I thought Germany remained a very "cash culture?" Restaurants here in the U.S. still want my signature even though I'm using a 'debit' and not a 'credit' card ... LOL! Now that I think about it more, it may have something to do with confirmation of the tip (if any). I've been taught to mark the tab with "tip on the table" and leave cash so the wait-person gets the money immediately rather than a week or so later.
i can only agree. I personly don'T do it cause i think it not nessesary to make it easier to reduce the service i get and save more an salry for people that could also work their and earn a living form doing the cashier job. i don't need a investor or owner with a biger car for trhe price of one less employee he needs as i do wokr for free in his job to earn him money. an i pay for the jobless person in the end as well. kind strange to findthat good.
3 года назад
I know the concept, but haven't ever done it… not because of avoiding, but because I haven't seen any self-checkout yet.
Here is my story about the self-check-out line at IKEA. I used them once or twice but each time a security guard would check my self-scanned items against my receit. No, IKEA. That is not how it works. Either you trust me or you don't. But I am not doing the dirty work of scanning my purchases for you and at the same time being treated as a shop lifter. No, no. You got to make your mind up about that.
Wow, that never happened to me. In our IKEA there is one employee per quad station who keeps an eye on you (if you need help, but I guess they also make sure you scan everything). But unless you need help, they don't interact with you.
Ich hatte auch einmal das Vergnügen. Ich war dem Security Typen zu schnell und dieser war wohl der Meinung, ich hätte Waren unterschlagen 😂 Ist halt nicht jeder Kunde so schnell beim scannen 😜
Never experienced this. There is no security guard just a person to help if someone looks puzzled or asks for help and also to guide people to empty checkout lanes.
We're just so trained to battle the cashier at who wins at the check out. The employee scanning items at light speed or you, stuffing your groceries into your reusable bags.
For me personally it's because shop owners don't need clerks no more, but charge the same price. If I'm doing the work to check out, I want a bit of discount. U see, my wife worked as a clerk, and she told me that shop owners streamline away jobs by maximizing their income.
I just love to spread a little positive energy to the clerk by having a small chit chat and wishing a nice day. Comes back to me all the time. Very uplifting. And in times like these maybe even more important.
I don't use a checkout line because I don't get paid for using it. For more than 10 items the cashier is faster anyway. Furthermore I don't want to take away a cashier's job.
These self-checkout stations are designed to shame people into correctly weighting everything by a loud computer voice that is audible all over the store, stating that the customer must have made a little mistake scanning and should please repeat the process.
@@dutchcologne2767 Well if it's not working, must be screwed up by Controllers, not the developers. At Edeka it works fine, but leaving that gate, you need to scan your receipt 3x at least. Ze djörmanz did it again
@@dutchcologne2767 I have never had an issue at the self check outs at Edeka, Globus or Ikea. Just the standard random checks every so often to make sure my items are legit.
We need basic universal income so that people do not need to have mindless jobs and are able to pursue other interests, passions and be active in the community.
I call bullshit on that. If we truely cared about cashiers we would pay them decently, give them a raise at least for the pandemic or demand chains improve the work conditions. But we don't really care. Maybe I'm just a cynic but I would argue very few people actively think 'I would be out faster and easier with self checkout but I will stay in line and wait to preserve those jobs!'
@@user-bj2lu9qt3o weil du weisst wer das ist, oder weil du keine Ahnung hast wer das ist? Ich tippe mal auf zweites. Deshalb hier die kleine Stunde in europäischer Geschichte: Dass ist der deutsche Schriftsteller und Goethepreisträger Ernst Jünger im Herbst 1918 nach der Verleihung des Pour le merite.
@@BlackAdder665 No, I think Nalf could wear the smurf-look with pride! BTW: What RAL-Code is "Data blue" ? (more staturated like 5002 or lighter like 5012 ?)
Now you know the meaning of „Ich hab die Nase voll!“ But honestly it’s a little funny to see a tough football player complaining about the test :) Great to have you here again! Schwäbisch Hall tourist office has been missing you too!
