Why some stores are bringing back human cashiers 

I worked as a cashier in major retail stores for years. It is a horrible job. I hope that there will be a rise in pay for cashiers, since human cashiers deter theft.

I like the self checkouts. 1. No conversations. 2. You are not asked if you wanna donate to a charity, well you just push a button. 3. You are not judged on what you buy or asked questions about it. 4. Regular checkout lines are too long when you just have a couple of items. 5. Fast and convenient. 6. Bag my own stuff “correctly”. 7. Lines are relatively short due to small orders. 8. In and out, no pleasantries. 9. I like having options. 10. I can use as many plastic bags as I want without getting dirty looks from a cashier when I want something double bagged. One last note, when you buy a restricted item like beer and whatnot, you have to wait for the attendant to check your ID. All in all, more pros than cons.

I don’t necessarily need conversation with a human to pay for my groceries. I like to check out as quick as possible and the self checkout option allows me to do this. Despite the frustration of machine errors and such, I still prefer it over going into an actual cashier check out line.🤷🏽‍♀️

Self checkout is easy, fast, and convenient. I also don't want to have small talk with the cashier. I just wanna pay for my stuff and go.

I ran to my local grocery store the other day for rolls, salad dressing, and a bag of candy. 3 items. I still had to stand in the self checkout like for 10mins as people with full grocery carts were ahead of me. Self checkouts should be for quick purchases. If you are doing your weekly shopping, go to a cashier for your 10-15min checkout and don't make the quick line longer than it needs to be.

I worked as a produce clerk in the early 80's in southern California when if you worked full-time, paid enough to buy a modest house. I left in '84 to pursue a master's degree out of state, with my boss trying to convince me to stay, saying I could make a good living without a degree. LOL. Went on to work as a mental health clinician, and shortly thereafter law school, and switching between practicing law and going back to mental health a few times. Thank God I didn't listen to the store manager.

I like to get In and out! If you're busy/running late it's a great option! Glad there are people who enjoy the interaction. To each their own. I would definitely ask to increase enforcement of the 10-15 items or less rule. That's where things get backed up with lines.

I love self-checkout. I've been using it for years. I recently tried checking out with a cashier and she totally over rung several of my items, adding more than I actually had. Because of the high bill, I checked it and when I told her, we then went to customer service where she then removed all of the extra's. I swore never again to use a Walmart cashier. Plus cashier's are much slower and do not bag my items how they should be bagged. So self-checkout is the way for me.

“If I’m going to do the work give me a discount” 😂😂😂 By the way they like a chatty cashier??? Are they nuts??? 😂😂

I like to get in and get out and that’s when I have to go to the store. No long ass waits, and no conversation …Thieves have screwed it up for everybody.

In Sweden we have portable scanners that you can activate using your membership card. You can then scan each item as you pick them off the shelf. Once you’re ready to checkout you drop off the scanner at the charging port, scan your membership card at the self-checkout screen and it’ll bring up all the groceries you scanned. Takes like 20 seconds to get through checkout and we’ve had this system for about the last 15 years

Self-checkouts are quick and simple to use. Just learn how to use them and always be prepared. I find there's more human error than technical error. Don't pick up items from they are on the scale. Save double bagging until after you have paid. Don't attempt to purchase something without a fully intact bar code. Pay attention. People making mistakes, disputing prices, using a ton of coupons, or are up to something shady are what hold up the lines. Those are the people that need to go to a cashier instead. Those are the longest lines because people focus more on chatting than getting in and out of the store.

I miss the professional cashiers they had up until a few years ago at my local supermarket. They were super fast, didn’t waste time talking but yet were very polite. Just took a couple of minutes to get through a full cart. The decisions stores made in shifting to mostly self checkouts are misguided. Shoppers in general do not purchase as much when they know they have to use self checkouts.(especially when they don’t provide a large area to work it). I know I don’t.

I love self checkout. I just hate when people with a cart full of items use self checkout and hold everyone up.

I personally hate human interaction at the store. I would much rather go into a store, purchase what I need, pay and get the heck outta there. I don’t care about having a conversation with someone I don’t know and I hate small talk. It’s a waste of my time. I hope that stores keep self checkouts but use new technologies to deter theft & loss.

Last year, I paid for something twice over the machine that gave me an error message and i thought the transaction didn’t go through. Earlier today, someone didn’t pay for their groceries when I wasn’t able to scan my items. I’d be happy to see companies lose money over self checkouts.

If a cashier is gossiping about everybody else's business. She's also gossiping to everybody else about (your) business.

