I actually prefer self-checkout at these larger stores for a variety of reasons.
The real issue, as you say the ‘human equation’ within these larger stores is not really about where in the process is most useful. The entire system itself is set up as one massive logistics chain, it’s essentially a factory.
Smaller stores, niche, specialty shops… that’s where the human equation would be, where the ‘employee’ is pretty much the owner or have ‘skin in the game’ if you will.
Otherwise, that cashier at the Walmart or Whole Foods whatever… easily replaceable. Any day, anytime.
Come on man. Convenience is a services a good business provides. Technology is a good thing and if Trump were in office, like before, we'd have a surplus of jobs.
We need to start producing chips/semi-conductors if we want to win in this world. More foundries! More tech!
I am with you there. I use small/local businesses every time unless there is no other option. I wish I could start a business and I could, but the current state of things scares me off.
Here's the thing about self-checkouts or ordering kiosks at fast food etc: most humans are idiots. Seriously. Complete crayon eating morons. Can't tell you how many times my food order gets messed up, or how slowly the cashier moves to get my groceries rung up, or can't bag correctly (cold w/cold, Tetris style packing to be efficient, heavy on the bottom, proper weight distribution etc). Why should companies waste payroll on inefficient, redundant jobs? Businesses aren't charities. If I can place my food order on my own, that eliminates the middle man and lessens the opportunities for a fuck up. Not saying that all human components will or should be eliminated, let alone in all situations, but the pros of strategic computer automation outweighs the cons.
Think about booking plane tickets or hotel rooms. Why need a travel agent anymore? It's so easy to book trips on your own, directly with the business. Book a prepaid golf tee time online. No messing with potential lines in the proshop, or possible asshole and/or idiotic staff who slow you down or mess up. Far more efficient for everyone. Why do we need realtors to buy and sell houses? Housing costs are so high because the realtors need their cut... Eliminate the middle man, lower the costs to the buyer, increase profits for the seller.
I'm all for human interaction as much as possible. But when it comes to business, the best way to improve customer experience for many, even most situations, is simplification, ease of access, speed and accuracy... all traits not shared by the average minimum wage worker. Sorry, not sorry. That's just the harsh reality.
Well... When the other checkout has lines down 6 lengths of aisles and they have like two people doing them while other employees sit by doing nothing, and I just have a couple items I came in for...
Self-checkout seems innocuous but it is not a good thing for two main reasons:
It takes jobs from away from people who need them
It further erodes the human-to-human interaction of the marketplace which fosters basic trust in your fellow man...this is further evidenced by how walmarts increase of self checkouts has been coupled with checking your reciepts as you walk out.
Businesses are not charities. Oregon banning people from pumping their own gas as a way to create minimum wage jobs is just a racket, which ultimately increases the cost of the goods to the consumer because the gas station is forced to hire people for an unnecessary job and then they have to pay them wages... utter lunacy.
Those who need jobs can find jobs that serve some kind of actual purpose that will help them develop in a meaningful way. Cashiering is a great introduction to the labor experience, but should not be a lifelong career path, or at least not for most people. That just turns people into mindless zombies slaving away doing meanial tasks that benefits nobody.
Great customer service is a true value to a a store/company. It gets repeat customers. Bad customer service gets you one and done, and poor word of mouth reviews.
self checkout is them getting ready for needing less employees because of depopulation and eliminating jobs, also if you're using self checkout, you're at a big-box store, big-box stores feed the globo.
Catherine Austin-Fitts advocates using cash only on Fridays. I think it's a good idea. Of course you can use it any other time of the week too, if you want to.
Wait how do you stop the banks from getting 3% of your money for doing nothing? I've gone full cash and crypto since 2021 started and my fucking bank takes 12$ from me every month I don't have at least a 500$ balance in my account!
Not all banks and credit unions are the same - so do your homework. The one I use has no account minimums for the basic savings account. I also have two separate checking accounts. No monthly fee.
Um, you just said if you have 500 in the account they don't charge you. So, yes there is something you can do about it. Face it, banks aren't open for your convenience.
Ditch banks and credit unions. Once you do that, you'll realize they've created a system that FORCES YOU to use some kind of FDIC insured institution. Any crypto exchange where you can trade fiat for crypto will absolutely require a bank account. Paying certain bills will only allow payments by ACH. Not even a debit card.