I personally do this as a matter of principle. There was a big discussion about "service" in germany. Germany has no service except casiers at the grocery store :D seriously.. we wont let this be taken from us. Thats the only "service" we have :D .. in our town the selfcheckouts came .. and went .. nobody ever used them.
My experience is that 2/3 of the time the slef check-out doesn't work, because he can't register something, the weight is off, something was placed wrong and so on... and then you have to wait for someone to fix it and that takes much longer. Tried it a few times, now I just go shopping when others are working and avoid any line at all ;)
I was in Germany and noticed the same odd thing. In Switzerland its the opposite, the cashier is sitting lonely while people queue at the self check out
Yeah. I agree there SHOULD be a human cashier. Some things need sorting out, some people want a human aspect in their shopping experience or are just not that comfortable with the technology. But here they still seem to be these 'scary entities' 😉
I agree, and since the pandemic started, more and more people are using the self checkouts. Here in Switzerland, they are easy to use (as compared to the models I’ve seen in Germany and France), work well most of the time and there is still an employee helping the customers and performing special tasks like controlling your ID when you purchase alcohol. There should always still be a register with a cashier, especially for older people, but I personally prefer the self checkout system. You can take your time paying and putting away the groceries without the pressure of the other people waiting behind you at the register and the next customer’s groceries being slid onto your own.
The self-checkouts at the stores in my town only have a tiny area to put the scanned items onto. Therefor you can only build such a big tower before stuff slipps down, it takes more time too and all the stores got rid of the free bags there and you can' put your own onto the plattform (because it weights any item). So I only use them if I have just a few items. One store had this 'Scan & Go' thing, where you took a small handheld scanner with you around the store and scanned every item you put in your cart, scan the scanner at the self-checkout , pay and leave, but I guess too many people stole stuff this way. I used the scan & go option every time when it was avalable but got controlled every second time.
Hey Nick, I came to Schwäbisch Hall today. You really do live in German Toytown. The place is stunning! Disappointed though on two counts: no butterbretzels (bakers' were all shut) and I didn't run into Nalf. But I did bump into orange cat. Greetings from Munich.
Well, the obvious reason ist because self checkouts are still not very common in Germany and people are unsecure how to use them. But there are some more small reasons that might contribute to this fact - 1. the spaces are usually too small if you buy more than a few items 2. You can not buy alcohol or cigarettes in self checkout lines 3. It may sound a little sad, but especially in covid times for older people or people who live alone, the weekly shopping tour is basically the only social interaction they get.
I think there was a study that especially older people prefer normal checkout because they already have less human interaction in general, so that plays a role too in addition to it being rather new in germany.
My opinion is they should rather employ more cashiers then setup those selfservice stations. The bigger the acceptance of those get, the more jobs they will cost. The only purpose those things have is to maximize the profits by letting theyre costumers do the work they otherwise had to employ somebody.
And instead of having street cleaning machines they should employ old men and women (as they did 50 years ago) to sweep the streets with brooms made of sticks. Right?
@@ericminch that is the wrong kind of argument. The streetsweeping machines make the work easier for the person doing it. The selfcheck out systems cancel that work entirely and are slower.
@@ericminch why old people? And surprise... there are quite a lot of parts in my hometown you can't clean with a machine. So they use brooms. Reisigbesen are efficient.
I used the self-checkout a few times and it always ended up being a lot more hassle because I placed items wrong, some items wouldn't check out, I got various error alerts.... literally every time I had to ask one of the staff to rescue me (or they got aware of my difficulties because I was swearing and sweating). I admit, I gave up. Handing your items to a human cashier is much easier and a much nicer experience.
i had my friend with me last time, so she could see how it works, her problem was, too much going on, most of all the voice, naming everything irritated her and had her really confused cause she was concentrating on putting her stuff out, i had to finish for her, since she just stopped listening to it, telling me she wont ever do that again ... i think that they still just overwhelm many people. edit: i asked her again its mostly the fact that the voice names your stuff and there are too many buttons she dont want to think about, its much easier on the normal checkout where no computer voice yells around, she says.