I love self checkout. I hate having to interact with people ❤

I’m happy using self checkout. Not much of a talker.

Such a bad idea. When I go into the store, I don’t wanna talk to anyone…especially rude cashiers that most of the time don’t say hello or thank you

Yes, self-checkout should be for those quick in and out purchases. There are so many cashier lanes at Walmart and half the time only like 1 or 2 are in use. Hopefully, this will stop theft and promote a friendly cashier experience. Companies have been getting away with not training cashiers in customer service skills as well. At some store if you do go to a cashier other than Publix, the cashiers are so rude. They don't want to deal with any nuances such as using a coupon or too much items. I've had one cashier see the amount of items I had, turned to the cashier next to him and said you know I don't like scanning big purchases and walked off leaving the other cashier with no option but to assist. Enfamil sends coupons through the mail for formula and not everyone gets assistant to buy formula so what do you do use it! It took nearly 30 mins for the cashier to figure out how to use it. They also are almost always staring at their phones instead of taking the time to say hi. There's pros and cons for both methods.

I hope they also bring security detail to help cashiers when customers get out of control. That's been happening more and more these past few years. It's gone beyond being rude to cashiers and customer service reps (already not cool)...now it's crossed over into physical harm!

I love self-checkout, I find them super easy to do.

Our local Home Depot went all self checkout. WTAF!! That was a HUGE mistake to have gen pop have to count, search, and enter wood, nails, screws and everything else. The lines were horrendous! After that, I shopped elsewhere. 🛍

I only like self check outs if I’m buying a couple things. I don’t want to bring a week’s worth of groceries through the self check out.

Not to offend anyone but my problem is slow people that are awkward with self- checkout. They hold up the line because they don’t know what they’re doing. They want to use it because they’re in a hurry but you can tell that they aren’t savvy at using it. I can take self-checkout or leave them really.

I prefer self check out. It’s usually faster I like no interactions and know how to do it efficiently. But funny how companies are too poor to pay higher wages but have money to hire cashiers?

Self check out should never be looked at as a way to replace and layoff Real Person Cashiers. Should be looked at as those 20 item or fewer lanes

Some of us love and prefer self check out.

The only thing I really hate is when at Walmart when i go to the self check out the left side is closed and the right side is opened. The next day the left side Credit cards only and the right side cash only! How about open both self checkout and get the day going little faster

I didn’t know that many people hated self-checkout. Ever since they were implemented, I’ve always found them to be more convenient than not. Usually the lines go by faster than regular checkout because there’s 5-6 machines for one line, vs the long line waiting one by one for the cashier. I also like the flexibility of bagging items myself because the baggers don’t always bag items smartly, squishing fragile and perishable items under heavier and bulkier items. With self-checkout, I find my purchases go through less damage by the time I get it back home. The only frustrating part is when stores make use of the scale so it detects you moving things around and accuses you of removing items from the scale…but a lot of stores are removing that function now, especially supermarkets. Going through the payment prompts is pretty straightforward for the normal person with an average IQ. I really can’t imagine all the backlash on them. I usually prefer to use them to get in and out quickly.

They should make a lane for introverts, it might be a good compromise

I’m a millennial and love self checkout. These older people are just pissed off cause they don’t know how to use self checkout.

What do you mean bringing them back? They never left. There are no stores that run completely by self-checkout machines. Self-checkouts are optional.

I like self check out when I’m trying to get In-N-Out or have less than 10 items. But if I go grocery shop and I’ve got over 50 items in my cart, I shouldn’t have to self check out.

I love self-checkout. I hate waiting behind long lines because cashier and customers are gossiping about everything that went on in their life. It should be quick , don't take 40 minutes to scan each customer's ordee andcollect payment. Some people are on work lunch breaks or have appointments they need to be at or kids to pick up from school.

Yes! I hate self-check out. Only sometimes. But majority of the time its annoying.

And the only reason why lines were so long was because more people were spending. Now I see the self checkout line is longer. Self check out should be for 10 items or less because if you got more than 20 items, most likely by the time you scan everything there’s not enough space for you to put everything in bags and putting in your cart. I’m tired of checking myself out if I got more than 20 items.

I pick self checkout any chance I get.

You know they are not bringing back cashiers for customer satisfaction, it must be for the increased theft. I do not care why they bring back cashiers - just bring them back. And... if they prevent theft, they should give them a raise. 😎

A lot of honest people are getting arrested for shoplifting, because the self checkout. Sometimes, an item doesn’t scan properly, or the checkout doesn’t detect an item being placed on it. WalMart has made several false arrests.