So... I opened an account with 'Current'. Works like a regular checking account and there are no maintenance fees for the basic account. No brick and mortar locations but they have all the features of a regular checking account. With this, I'm able to keep most of my value in crypto while transferring fiat as needed. In addition, you could also utilize coinbase's debit card which gives you several spending options with up to 4% back in crypto. Use wawa ATMs for free cash withdrawals for your Current account.
Credit unions suck too. They're all the same. Massive overhead and useless brick and mortar locations.
If you use CoinBase (🙄) transfer your crypto for FREE over to CoinBase Pro. More professional charts and fees are much cheaper (or they were)? Less Exchange to Bank transfer issues for some reason too.
I've considered it a few times but I just don't do enough converting. I just do my regular trading in usdc on coinex and transfer over profits or whatever to coinbase to spend like cash. Coinbase is just too convenient to stop using entirely. I don't see that as bad though. It's simplicity can bring more folks into the game which would be a good thing.
I'm aware of several other platforms that offer debit features so I could use them too. I just don't yet.
Cash or Cashier checks. What little convenience you may derive today is NOT worth your FREEDOM tomorrow.
"In GOD we trust, all else leave GOLD on the barrel head"
I started getting cash out and using it for gas, groceries, etc. some places even give me a discount for using cash.
Plus the bank doesn’t get 3% of my money for doing nothing.
Do IT!
I love paying by cash at small shops and seeing them beam and offer a discount!
What's the issue with self checkout? I use it and use cash.
I agree. They've eliminated positions of employment and turned us into cashiers without paying us.
I actually prefer self-checkout at these larger stores for a variety of reasons.
The real issue, as you say the ‘human equation’ within these larger stores is not really about where in the process is most useful. The entire system itself is set up as one massive logistics chain, it’s essentially a factory.
Smaller stores, niche, specialty shops… that’s where the human equation would be, where the ‘employee’ is pretty much the owner or have ‘skin in the game’ if you will.
Otherwise, that cashier at the Walmart or Whole Foods whatever… easily replaceable. Any day, anytime.
Dont buy cars! Keep horse trading alive! LOL
Come on man. Convenience is a services a good business provides. Technology is a good thing and if Trump were in office, like before, we'd have a surplus of jobs.
We need to start producing chips/semi-conductors if we want to win in this world. More foundries! More tech!
I am with you there. I use small/local businesses every time unless there is no other option. I wish I could start a business and I could, but the current state of things scares me off.
I use bank tellers and they always tell me I can use the atm. I tell them then they wouldnt have a job. The looks on their face is priceless.
Here's the thing about self-checkouts or ordering kiosks at fast food etc: most humans are idiots. Seriously. Complete crayon eating morons. Can't tell you how many times my food order gets messed up, or how slowly the cashier moves to get my groceries rung up, or can't bag correctly (cold w/cold, Tetris style packing to be efficient, heavy on the bottom, proper weight distribution etc). Why should companies waste payroll on inefficient, redundant jobs? Businesses aren't charities. If I can place my food order on my own, that eliminates the middle man and lessens the opportunities for a fuck up. Not saying that all human components will or should be eliminated, let alone in all situations, but the pros of strategic computer automation outweighs the cons.
Think about booking plane tickets or hotel rooms. Why need a travel agent anymore? It's so easy to book trips on your own, directly with the business. Book a prepaid golf tee time online. No messing with potential lines in the proshop, or possible asshole and/or idiotic staff who slow you down or mess up. Far more efficient for everyone. Why do we need realtors to buy and sell houses? Housing costs are so high because the realtors need their cut... Eliminate the middle man, lower the costs to the buyer, increase profits for the seller.
I'm all for human interaction as much as possible. But when it comes to business, the best way to improve customer experience for many, even most situations, is simplification, ease of access, speed and accuracy... all traits not shared by the average minimum wage worker. Sorry, not sorry. That's just the harsh reality.
Well... When the other checkout has lines down 6 lengths of aisles and they have like two people doing them while other employees sit by doing nothing, and I just have a couple items I came in for...
I'll stick to self checkout.