Our self-checkouts do not say out loud what we are buying or the cost. The name and price show up on the computer screen, but that is it. No one else knows what I buy except me.
That's a great question. As I lived in Ireland we most likely used the self checkout. And I prefer these instead of waiting in the queue. The only time we didn't use and still not using it is the time the shopping cart is too full. Most likely there is not enough space on the scale.
I would only use self-checkout if I only have a couple of items and am in a rush. If you have a lot of stuff you need to pack anyway, and the speed and space at the tradional checkout makes that easier. It's only a question of principles, companies are trying to replace more and more staff with machines it all areas and make customers do the work themself so that they can increase profit margin. This makes life increasingly hectic, isolated and anti-social. Who wants that?
In Denmark I will avoid selfcheckouts if I have: fruit or vegetables that aren't packaged with a barcode, goods sold by weight that has since been discounted, goods with poorly made barcodes, goods where barcode is surrounded by metallic of flourescent backgrounds, goods with age restrictions, goods that generate activation codes, if I have a bottle return reciept (pant in danish, pfand in German), or if they require a scan of reciept to open a gate to allow me to leave, so I very rarely will use them.
Other side of the world (Australia) ... I haven't bothered with a human checkout for about fifteen years. My needs are small, why would I bother sandwiching myself between the mothers of four doing a fortnightly shop for six people with overflowing trolleys? Here it's a pretty even mix - SMALL shop, self-checkout or "under 12 items", BIG shop, checkout chick (or chap) with a bursting trolley. Simple.
Self checkout is only worthwhile if you have a few items and pay with a card. Only a few self checkout systems accept cash. And even now German people love cash what I totally understand. If you buy more (i think it was 4-5 items) the normal checkout with a cashier is the faster way. Payment experts also say the same. Some supermarkets have dismantled the self checkout system partially or complete because the customers didn't like it. I think there are different better ways to checkout while or after shopping, but every supermarket chain has its own concept.
Very true. And if I have only a few items I will not pay with a card for sure. - BTW for every EUR paid by card 0.2 cent go to the USA. You can say: German VAT 7/19%, "US VAT" on German sales 0.2%. - No no no.
@@kbm934 Mastercard und Visa sind beides US- Unternehmen. In dem Sinne "Steuer" - es ist natürlich keine staatliche Steuer. Aber wenn der gesamte private Konsum Deutschlands (700 Mrd EUR) per Kreditkarte abgewickelt würde, würden davon ca. 0,2%, also 14 Mrd EUR an die beiden Unternehmen fliessen. Das muss ich nicht mehr als nötig unterstützen.
Jealous of self-checkouts! Wo ich bin (Bergisches Land) gibt's nicht. We were lovin the self-checkouts in America on our last visit, even befriending the self-checkout overseer lady who was always right there to help us if there was any question about a product. I realize it is scary new technology for some people because whenever my dad was with us at the store, he refused to use them. I'm also still waiting for pay-at-the-pump gas stations im Bergischem. After 14 years, this week I saw what looked like a cash machine at the gas pump. I got all excited - FINALLY! It said Ausser Betrieb so I went into the store to ask what the problem is. He said, "That is only a Nacht Schalter." WTH? WHY? He said if they turned it on during the day, they'd lose a lot of money to people getting their gas and not paying. I said, "And how do we manage that in America? You have to put your card in before you pump gas." It makes no sense to me that this technology hasn't been adopted by all gas stations nationwide. Also, why have the system work only at night? By his logic people will start only getting gas at night, to avoid paying. (And to refute the argument "they make significant money selling candy and coffee, so they need you in the shop" in America you can by snacks at the pump too.)
Each time store personnel "encourage" me to use the self-checkout, I'll ask how much of a discount I get for doing the store's work for them. Invariably, the answer is "none," and I have to tell them I'm perfectly happy to wait.