As a customer i want that back , those are jobs that citizens need not robot

Soon as the companies realize they are losing money, they’ll change. They should have mostly real cashiers . I don’t feel bad at all about stores losing from self check out

They are not stolen!!! Sometimes when you have many items you forget to scan 1 which has happened to me. Bring cashiers and you won’t lose as much inventory.

If I have more than 5 items, I refuse to utilize self checkout.

The only reason those self checkout lanes are longer is because they don't hire enough staff to be at the checkout lanes...there's always only like 1 maybe 2 lanes open.

I love self-checkouts!!! 😂

I do my weekly grocery shopping at my local Safeway for over two decades and the past year I’ve been using the self check out and I love the convenience

It is good to have both options. Having a cashier does keep jobs in the economy for people who need them. Sometimes I prefer waiting in line for a cashier and sometimes I prefer using the self check out, when the lines are not long there. At the walmart, I go in I find it to be faster at the self check , because I only have about 10 items and the cashier line in that particular walmart is very long and slow. I hope they keep both self check out and cashiers , so that the customers have an option.

If I'm going to cash out myself, I want an employee discount from that store.

My Target has put a 20 item limit at the self checkout but it hasn't done anything to help curtail that long lines, especially when only 4 of the 6 machines are working.

Look logically, if we're talking about buying at least 1 to 4 items and without coupons, then the self-checkout system works for some buyers, but for a full cart, filled with at least a week's worth of groceries, as honestly the human cashiers are a must have, for helping people out,

If i am going to do all the work, don't ask to see my receipt 😂😂😂

I want to pay and leave as efficiently as I can. I do appreciate being able to say hi and thank you to someone but I can do that with a greeter. My problem with self-checkout is too often they don't work! Too often 5 of the 10 machines are closed or you need an attendant to fix something. Some stores are better at it than others.

I will not shop anywhere where I cannot interact with a human being. I am 80 years old and not as physically adept as I once was. I only buy what I can carry as I use public transportation and I pack my own bags as I know how much I can lift.

What a concept! Service

I'm for choice. I use SCO when I have fewer items (e.g.,

Thank You!

It’s CVS that has the WORST self check out machine and Walmart is absurd for not allowing you to pay with Apple Pay or Samsung pay at self check 🙄

I am Gen Z. I am the opposite. I don’t want to talk to anyone. Leave me alone with the machine and I check exactly what I am scanning

meanwhile, i waiting for 30 minutes for you to have a convo. let me pay for my things and go

I like self check out. I want to get in and get out. No small talk for me.

I remembered one time at Ralphs when the dreaded message "Help is on the way" appeared after scanning more than 12 items.

Love self-checkout specially if I'm buying a few items. What I hate is people with full carts with plenty of items doing self-checkout to "skip" the human cashier line.

shouldn’t be talking to to cashier anyway since your holding up the line. Self checkout is suppose to be convenient and fast. All you do is scan barcode the same way cashier does it. The problem is there glitches in the system then there is still someone there to assist.

I quit going to Krogers because of this problem they have no cashier in the morning so they lost my business. The self checkout lane is ok if you only have a couple items but not when you have a cart full of stuff. I go to another grocery store where they always have cashiers on duty.

Some cashiers don’t want to talk u and don’t care about ur day even after u have asked them about their day.

I myself liked the self check-out but there are times where I find an empty self-check out machine, that person who used it before me didn't pay for the items they took. They just scanned it and left.

Yes ..... Thank you

I prefer to go to a real cashier. I never spoke that much to my cashiers. Ive only went to a self checkout with maybe 1 to 6 items if i were in a rush.

I currently work in one of the big box retail stores, and let me tell you… I just hired 7 full time cashiers. One of the reasons being lines are getting too long at self checkout, and the self checkout terminals are ALWAYS failings, not to mention the theft. It’s a lose-lose for the customer and the company.

Yay human cashier

I agree , if there is not a person. I don’t purchase anything. I don’t shop where there’s not a cashier.

Not interested in having a conversation with the cashier, but I detest self-checkout, and refuse to do it.

I like self checkouts but.... If there is a problem I would like for it to be fixed with due time. I shouldn't have to wait 10 min for someone to help me. I know it comes with the territory though. I like my items to be scanned correctly, I like to bag my own items, I also like to make sure all my discounts, points, rewards and sales are correct. It would be nice to get a discount for doing that though. There are stores where I know if an issue occurs I'm waiting for a long time for someone so I just go to a cashier. But that's just my choice. Not everyone likes self checkouts it should be a choice not forced upon them!

