NEW YORK - Self-checkout was alluring. Customers could avoid long lines by scanning and bagging their own items, workers freed of doing those monotonous tasks themselves and retailers could save on labor costs.
It all happened since the rollout of self-checkout, but it also has customers griping about clunky technology and mysterious error codes, workers having to stand around and monitor humans and machines, and retailers contending with theft.
“Going to the grocery store used to be simple, and now it’s frustrating,” said Cindy Whittington, 66, of Fairfax, Virginia. “You're paying more. You're working harder to pay for merchandise at their store. And it’s become an ordeal to check out. I should get a 5% discount."
But the technology is also facing a reckoning amid the holiday shopping season. Some retailers are adding restrictions, while others are pulling out completely. (The AP 12/18/23) Love it or hate it, self-checkout is here to stay. But it's going through a reckoning | Nation & World | meridianstar.com
No comments:
Post a Comment