I'm guessing people avoid self-checkouts because they aren't used to them. Self-checkouts are still relatively new in Germany and aren't available in every store, so people tend to just use the ol' reliable way, even if it is technically more inconvenient.
I’m used to them but I don’t like them. I’m the customer, not an employee. And I’m always afraid that I forget scanning an item and get caught at the exit and deemed a thief.
We've had them around here in Hungary for long enough to get used to. Still I prefer taking to a cashier whenever I can. Even if I take the self-checkout point, I find a way to chat to the staff overseeing it.
I absolutely love self-checkout, especially during the pandemic, and have also seen most people avoiding them. I can only assume that they are unsure about how to use them and afraid of embarrassing themselves. My local supermarket has only self-checkout between 22:00 and 23:00 (well, not right now because a 22:00 curfew is in effect), which has led to the store being mostly empty during that time.
For everyone annoyed at the loud self checkout machines, they usually have a volume button. I like to do the service of turning it down so it's not shouting at people all day.
The only slightly annoying thing about self checkout is that there are many different systems. F.e. at Decathlon you don't scan each item, you put them into a box together and then the system scans them. I don't know if there is some UV or IR sensitive invisible code printed on each face of the products or if it really distingushes them just by some AI assisted recognition software based on the shape and colour. It confused me the first time I did it. The regular scanning checkouts at Netto and IKEA are no bother at all. Especially at IKEA it is nice to circumvent the lines at rush hours and to just straight go to a self checkout line.
Got it, that’s why you’re doing those Knoppers to mouth curls, so your wrists look bigger than they are. And of course everyone, become a Patron. A spot just offered up. So jump on the chance to make his brain bleed. It’s fun. Orange cat...Poor Ginger. Excuse his French...uhm English, he’s an i****.
I was thinking more like: 15x Knoppers to mouth curls in rotation with butter Brezels. 25x coffee mug lifts with refills after each sip 200x page turning of sleep inducing books 50x Tums bottle opening and closings 500x hand sanitiser squeezes
Are you scared of typing out the word idiot now after they blocked your account for the ball drop 😂 you’ve truly been Americanised. It’s time we get you back on track. There’re better words to describe him than idiot. Come on.
Last time I used a self checkout, I wanted to buy a beer. The checkout terminal started to beep and wanted me to wait for an employee to verify that im 16 years or older. It took almost 10 minutes before a guy arrived and entered a code to unlock the terminal. My conclusion: Even if you have to wait 5 minutes at the regular checkout it might be faster not to use the self checkout.
Great video :) Good spring vibes, true! I wonder why the Unicorns have to hire a photo team when they have a pro in you among their own ranks?! About the self check out ... I have just a couple of guesses since I don't know the system you have there: a) Germans still love their cash (although it is less since the COVID story started). The self check-outs I personally know allow just payment with bank or credit card. b) You already compared service in the US vs Germany. So Germany has a bad service, but the Germans want to keep at least the "bad service" over "no service" :) c) due to my own experience at IKEA: it is a self cash-out.... I don't need an employee standing behind me and judging me if I do it correctly or good enough. d) saving jobs because in the long term many/more people using the self check-out will lead to the layoff of employees e) it is new and the knowledge or trust isn't there yet. Anyway I'd like to have the system in Germany I know from France: if you have a loyalty card you enter the supermarket, scan your card and you check out a mobile scanner and take it with you (there is a mounting at the handle of each caddy, so you don't have to carry it all the time), you scan all the stuff right the moment when you put it into the caddy (or get product information on the screen of the scanner). In the end there are special check-outs, where they take your scanner and your loyalty card and scan it at their terminal. You pay and that is it. You don't have to take out the stuff out of your caddy till you are at the car (but they ask here and there customers to take the stuff out and re-check it... so people don't get too convient putting things into the caddy without actually scanning it). Less amount of work, saves the time and it still needs staff. :)
One of the three Kroger grocery stores in my town (USA) has that system of taking the scanner with you as you shop. Scan the item, put it in your cart, scan the next item, put it in your cart. When you finish shopping, you scan the loyalty card and the total amount will be charged automatically to your Kroger credit card. I don't know if there is a way to pay cash with these mobile-scanning-as-you-shop scanners. You CAN pay with cash at the self-checkout lanes in Kroger (and all of the other grocery stores in my town). I use those self-checkout lanes only if they are NOT the type with the small area (scale) to stack up the groceries.