The gripe I have with human cashier is not them. It's that the store as big as Walmart and Target never has enough of them. Before self check out there would be long lines. After they put some in and did half self checkout and hald cashies I've been able to get in and out faster. For the most part I've seen if you have ALOT of items most people will use the cashier and if you have less than say 10 items they go for self checkout. Works out most of the time until you have a person will alot of stuff using self checkout bogging down one machine for a long time. It would be smart of they limit self checkout to under say 12-15 items so it goes fast. If you have more than that go to cashier.

There never would been self checkout if places like Walmart and Target would have enough registers open to meet demand. Alidi does it the smart way. Add and Pull cashiers when needed if the lines get long but still have enough running at all times to keep things going.

On top of that if someone has kids and they're distracted at the right time they can miss scanning something. And Bam accusation of stealing.

Originally I was against the idea of jobs being replaced by machines, but quite frankly, a lot of cashiers are dopey af. The amount of times I've clearly said 'in 2 bags' held up 2 fingers, and even given them the bags, and then they stuff it all into one overflowing bag leaving the other one empty... 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️ One of the people who oversee the self-checkouts actually told me that most people use them because they prefer to pack their own bags. And I really don't need to have a chat with a cashier to complete my day, lol.

A recent MIT study put the average cost of a 4-station grocery check out station at $125,000 in install. Now Walmonster will remove them and and then what ? Dump them in the local Land-Fills ?

Full carts need to be banned from self checkout or have a one with a belt

Human cashiers? You mean employees?

The Home Depot near me converted to mostly all self-check out, but reverted back to cashiers. Now, no one can use the self-check out, while each self-check out register has a cashier next to it. It's dumb.

"if im going to do my own shopping, give me a discount" wtf lol

Give both options for people to choose. I don't want to go through cashier if I have only a few to check out.

No. Heck no. I only want to do self-checkout. yes the "lady" is bossy. Only in today's world does someone want a discount to "do the work" in our ENTITLED society. Geez. I love the self-checkout. It lets me bag how I want to bag my items, it lets me bag them correctly (no, I do not like meat with bread or detergent or bags so stuffed they tear immediately because some idiot doesn't know how to bag or is forced by company to do one way). I had a lady yell at me (cashier) at JCPenney because I asked for an extra bag after I spent $100 and waited 30 minutes patiently in line (mostly because the cashiers were jabbering with each other and one was training and kept asking questions for every single thing she rang up). I had to explain 3 times that I was walking and bags rip and you shoved everything into one bag AND I have a disability. No care. She said WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE OUT BAGS UNLESS YOU BUY SOMETHING. Um, I bought $100 worth of something you nitwit. Don't take away my self-checkout. I will take a bossy computer over a human any day. The only computer I don't like is Verizon Assistant and DirecTV.

I don't want that personal interaction. I don't want a chatty cashier. I just want to get in and out.

Too much shoplifting that's why.

The ppl that think “if I gotta do the work then give me a discount” are the most annoying. And the rarity that there is a problem with self checkout it’s those ppl that aren’t paying attention when the machines are literally telling you what to do. I’m just glad I don’t work in retail anymore because dealing with annoying ppl all day was driving me absolutely insane. But seriously check on these cashiers mental health

I prefer self check out, but they certainly can’t replace cashiers.

The LAST two things I want is to engage in meaningless, mindless blather with an employee I very likely have nothing in common with nor hear the customer in front of me engage in said conversation.

It's true, there's always an issue with those things

Baby, I want to get my groceries and go! The only reason that I would care to interact with a cashier is if I have over 20+ things of groceries…

Dollar General doesn't hire friendly people so that's a lie. Secondly, I was a cashier for 25 years, I prefer to use self checkout bc the cashiers at most stores are nasty, angry and don't want to be there! The problem I saw at self checkout was ppl being on their phones and not paying attention, ppl who have trouble reading, or the ones who would come to sco and tell me to ring them up 🤦

I can't remember ever seeing more than 2 employees in a Dollar General at a time. Ever.

a major problem is if you make a simple mistake it can turn into a "crime"... who wants that risk when it's all just to save 'them" money?

The bottom line is that A LOT of people STEAL at self checkout.

I hate self checkout

Self check out is also very discriminatory. The target in my town closes it’s human served registers at a certain hour and leaves only self check out as an option. Interestingly the next town over ALWAYS has humans served registers and very limited amount of self check out availability.

I WAS JUST AT A TARGET YESTERDAY AND I WAS IN LINE FOREVER for 1 item and after that long wait, i was offered a self check out and like that scan, pay and be out. These people are lying if they want cashiers