.

 

[Atlantic59]

The change in how they queue the customer wasn’t the major source of her frustration, it was checking herself out and bagging her own groceries. Her biggest complaint was that she didn’t have anywhere to put the groceries once they were bagged.

I agree that is poor customer service. They should have people bag the groceries and take your cart outside for you while you go fetch the car. They don't have space for that because their equipment was not designed for this some years back.

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

I agree that is poor customer service. They should have people bag the groceries and take your cart outside for you while you go fetch the car. They don't have space for that because their equipment was not designed for this some years back.

They just finished remodeling the store. The old registers were in place the last time she went. This time they were gone and the self checkouts were in their place. They just need to make sure there is a basket available to load the bags into as she unloads her basket to scan the items. But, she will never know. She has shopped there her last time.

 

[Mr. Bonney]

I used to avoid self-check out lanes, preferring to wait for a warm-blooded human to interact with. Then the lines got longer, then they cut it down to one human lane, then it was self-checkout only. Went to another store where there's at least a person there. But I feel it's only a matter of time before there's a Terminator robot at the cash register.

 

[Atlantic59]

They just finished remodeling the store. The old registers were in place the last time she went. This time they were gone and the self checkouts were in their place. They just need to make sure there is a basket available to load the bags into as she unloads her basket to scan the items. But, she will never know. She has shopped there her last time.

What if you could fill your cart and then just park it in a secure area and take a number. They check you out efficiently with trained people, bag your groceries for you, then call out your number. You go get your cart, pay, and everything is as normal from that point. I'm sure creative customers could find a way to mess up this concept, though.

 

[Whiterook]

There is always home delivery.

 

[njpaddy]

That's sad. My wife and I have had the opposite experience lately. The checkout lines at our Shop-Rite, Stop & Shop, Lowes and Costco stores seem to be shorter than before the pandemic started, and the checkers have never more pleasant and chatty (even with masks). Costco is the only store where you wait in one line and someone directs you to what they think is the shortest line. I don't use self-checkout unless I only have 1-2 items.

 

[rbscebu]

With labour rates at under USD 1.50 per hour, we just don't have self-checkouts here in the Philippines. Only cute checkout chicks, a bag boy and another to carry your bags out for you.

 

[Mr. Bonney]

I remember when I was a kid my mother would sometimes send me next door for a cup of sugar to finish a recipe or something. (That dates me!)
Now we'd probably call Amazon and have them deliver that by drone. Pretty soon those things will be requiring a retinal scan for verification. lol

 

[TexOkie Shaver]

With labour rates at under USD 1.50 per hour, we just don't have self-checkouts here in the Philippines. Only cute checkout chicks, a bag boy and another to carry your bags out for you.

You get a cute chick to carry your bags out for you? Must be nice. I might do the shopping for that kind of service.

 

[rbscebu]

You get a cute chick to carry your bags out for you? Must be nice. I might do the shopping for that kind of service.

Mostly it's one of their snotty nosed boys but occasionally you'll get a cute chick bag carrier.

 

[Doc4]

But,I don’t fool myself. They won’t even know we are gone. This is how Sears, K-Mart, Woolco, Gibson’s to name a few, met their demise. Loss of customer service followed by loss of customers.

They won't know if you don't let them know.

A polite and thorough letter to the store manager could alert him to your opinion of the new check-out system and your pending departure from their customer base.

They might even reach out in response and try to improve to keep you as customers. Maybe and maybe not but ... never ask, never get.

There is an entire discipline called queuing theory that concerns itself with similar problems. Putting everyone in the same line reduces average wait time for all and provides maximum utilization of their equipment, at the cost of lengthening wait time for a few customers who are more skilled at picking faster moving lines, or get lucky in the line they choose. Note the single line system shortens wait time if you unlucky enough to get in line behind a person who is slow checking themselves out. You will just move to the next open checkout station.

Indeed.

I very much enjoy the "one line" system, and wish it was more common. I suspect the biggest problem keeping it from being more common is the amount of floor space it takes up.

The change in how they queue the customer wasn’t the major source of her frustration, it was checking herself out and bagging her own groceries. Her biggest complaint was that she didn’t have anywhere to put the groceries once they were bagged.

Usually, in my experience, "self check out" is designed for the shopper with the smaller number of items rather than someone who will be checking out 20 bags' worth, and there are "regular" check-outs with cashiers for those with the big, full cart of stuff.

But I feel it's only a matter of time before there's a Terminator robot at the cash register.

"Get to the shopper!!"

"Come with me if you want to save money."

Costco is the only store where you wait in one line and someone directs you to what they think is the shortest line.

Oddly, I've never seen a Costco (here in Canada) where they have that. And this is where I most miss the "one line" system. (They do it temporarily in late December for the Christmas rush ... although I try not to go there at all during that time.)