your drone shots are so nice. i’m fearful that i’ll exit the 10 cubic zone they “allow” in the berlin grunewald, and they’ll immediately confiscate my flyer forever. and throw me in the havel or something.
There’s one at out local Edeka in Munich, love using it as I can take my time loading up my bags.. Can’t deal with this 100mile an hour cashier scan and pack shit that is the norm here..
You mentioned the gorgeous weather. It seems almost every day is "Yet another beautiful day in Germany, what shall we do" day. Being from the PNW I don't get how people say the weather is bad in Germany. So I started to keep track of days where the sun does not shine at all. Since February we have had 5 days without sun.
I have seen 2 different self check out systems: the ones with scales, where you have to place your groceries on the one side and then scan each single item and place it on the other side, where the weight is checked... Those are so slow... Others without scale, where you scan your items and put them wherever you want, are much quicker and I like to use them.
The self checkouts at Ikea in Berlin always have a line, and Rossman just put more of them in because people do use them. Maybe it's a southern German thing?
Self-checkout tends to actually take longer than having it done by a cashier because people are not used to it. For every new person in the queue that needs to learn how to use them, you probably have to wait much longer than in the queue with a cashier. And different stores have different versions of it, so even if you use it in one store, there is no guarantee that you don't have to relearn a different system in the next store you visit.
If you have the choice between a human and a machine, why choose the machine ? Maybe shopping is the only time somebody talks to another human on this day. People even prefer smaller shops, cause they got kind of the relation to the sales person , like you in your bakery maybe. This "Oh you again, nice to see you" is worth something. Gives you a smile. There is another reason, people avoid to do something wrong, press a wrong button, need help, and if they get checked, they feel like as suspect of thievery. It's a very unpleasant feeling. You cannot do anything wrong, if somebody else does it for you. Not to forget: Self-checkout means pay cash free. Another topic.
If I'm going to have to bag my own items, I would choose self check-out every time. This way I can control the anxiety of not being about to keep up with the scanning. Win/Win in my book.
never saw a self-checkout here in Germany. but even in the US I didn't use them often. only if I had just a few items and the regular checkouts were crowded. with a normal amount of items I was always slower compared to the cashier. the self-checkout allowed to use your own bag, but to set it as tara, confirmation from a personal was required. maybe only because I (as a European) used a backpack all the time and that this was too heavy to be accepted as bag-tara. and the terminal always had problems to register the placement of 1 or 2 items. so the staff had to confirm the scan, making it 2 to 3 interactions each time. if another customer needed assistance too, I had to wait. so, no problem if I had two or three items only. but with a whole, regular grocery shopping assortment, the cashier checkout was always faster, even when I had to wait in line a bit. but my latest experience is from 2015. maybe the terminals a better now.
I’m from the States and I never use the self checkout line either. 1. The store pays someone to do that job 2. I never liked the concept b/c it allows the store to eliminate jobs (meanwhile the price of the goods don’t decrease).
Because most German prefer to interact with a Human Being. I also prefer to go to a Cashier instead of a Self Checkout Thingy , its more personal imho. Also, they arent THAT common, so people are maybe just used to Cashiers.
