I "pay" for it by not having to interact with someone when I'm not in the mood to, and I get to pack my groceries in my reusable bags the way I want it, which is often much more efficient and sturdy than the worker would do. I don't mind scanning my groceries myself when I get the benefits I listed above, and I much more prefer self checkout and them letting me do what I want.
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.
I think about this stuff quite often, sort of as a way to ‘game theory’ this stuff out.
Ultimately, I think, it comes down to the person — let’s call him Chuck in this scenario…
Making a whole lot of compromises; and/or
Does not have the will to shift perspective or build a stronger foundation.
The point is this person, does not need to work at the Walmart, or that massive Amazon warehouse. But, they choose to .. because XYZ (better wages, insurance/benefits, etc.) - at face value, they are all great and sound reasons.
Chuck has a family, and wants to ensure they are all fed, etc.
All sound reasons, but there is one element that is missing - Chuck is plugged into the system. He believes this is THE way to make a living and care for his family.
I wonder where Chuck got the idea that this is how it’s meant to be :)
Whenever someone wants to get out of ‘The Matrix’, this person will find a way, God’s open doors will be so bright and visible, etc. It’s like opportunity just lays itself onto your feet, etc.
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 wish we could go back to horses. Ever talk to an old timer, they had self driving back then long before Elon Musk was born. There's something to "The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh" Going back home was always easy I understand, you could literally sleep on the way back. Horses always know their way home. It would be awfullt nice to get back to that and you know, if they try to pull of this rest bs we may have to ;)
I feel the same way. Love Westerns with horses, baked beans, candles, campfires, paper letters, honest work and fighting the good fight when you have to. I don't even carry my cell phone with me.
Living independently is winning, whether it's moving out as a young adult 18-22, or making everything we could ever need as a society by ourselves. If we could make everything here, and prices don't get affected by world events, then that's winning as far as I'm concerned.
Clearly you haven't had to check-out, and bag an entire shopping cart full of groceries. Instead of being the customer, with a checkout person and bagger, you're doing it all yourself, and waiting for everyone else along the way.
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.
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.
Never said a cashier position should be a lifelong job, but its still an improtant stepping stone for high school and college aged people that is being reduced by self checkout. Pumping gas isnt really a comparison because the person to person interaction was never really there in the first place. The idea of a grocery store originates with the marketplace where you interact with other humans when buying and comparing products. Self checkout erodes that important part of marketplace participation. Anything that makes us interact less, trust each other less and keep us isolated more is a bad thing for us both for the individual and the community
Modern grocery stores aren't marketplaces. The quicker and efficiently a person can get their groceries, the cheaper the costs, and the more free time available for leisure to spend socially interacting.
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.
It's not just you, they have been driving small businesses out of business for years. I buy from a big box store too when it comes to groceries and hardware.
I'm not trying to preach, I'm making changes wherever I can, trying to source materials and tools second hand and buying vegetables from people who grow in the summer and trying to learn to grow some of my own.
The only way out is to help create an alternative economy. I think that economy is already thriving, it's just waiting for people to understand the reason for it.
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 "pay" for it by not having to interact with someone when I'm not in the mood to, and I get to pack my groceries in my reusable bags the way I want it, which is often much more efficient and sturdy than the worker would do. I don't mind scanning my groceries myself when I get the benefits I listed above, and I much more prefer self checkout and them letting me do what I want.
Do you bag an entire cart of groceries? Like $300 worth? Hard pass.
Good point.
The loss on self check out has got one large chain thinking about eliminating self checkout. People steal em blind.
That thought has crossed my mind too. How do they know if all items were rung up?
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.
I think about this stuff quite often, sort of as a way to ‘game theory’ this stuff out.
Ultimately, I think, it comes down to the person — let’s call him Chuck in this scenario…
The point is this person, does not need to work at the Walmart, or that massive Amazon warehouse. But, they choose to .. because XYZ (better wages, insurance/benefits, etc.) - at face value, they are all great and sound reasons.
Chuck has a family, and wants to ensure they are all fed, etc.
All sound reasons, but there is one element that is missing - Chuck is plugged into the system. He believes this is THE way to make a living and care for his family.
I wonder where Chuck got the idea that this is how it’s meant to be :)
Whenever someone wants to get out of ‘The Matrix’, this person will find a way, God’s open doors will be so bright and visible, etc. It’s like opportunity just lays itself onto your feet, etc.
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 wish we could go back to horses. Ever talk to an old timer, they had self driving back then long before Elon Musk was born. There's something to "The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh" Going back home was always easy I understand, you could literally sleep on the way back. Horses always know their way home. It would be awfullt nice to get back to that and you know, if they try to pull of this rest bs we may have to ;)
You know, you are free to do just that. The Amish do it it all the time.
I feel the same way. Love Westerns with horses, baked beans, candles, campfires, paper letters, honest work and fighting the good fight when you have to. I don't even carry my cell phone with me.
Like the pede said below, you can do just that fren.
It’s not as romantic as people think it is, but it does have it’s charms for sure.
Slightly dirty, but VERY funny song. NSFW. Horse Outside by The Rubberbandits (Grocery bags on their heads. Can't afford car/insurance.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljPFZrRD3J8
Life is about living, not winning.
Winning is living. Who wants to lose all the time?
Living independently is winning, whether it's moving out as a young adult 18-22, or making everything we could ever need as a society by ourselves. If we could make everything here, and prices don't get affected by world events, then that's winning as far as I'm concerned.
Clearly you haven't had to check-out, and bag an entire shopping cart full of groceries. Instead of being the customer, with a checkout person and bagger, you're doing it all yourself, and waiting for everyone else along the way.
I don’t think some pedes here understand what it takes to post a comment here on this board. 😂
Producing chips: Yes!
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.
You'd probably be better off with your own business, depending where you are.
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.
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.
The lines at self checkout move quick because you don't have to funnel everyone through a handful of open checkout lanes.
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.
Never said a cashier position should be a lifelong job, but its still an improtant stepping stone for high school and college aged people that is being reduced by self checkout. Pumping gas isnt really a comparison because the person to person interaction was never really there in the first place. The idea of a grocery store originates with the marketplace where you interact with other humans when buying and comparing products. Self checkout erodes that important part of marketplace participation. Anything that makes us interact less, trust each other less and keep us isolated more is a bad thing for us both for the individual and the community
Modern grocery stores aren't marketplaces. The quicker and efficiently a person can get their groceries, the cheaper the costs, and the more free time available for leisure to spend socially interacting.
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.
It's not just you, they have been driving small businesses out of business for years. I buy from a big box store too when it comes to groceries and hardware. I'm not trying to preach, I'm making changes wherever I can, trying to source materials and tools second hand and buying vegetables from people who grow in the summer and trying to learn to grow some of my own. The only way out is to help create an alternative economy. I think that economy is already thriving, it's just waiting for people to understand the reason for it.