Our local Lowe's, that is closing, has no more human cashiers

[Siwsan]

The only open lanes were 'self check'. So, with no other choice, I headed to one. And I, or the machine, TOTALLY screwed up the process, so I ended up having an actual person complete my purchase check out.

That did help salve my conscience, a bit, because as a retired UAW member, I hate seeing the proliferation of these self check lanes becoming the 'norm'.

[EffieBlack]

1. I refuse to use self-checkouts

I always go to a cashier, even if it means waiting longer in line - I want to support labor as much as I can.

[Siwsan]

3. I do the same. This is the first time it just wasn't even an option!

Every single other lane was closed. So weird.

[Bettie]

15. I do the same both to support labor

and because I enjoy having a few words with an actual human when checking out.

[TheBlackAdder]

24. Same here. I only use staffed register lines. I used to return shopping carts too. Not anymore.

[TheBlackAdder]

23. I had a shitload of merch to buy, they forced me into self-checkout-I did a cargo drop, walking out.

.

I spent over an hour at Lowes and was tired. They wanted me to ring up everything. I said no. They said yes.

I just up and walked the fuck out of there. Now, someone has to spend 20 mins putting the shit back.



If you fuck up on any one thing, Lowes' loss prevention people can hold you for the police on fraud/theft charges.

Wal*Mart does that shit all of the time. They even arrest people who go through the checkout and cashier fucks up.

.

[lpbk2713]

47. I would have left their crap there too.

And I always avoid the self-checkouts for the same reason. I would expect someone grabbing me by the elbow in the parking lot and then things would get real ugly real fast.

[Drahthaardogs]

50. Funny story happened to me.

I was at Walmart around this time of year ( I don't shop there regularly but I was buying gift cards for Christmas).

I grabbed a few things while I was there. I paid with check and as the machine finished franking my check it fucked up.

The cashier said they needed to rerun my check. I said like hell you will. I have the franked check and the receipt. I'm going home.

She called the manager and he said I needed to leave my stuff there until they could verify the charge went through. I told him my check was franked and I had the receipt. I wasn't leaving anything anywhere and I was taking my paid for merchandise and going home. If they failed to let me go I was going to call the police as the evidence clearly showed I had paid for the material and they just "thought" there "might" be a problem.

I did give them my number and told them to call me if you transaction had not gone through.

They called me the next day and said that the transaction was bad but just to keep the merchandise anyway.

None of the gift cards wirked because of the failed transaction so it was good I stood my ground. I did get about $30 worth of groceries for free so at least it paid for my gas and then some.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

43. same. no reason to go to a store except the people

If Lowes and Walmart want to eliminate people, start at the 'top' where they're all overhead.

[MagickMuffin]

2. I never use them myself

give me people please. They are a lot more warmer to talk to than a machine!

[Siwsan]

6. I love chatting with cashiers. Even if it is only a greeting and a thank you

But this situation was just weird. I am going to head back up, in a few days, to see if this was just a staffing issue, or how they will be until they close.

[BannonsLiver]

27. I use them when the human cashier lanes are overrun

Happened last night at our local grocery store. 4 lanes of human cashiers with 10 customers deep and no waiting on the DIY registers. I see no reason to stand in some long boring line when I can get out of there faster with the self check. I don’t come to the grocery store to socialize anyway. It’s very much a get in, and get the fuck out kind of chore.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. I always go to the "human" line in stores that have self check-out

because I don't like the damn things for taking jobs; and on the few occasions I've tried them they didn't scan the items properly and I ended up having to get human help anyhow.

[Siwsan]

7. Precisely my experience, today!

One of the reasons I love shopping at Aldi's is they only have human cashiers. I'll be very disappointed if they ever add a self check lane.

[WeekiWater]

5. I like the option of self checkout.

I only use it at specific times and when shopping online. 😁

[Moostache]

8. I have told managers that I will not frequent their stores due to these kiosks...

Wal-Mart is the biggest violator but a few of the grocery stores also feature them now...

I do NOT work for the company I am providing my business to...if they want my labor to assist in completing a transaction, then they need to discount the prices to make it equivalent to the money they are "saving" by cutting out jobs in the community. I refuse to increase their profits while simultaneously harming the local and national economies by increasing the stratification of wealth in this country from the workers to the owners.

I am all for people making a FAIR PROFIT from their enterprises - but that is only after they pay the costs of their businesses first!

Take a place like Wal-Mart. They slack off huge portions of the fair share of their business costs onto the public in the form of low wages that require government assistance for many of their employees to survive, the death of small businesses in localities that cannot compete with their distribution and supplier monopolies, and the fact that they receive untold BILLIONS in tax reductions, abatements and sweetheart deals to get one town to cut another town's throat for the privilege of Wal-Mart heirs being the richest people on Earth...no thank you!

[Siwsan]

9. I've stood in many a long line to check out at the human cashier line

It always surprises me when I shop early in the morning and there is a long line for the non-automated lane, while all of the self check lanes are empty. You would think the stores would start getting the message.