Sorry but invalid argument for me. The interaction with your cashier in Germany is typically nothing more than a hello and goodbye, tops a short sentence in between. Cashiers usually don't expect or appreciate a larger conversation. If you have ever spend some time in the US or even UK you will notice that the cashier there will greet you with a "how are you" or "how is your day" which will typically start a conversation that goes way beyond what you have in Germany. And in these countries the self-checkout aisles are very well accepted. So the interaction with a human being is surely not the reason, cause we Germans are not known to be interested in interacting with "strangers" compared to other countries. In my eyes the real reason is uncertainty avoidance, which is a typical German trait. Self-Checkouts are new, they look rather intimidating, especially to the elderly, and that is why they don't use them.
@@chriss.4744 Well, in major Cities its maybe that way. In more rural Areas its not, so i prefer to use the Casier and give them a Quick Chat. So in that Case, not really invalid. Even now that i moved to Bavaria a Year ago its still more pleasing to talk to a Human Being, but still, i live in a more rural Area. When i lived in Berlin i also used the Self Checkout because, well, big ass city, big Mall, etc. I thought that Cashiers there wouldnt wanna Smalltalk. But, all i wrote was from my experience, and what was true from my Point of View.
"Because most German prefer to interact with a Human Being... I mean not talk to them really... and not really say anything nice either... but you know... 'guten Tag' 'Beleg? 'Nein Danke' 'Tschüss'" 🙄😁
Message from the Editor in Chief: “I’m aware that you’re a little challenged when it comes to details. One might even say ignorant. Granted, an “i” is a teeny-tiny one, but an important one in this case. It’s Nalfi and not Nalf, NICHOLAS!”
these self-checkouts at grocery stores are still pretty new in germany and also many germans (sadly) hate to get used to new technologies...yes...pretty dumb...
I usually use the self-check-out line if I can. BUT there is one grocery store where I avoid them because it is so loud and is speaking to you. If you don't clear the box where you're putting you're items fast enough it yells through the whole store that you have to remove your items. And it wont stop. It keeps going until everything is removed. I hate this because everyone is starring at me like typical Germans do.
Same for me. The loud computer voice commanding you to hurry or to repeat the scanning because it assumes you made a mistake is even more rude than the cashier throwing stuff into your direction faster than you can pack it.
Germany still has a 'Bar Geld' culture I think. Try next-door in The Netherlands hardly anybody uses cash anymore specially now with Corona. And I don't need my wallet anymore.. just my phone and I'm done!
Just wanted to pass on some good advice I got from a doctor when I got tested for corona yet another time: first keep breathing through your nose at all times and second (probably even more important) keep your eyes open and look forward or even upwards! Closing or squeezing your eyes makes your nasal passage narrower which results in a more uncomfortable experience. Since I follow those tips, all the tests were so much more tolerable and I'm not scared of them anymore. Hope that helps :)
I`m a German living in Japan, and for the most time, I`ve also avoided self-checkout counters in supermarkets. However, since I started listening to podcasts while commuting, I`ve completely switched over to self-checkouts, when I grab some groceries on my way home. So, I don`t have to bother interrupting my podcast while paying the bill.
I believe (and of course I have no evidence for that) that we avoid the self checkout lines because we fear to use them wrong, don't notice our mistake and get accused of stealing something. I also notice that people tend not use them when nobody else is using them. Some stores have a single clerk attending alle the self checkout lines - sometimes even asking people to use them - and usually they are being used then.
Am I supposed to work for the store and pay for that privilege ? No way! Also, self check out is a pain in the ass, not to mention taking way more time than even the slowest cashier would.
Excellent point - German cashiers are FAST. I live close to Luxembourg and occasionally go shopping there, and God are they slow. In the time that they scan five items, your average Aldi cashier checks out an entire trolley with a week's worth of groceries for a six person household. If Aldi had a self-checkout and there are four people in that queue but 10 in the line for the cashier, the cashier would still be much faster.
@@joycastle. they're very fast! I'm always so stressed out at Lidl to get everything quick enough in my bag.😄 Rewe doesn't stress out their customers that much.
