SHOPPERS have been left with mixed emotions after learning their local grocery store has decided to remove self-checkout.
Pick ‘n Save in Milwaukee, Wisconsin announced that the removal was intended to improve the customer experience.
“At Pick ‘n Save, we are always looking for ways to improve the customer and associate experience and ensure a smooth and friendly checkout,” said a Pick ‘n Save spokesperson.
“We are implementing a self-checkout-free pilot at select stores in Wisconsin. We anticipate this change will help us better meet the needs of our customers.”
However, the move is backfiring for some customers.
“So now I have to wait 30 minutes in line for the two cashiers on duty. Make me emotional,” wrote one user on Facebook publish about removal.
READ MORE about Self-checkout
“Fine, I’ll spend my money somewhere else where I don’t have to wait in line and interact with other humans,” said another who said he would take his business elsewhere.
Others are eager for the change, but one key aspect needs to be satisfied for customers to be completely satisfied.
“Just have enough employees/cashiers at the registers to checkout. I use self-checkout since most of the time there is only one cashier working a full-service cash register and the lines are horrible!” waiting for a buyer.
“That’s fine, but make sure you have enough cashiers to check out customers,” shared another.
“I hope they hire more fast tellers. I prefer self-checkout because I’m much faster than cashiers and I can pack my items the way I want,” said a third user.
While other customers expected to be helped by a human rather than working with a machine.
“This is wonderful news! Self-checkouts are horrible. I’d rather wait in line and have a human help!” said one buyer.
“Good. I’d rather see a person getting paid to work than me doing their work for free or without a discount,” one customer said in part.
“Thank God. I hate them. If you’re buying more than a few items, self-checkout is a nightmare, and they only ever have one normal lane open, with a mile-long queue…”, commented the satisfied user. .
AN EXPERT OPINION
Although the company announced that the removal was to improve the customer experience, experts are skeptical.
Dominick Reuter, senior reporter at Business Insider, believes this may be due to theft that is affecting retailers across the country.
Pick ‘n Save statement about changes
“At Pick ‘n Save, we are always looking for ways to improve the customer and associate experience and ensure a smooth and friendly checkout,” said a spokesperson.
“We are implementing a self-checkout-free pilot at select stores in Wisconsin. We anticipate this change will help us better meet the needs of our customers.”
“This raises some challenges, but one of them is this funny little notion called partial shrinkage, which occurs when a shopper, perhaps unintentionally or intentionally, does not scan all of the items in their order,” Reuter said, according to ABC Affiliate WISN.
“So some things go out the door without being paid for.”
Many buyers also believed that this could be the main reason for the abrupt change.
“This just means there is rampant theft,” one user said in part.
“Which means stores where they are losing money because people aren’t buying their items,” wrote another.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story