[bearsfootball516]

10. To play devil's advocate here, I see the same thing at my local Walmart.

Long lines behind person-manned registers and very little lines, if any, behind the automated registers.

As I watched it, I realized that it's because people who use the automated registers are generally very good at it, and they get through the line much faster. That's the reason person-manned registers have longer lines...because for every 1 person that checks out there, 2 or 3 can get through an automated register.

Plus, there are 12 automated registers. So if 6 people all want to use a human-manned register, they're going to have to wait and go through 1-by-1. But if 6 people want to use an automated register, they can all do it at the same time and be out the door in 3 or 4 minutes instead of waiting 20 behind a line of people.

[Siwsan]

11. Well, to each their own

I know people who won't use anything but the auto check lane. I think my union background has a big influence on my extreme dislike and avoidance of them.

[bearsfootball516]

12. I completely respect that!

[Ms. Toad]

22. That's at least partly correct.

There are people avoiding them as a protest, and others avoiding them out of fear of technology.

But for those of us who use them- it cuts the processing time approximately in half.

I refuse to use the machines that essentially accuse me of stealing every time I adjust a partially packed bag (the ones with a scale under the bag, and any movement of items within the bat sets off a light to call assistance), but I use the conveyor belt version - especialy if I'm in a hurry. My spouse refuses to - as a protest.

[Sherman A1]

13. The two closest Lowes to me are closing

I went to both of them at different times after the announcement and really couldn't find much of interest to buy. I may head back this week for another look. Sad to see them close these stores, sad for the employees losing jobs or having to travel farther to keep a job, sad for the loss of sales tax revenue for the local municipalities.

[Siwsan]

14. I'm getting ready to update/rehab my house so the discounts will come in handy

However, I still am very sad that the local stores (2) are closing. Lowes was handy for the items I can't find from scouring the local Habitat for Humanity store.

[Sherman A1]

16. Did some updating earlier this year on two bathrooms

and bought most of my fixtures there. The Home Depot across the street is a smaller sized version of what they normally do, but that was a constraint of the redevelopment of the strip mall years ago. It's sad to see this Lowes go as we are also losing a K-Mart, Shop n Save Grocery Store and Lowes all on the corners of this intersection. Lots of jobs going away and sales taxes for the community.

[Siwsan]

17. We've lost Sears, K-Mart and now Lowes

There is a Home Depot, right across the street from Lowes, so I'm not totally stuck for a place to shop. I also notice the 'Shoe Carnival' store is closed. Lots of big retail spaces are now vacant.

The local mall, where the Sears was located, also lost Burlington Coat Factory. They moved down the road to more of a 'strip' mall location. Now the only major department stores left, at the mall, are Macy's and Penny's.

[Sherman A1]

18. Yeah, it's not a good time for brick & mortar

The entire sector is suffering from the debt piled on it by the venture capitalists, overbuilding space in the 1980s & 90s, changing technologies in product lines, an aging baby boom generation, changes in demand, stagnate wages for workers and lastly the Amazon effect. There are a whole lot of headwinds for this area of the economy which employs a very large percentage of our workforce.

[Just a Weirdo]

25. Don't you have a local Ace Hardware?

They almost *ALWAYS* have stuff you can't find in HD or Lowe's.

That's why Ace has been my go-to place for hardware stuff. I only go to Lowe's to pick up the holiday gift cards that my wife likes to give to her family (Lowe's sells assorted gift cards for other products and they do take credit - 6 months same as cash - we use that and pay it off)

[Siwsan]

26. We have Gilroy's, close by. They are like an old fashioned hardware store

So much stuff, it is almost overwhelming but the guy who owns the store is great. Even if they don't have what I need (it has only happened once) I generally see something else that will come in handy.

There might be an Ace in the vicinity. I'll have to check.

[Blue_true]

20. I go to Lowes.

I find the stores to be somewhat cluttered and the isle sinage in them bad. All that stuff is fixable if executives had tried going into their stores to shop for stuff.

[Blue_true]

19. Unfortunately, use of intelligent machines will keep growing.

When a machine comes out that can't do certain transactions, the makers fix the problem with updates, that is how technological progression works.

I have been one steadfastly stating that machines will eliminate 90-95% of all jobs within 25 years. That is going to make income inequality much worse and cause massive upheaval in society.

[Sherman A1]

28. I don't know if your % is exactly on target, but

you certainly are looking at the issue correctly in my opinion. Don't know if you have been following Andrew Yang's 2020 Presidential Campaign, but he is speaking about this topic and recommends a Universal Basic Income to help with the upheaval that we all see coming. If you haven't followed him he is worth a look.

[Blue_true]

48. UBI certainly is going to be needed.

I am glad that one politician is thinking about it and trying to figure out the logistics of how it works.

[RobinA]

21. My Home Depot

has this problem. Usually they have one cashier hidden somewhere. I went on Saturday and they had none. Normally in this case I put the stuff back and leave the store, but I had someone with me and I didn't want to inconvenience her.