I always find myself struggeling with that...my thoughts about it: Cons: - If I do it by myself, there is another job for a person I often know or at least see a lot gone, who is in many situations struggeling anyway (not many very wealthy people who are well educated and can easily get another job are working as a cashier... I imagine in most situations those are students or just people who need something to eat too without a academic background...). - Self paying means card paying (or smartphone paying wich is more or less the same but with even more data being highjackable) in most situations... not a big fan of that anyway because the store / my bank / everybody who can get a grip on that info does not need to know what I am buying when and how often and more or less why. - In many situations you need somebody to help you anyway because the technology is not yet there to do everything like age checks (buying movies, games, alcohol, etc.) or if so, than more data transmission or steps are needed and it is just more troublesome than it needs to be. - If the person in front of you is not very good / experienced in checking out like that... it takes a lot longer than a professional cashier would need to do the same... so if there is a line, you are better off with a professional cashier anyway. Pros: - While I am pretty sure that a professional cashier is faster than me too, it is more fun because you are doing something instead of just standing in line. (how long? is it still fun the 15th time? not sure) But there are a lot of cons for a pro, don't you think? Maybe I am missing something.
For me, there is two reasons: A) if I have many groceries, and it's less than 4 people per line it is actually faster to wait in line and let the cashier do the work (focus on bagging stuff) B) They are hidden behind the checkout-lanes (i.e. to get there I would need to cross the other people)
People are just not used to self-checkouts... and in Germany, when something is new, people tend to avoid it like a monster :-D When I lived in Ireland I experienced self-checkouts for the first time ever and I absolutely liked them and I would appreciate if stores in my area would install them too. :)
I don’t know any grocery store in Germany which provides a self checkout. I used them in New Zealand last year and I love them. To your question... I think Germans often sticking to the well known. I just can say that till the pandemic kicked in it wasn't possible to pay by card at the bakery. It often takes a long time that Germans accept new things. Just a guess.
I only used self check out a few times as half the time there is some issue and I had to get help by the cashier anyway. So for regular grocery shopping I avoid them as I can wait a few minutes in line.
As a German who usually prefers self-checkout lines over a cashier, I really like the general avoidance of my nation because that means I don't have to wait in any line. I think most people are just afraid of them because they don't understand how they work and would need to get help from an employee, so just cueing for a traditional checkout is much easier. But as someone who regularly uses them I can say: Don't fear them. Just read the instructions carefully and you'll survive. And when you get the hang of it you can compete with the real cashiers about who's faster. As we say in Germany: "Übung macht den Meister".
Being technically inclined person, I wasn't ashamed to ask the cashier what to do with this or that at the beginning. Now, I use the scanning gun to scan everything then point the scanning gun at the QR on the cash till. I love this technology! No more competing with the cashier who scanned the items at the warp speed when packing everything in the bags prior to paying.
so many already explained reasons to avoid them but my main reason is everytime I use them I do something wrong and the guy needs to come to release this computer again at least three times. What's odd I never had these problems using them in foreign countries.......
the self checkout is just, people are not used to it. in my city (and its a 250.000 people city) in the middle of the city of the douzends and douzends of sumarkets ... ONE!!! has self checkouts ! ONE so they are basicly always free xD so people dont know how to do it, its also new for most people outside i bet the super big cities so no one explained them how to do it xD also there can only be paid with card at least at our so again most people pay cash and dont go there either. and then when you do a mistake (double check something) then you need to ask someone to remove it for you so alot avoid that to xD thats the reasons i guess
I noticed a few years ago that some supermarkets had started experimenting with self-checkout registers. I felt sorry for the cashiers, whose jobs were likely to be jeopardized as a result. I had tried the self-checkout, but felt more comfortable at the classic checkouts because I like to pay cash. The self-checkout registers disappeared again, probably the acceptance was probably too bad. Postponed is not canceled, that will surely come again.
Got the name of the book you're reading. Nice job filming the cat. Those testing scenes are tough to watch, bro. Stronger is better- it's true-and good to see video changes things. Cheers bro
The only reasons I don´t use self-checkouts are, when I have a lot of items, then it´s just impractical , or when I buy alcohol, because then I still need a human to verfy my age. But to be honest, unfortunately most Germans are just scared of and unwilling to adopt this new behaviour.