You beat me to it! It takes jobs away from your neighbors. I refuse to use the self checkouts.
Self-checkout seems innocuous but it is not a good thing for two main reasons:
It takes jobs from away from people who need them
It further erodes the human-to-human interaction of the marketplace which fosters basic trust in your fellow man...this is further evidenced by how walmarts increase of self checkouts has been coupled with checking your reciepts as you walk out.
Businesses are not charities. Oregon banning people from pumping their own gas as a way to create minimum wage jobs is just a racket, which ultimately increases the cost of the goods to the consumer because the gas station is forced to hire people for an unnecessary job and then they have to pay them wages... utter lunacy.
Those who need jobs can find jobs that serve some kind of actual purpose that will help them develop in a meaningful way. Cashiering is a great introduction to the labor experience, but should not be a lifelong career path, or at least not for most people. That just turns people into mindless zombies slaving away doing meanial tasks that benefits nobody.
Great customer service is a true value to a a store/company. It gets repeat customers. Bad customer service gets you one and done, and poor word of mouth reviews.
self checkout is them getting ready for needing less employees because of depopulation and eliminating jobs, also if you're using self checkout, you're at a big-box store, big-box stores feed the globo.
Well... no small grocery stores where I am. I would gladly use them if available.
Don't say Trader Joes or I will puke. The stench of self importance and leftism is too great there.
Self check out has my face on a screen...why?
Yeah I agree, no more of that.
Better yet , they don’t get to loan out your money at a rate of $10 for every dollar you have in the bank !
not to mention "maintenance fees" and fees for not maintaining X balance
That's huge, no more crypto gets produced it only divides.
Make that $99 for every dollar. Only require 1% reserve anymore....
Catherine Austin-Fitts advocates using cash only on Fridays. I think it's a good idea. Of course you can use it any other time of the week too, if you want to.
Added bonus is the places that don’t like taking cash are sometimes annoyed...good sport!!
Wait how do you stop the banks from getting 3% of your money for doing nothing? I've gone full cash and crypto since 2021 started and my fucking bank takes 12$ from me every month I don't have at least a 500$ balance in my account!
And there's nothing I can do about it!
Switch to a credit union.
They won't charge me that minimum balance fee?
Not all banks and credit unions are the same - so do your homework. The one I use has no account minimums for the basic savings account. I also have two separate checking accounts. No monthly fee.
Mine doesn't.
Are there many requirements?
Um, you just said if you have 500 in the account they don't charge you. So, yes there is something you can do about it. Face it, banks aren't open for your convenience.
Thank you captain obvious. That would defeat the whole purpose of me not wanting to keep all my eggs in one basket of which I don't have custody over.
Ditch banks and credit unions. Once you do that, you'll realize they've created a system that FORCES YOU to use some kind of FDIC insured institution. Any crypto exchange where you can trade fiat for crypto will absolutely require a bank account. Paying certain bills will only allow payments by ACH. Not even a debit card.
So... I opened an account with 'Current'. Works like a regular checking account and there are no maintenance fees for the basic account. No brick and mortar locations but they have all the features of a regular checking account. With this, I'm able to keep most of my value in crypto while transferring fiat as needed. In addition, you could also utilize coinbase's debit card which gives you several spending options with up to 4% back in crypto. Use wawa ATMs for free cash withdrawals for your Current account.
Credit unions suck too. They're all the same. Massive overhead and useless brick and mortar locations.
If you use CoinBase (🙄) transfer your crypto for FREE over to CoinBase Pro. More professional charts and fees are much cheaper (or they were)? Less Exchange to Bank transfer issues for some reason too.
Isn’t it insane that CBPro’s fees are magnitudes lower that’s Coinbase? But yet users still buy them Bitcoins on Coinbase.
I've considered it a few times but I just don't do enough converting. I just do my regular trading in usdc on coinex and transfer over profits or whatever to coinbase to spend like cash. Coinbase is just too convenient to stop using entirely. I don't see that as bad though. It's simplicity can bring more folks into the game which would be a good thing.
I'm aware of several other platforms that offer debit features so I could use them too. I just don't yet.
Cash or Cashier checks. What little convenience you may derive today is NOT worth your FREEDOM tomorrow. "In GOD we trust, all else leave GOLD on the barrel head"