[elmac]

30. I wouln't bother putting stuff back, just leave it in the cart, job security for a human nt

[elmac]

29. I never use them because I never use a credit card for local shopping, only cash

and I hate standing in line behind someone whos card doesn't work

[pintobean]

31. Do you get their 10% discount

for veterans?

[Siwsan]

32. No - I think I might be outside of their criteria

as an Honorably discharged 'Cold War' veteran.

[pintobean]

33. You're eligible.

I'm the same. I had an issue applying on line, so I took a copy of my DD-214 to the service desk at the store. Took about 30 seconds. My wife and I both get it due to my service.


https://www.lowes.com/l/in-store-services.html#MilitaryDiscountProgram

Eta - I also have my veterans status on my drivers license. That probably would have been good enough documentation. I'm told that on my license will get me 10% at Home Depot. I haven't tried that yet.

[Siwsan]

34. Ah, but they will soon be gone and the next closest is about 40 miles away

I just don't understand why they closed BOTH stores in the Flint area.

And, I did see a sign about how the closing discounts can not be double up on any other discounts. I just kind of glimpsed at it but I'm pretty sure that's what it said. And the sale discounts are between 25 and 50%, right now.

I understand there is now an ID card veterans can apply for that ends the need to produce a DD-214 for veteran's discounts, etc. I am going to do a little checking to see if that's true.

[pintobean]

36. Here's info for you.

https://militarybenefits.info/veterans-id-on-drivers-license-id-card-by-state/

[Siwsan]

37. May I tell you that you are AMAZING!

Thanks!!

[pintobean]

40. You're welcome

I found that link last month, during a discussion on another board.

[HAB911]

35. I refuse self check outs AND

I WILL NOT BAG MY OWN GROCERIES. I'll stand there and look at them pile up on the counter.

[Siwsan]

38. I shop at Aldi's so I have no choice but to bag my own

But then I am saving a lot of money, too.

And those Aldi's cashiers are the fastest I've ever seen - at least at my store. Way more efficient than anyone at a self-check.

[HAB911]

39. Never shopped there but

there is one near the Costco I visit and we have been thinking about trying it out!

[Siwsan]

44. It's owned by the same family as Trader Joe's

We have no TJs in the Flint area - closest is about 40 miles south. Aldi's gets in some very similar products. For example, instead of Charles Shaw wine they have Winking Owl for the same price. It really is like a 'working class' Trader Joe's. I probably do about 80 to 90% of my routine grocery shopping at Aldi's.

You pay a quarter for the cart and get that back when you return it so it's rare to have to dodge one in the parking lot. Also, you should bring your own bags although they have some for somewhere between a nickle and a dime.

[kwassa]

51. Actually, no. There are two Aldi chains from Germany.

One owns Trader Joe's, the other the American Aldi's chain. Two brothers in the grocery business that divided up Germany, now deceased.

[Siwsan]

55. I should have made my statement much more contemporary.

I know there 'was' a family connection. It was always my understanding they were, at least at one time, under the same corporate umbrella.

I do know, for sure, that the store is a great concept. The one I shop at is right across the street from a 'Super Walmart', yet it always does a really steady business.

I just wish the American branch of Aldi's carried the same products as the British. I've read some great things about the single malt whisky available in the UK.

[pintobean]

42. We had a union chain where you had to bag your own.

They just closed down all their stores a couple of months ago. That leaves 2 union chains trying to compete with Walmart, Target, Aldi's, Costco, etc...

[Bonx]

41. I always use the self checkouts. Love em.

[Siwsan]

45. I know people who feel the same as you

I get the convenience. I just don't want to enable replacing people with machines. I realize I am tilting at windmills, but that's life, I guess.

[HAB911]

46. If they want to pay me to check myself out

and bag my own groceries, I can be had for $150/hr all day long, LOL

[demtenjeep]

49. I will never use self-checkout

I won't take someone's job

I am not getting paid to do it on my own...if it comes down to that, I will order online and have it delivered!

[HAB911]

54. +++++++++++

[cynatnite]

52. At almost all our stores, the lines can get pretty long...

Why wait if all you've got is a few items and the self checkout is right there?

If I have a cart load, I go through the regular checkout. But if I'm only grabbing one or two items, self checkout it is.

Besides, it lessons the line for those folks who do have more in their cart, too.

Automation has been around a long time now.

[brooklynite]

56. Question: when was the last time you demanded that an operator place your phone call?

...or made sure your plane flight had a Pilot, Co-Pilot AND Navigator in the cockpit?

Technology changes the way we do things. It has for centuries.

[jmowreader]

53. I use self-checkout on two occasions

One is if I have only a couple of items, and they're small.

The other is if there are a LOT of other people in line, I've got under 10 items, and I don't have any huge items in my order. I'll let the other folks be taken care of by the cashiers.

But if I have a lot of merchandise to check out, or I have something huge to deal with (like the three garage shelving units I gotta buy tomorrow), I will go through a staffed register.