Self checkout feels like stealing to German people. Can you imagine the public embarassement, when someone finds out you forgot to scan the chewing gums? So we use the chashier line to prove everything has been paid.
I use self-checkouts most of the time, because I can scan the items at my own pace and don't feel the (imaginary) pressure of the other people in line behind me.
I don't see them in German grocery stores - but they are in the local "swedish" furniture store. For me, it's there rather the opposite from what you described: If I use they self-checkout there, I'm rather more under the (imaginary?) pressure of the line of people behind me, because now it doesn't depend on a cashier, but it depends on my own speed how long they have to wait.
Answer to the 'self checkout question': My best guess is habit. Germany imo can be best characterized with the phrase "We're very open to new ideas but also things are good as they are!" A weird mixture of open minded opinion but conservative action (sticking to what you know & understand). Self checkouts SHOULD fit perfectly with german grocery shopping mentality (you're there to get food not make friends). Yet as many aspects of digitalization the population just very hesitant to adopt self checkouts. And as a result most supermarkets don't have self checkous, thus people don't get used to them, so they don't install more.... you see where this is going ;-) I'm sure there are also business interest reasons just like with Germanies internet speed issue & slow adoption to digital payment methods. But that is my best guess from a cultural side 😊
I personally don't have self-checkouts where I live, but when I had seen them somewhere else the number of items you could scan there was limited, so you would not be able to use them if you did your grocery shopping for the whole week for example... but I don't know if that still is the case, I haven't seen such things for a longer time, its just another reason I could imagine
Every time I used self-checkout, I had to wait for a human to correct or check something and it ended up taking longer than at the normal checkout. At the two supermarkets, I regularly use to buy groceries, I rarely have to wait long and the cashiers work at the speed of light. I can hardly keep up with putting everything into bags.
I think it's just because self-checkout is still a very new concept in Germany. Here in Berlin at least they're quite rare (I've only seen 2 supermarkets that have them), so people don't really understand them and are maybe a little scared of doing it wrong.
Also, you can't pay cash at the self-check out. And a lot of Germans are simply not comfortable with the notion that all their purchases are registered somewhere. I don't even use a pay back card because I dislike the idea that my shopping habits are registered in any way. I use the self check-in at places, where there is nothing left to hide anyway, for example at the airport, where the fact that I left the country on a specific plane ends up in the system anyway. But not at place where it minimizes my privacy.
People understand how to use things. But people also watch and listen to these systems calling out customers for doing something wrong, implying that they try to steal something.
I don't use it because I don't want machines only in some years ... And I don't want to loose the option to use cash, also for amounts like 15.000 Euros or so. I don't need to have every penny I spent on file ... Nothing to do with fear of technology 🤣
omg! yes! The self checkout. haha! I was wondering the same thing because I went shopping in Penny few days ago and there was a long line at the cash register and I just decided to go through the self checkout instead...NO one was there. I live near Stuttgart by the way, I think it's a German way. lol.
As for the self-checkout for me it's two reasons. The first one being one, that several people already named. I don't want to be responsible for people losing their jobs over this. The second one for me is, that self-checkout involves paying by debit or credit card most of the time. I still try to avoid paying by card if I can, due to privacy concerns and because I don't really manage to keep track of my spendings if I don't have a certain amount of cash that I can spend and have to check my account and get new cash every once in a while.
I haven't seen a single self checkout in germany in my whole life. Probably 'cause they are not as widespread as in other countrys. But even if there was one, I would still use the normal checkout, because it gives one the opportunity to have a small chat with the cashier. Even more important now, were everyone is lacking social interaction.
On one side I avoid self checkouts because I'm not used to them because for example in my village or even the next bigger city we don't even have them and on the other side I like paying with cash more than with card also because I grew up like that and it helpes me to keep an overview of how much money I spend
