Self-Check Outs at Lowes/Home Depot
 

Have you ever used one of the self-check outs at Lowes, Home Depot or maybe a grocery store? Around here I really only see them at Lowes or Home Depot.

Are you a fan of them? Do they save you time?

Personally, I absolutely hate them. Here's my list of reasons why:

1. They are a pain in the ass. I have some electronic voice telling me what to do. If I don't do exactly right, I have to either redo it, or wait for a cashier(voiding the whole point of a self check out). I rarely find they save me any time.

2. They create job losses. So now Lowes only has to have 1 or 2 cashiers working, instead of 3 or 4. Yeah it saves them money, but, and my next point...

3. I don't get a discount. When Lowes or Home Depot prices something, they are taking into account all operating costs(variable and fixed). This includes the cost of hiring and employing people. So if there's no employee helping me, that means that Lowes/HD is bonusing out. They aren't paying for that extra man power required to sell the item. But do I get a discount for checking myself out? Absolutely not. I still pay the same price no matter what. If I got a 5% discount for self check out, I'd be much more inclined to do it myself.

4. Zero customer service. There's no interaction. I walk up, get barked at by an electronic machine, and that's it. An employee is a heck of a lot quicker ringing up items(especially when you have lots) than I could ever be with the units they have. Plus there's no "did you find everything okay?" "How are you doing?" or anything else for me to say "that was a great experience. I'll be back."

Okay rant over. I just really hate those and pretty much refuse to use them. Usually at the Lowes or HD, they have those open, plus one check stand way over in the lumber department. I'll take the extra 30 seconds and walk over there to a real human.

Dang newfangled machines, ruining the world!

I use them, usually because there is a line at the human. They can be quick and smooth or temperamental, its a crap shoot (the machines....and well, the humans too).

To me its no different then a drive thru car wash, ordering parts online instead of in the store,renting movies at redbox,reading e books etc etc.

Everything listed takes away jobs some how. It's the way of the world now because people accept it. Technology is great but takes away human interaction.

If your mad at one thing technology related might as well be mad at all things technology related.

Jobs get cut all the time because of machines but also get created because of them to.

I use the self check outs all the time and usually get in and out fairly faster then the cashier. My local Costco has self check outs to and it's a real time saver.

I use the grocery store ones everytime unless I'm buying booze (needs to go through a cashier).

The home improvement store ones are usually all beat up from people dragging hardware and crap across them, they never seem to work great.

I use them whenever available 90% of the time. Quicker, less BS, better accuracy, and the big plus is people can't fumble around with coupons and writing checks in those lines!

If this is a survey I actually make an effort to shop at places that do have self checkout stations.

Most check out stations are not nearly as efficient as Costco's.

I use them at Lowes, we don't have them at Grocery Stores here. Most of the time they work OK at Lowes, but a few weeks ago I got so pissed that it didn't work that I left all my stuff right there and walked out!

I'll use them if I dont have a lot of stuff to check out. At Lowes or HD if I have lumber I wont use them. At the grocery store if I have a poo ton of grocerys I hit up the human checker outer - its easier and faster.

Otherwise - scan, beep, bag, swipe, go.

I've wanted to do that with numerous checkers! :D

The Home Depot machines are blazing fast here........and they have all their teeth and no open sores.

An employee is a heck of a lot quicker. #4 makes me laugh Tim. Home Depot and customer service is never used in the same sentence. The only thing an HD employee is quick at doing is telling you its not their department and getting to the time clock to go home. :bang: And they killed your friendly neighborhood Ace hardware for what? Oh im with you F skynet!

I use them every chance I get, as previously mentioned, the machine is generally a lot quicker. Especially when you are only buying a few items and you need to get in and out of the store quick so you can get back to your project.

I would have to completely disagree with you on #2. Just the opposite is true. Somewhere there are engineers, office staff, assemblers, haulers and sales people making these machines available for us to use. Hopefully all here in the U.S. , creating jobs.

In Home Depot or Lowes I always have to go looking for an employee if I need help anyway and then they usually have to go ask someone else. In general, I know exactly what I want and I can walk in, get the item, self-check out and leave without having to talk to anyone. I like that!

To #1 I would add that I always end up with the machine that some a-hole turned up volume all the way up on. Good thing I'm not buying anything embarrassing.

I am all for a person running the register and would like to see more of them. I understand the reasons behind the automated ones, but...they still suck.

I use the Home Depot self checkout multiple times a week. You just need to make sure all items have good bar codes. When I have large bulky items like lumber,I hit the contractors checkout.

I only use them if I just have a couple items and want to get out of a store. I have no patience for lines. Larger purchases I will get in a human line simply because I hate the weight check on the automated machines.

Our Lowe's usually has a handful of cashiers working, and I typically go to the cashier. The only place I favor the self-checkout over a live cashier is Wal-Mart, which is a place I normally try to avoid anyways, haha.

I enjoy human interaction...unless it's at Wal-Mart.

The bottom line for any store is overall cost. If they have less employees because of the self checkout and it saves them money then they are probably able to lower overall prices. So yes you probably are getting a discount. They work great for me.

I dunno...I'm not a professional economist or anything, but lowering costs while keeping prices the same means more margin. Sounds like any normal business to me. I'm not calling it greed, but I don't see a major company lowering prices out of the goodness of their hearts just because they saved a bunch of money each year by not having to pay wages. ***EDIT*** My thinking on this is because typically I've only seen a business drop prices in order to beat competition. So yeah, I can see how cutting employees to save wage expenses would give them room to lower prices, but again, I don't see them doing it for no reason at all.***

But again, that's just me.

As someone that dealt with Lowes & Home Depot Buying Offices, they squeeze suppliers to lower their costs. Many to the point where the company can not afford to do business with Lowes & HD and then they lose tons of volume. OR the quality of the products gets lowered to the point of Junk.

All the while Lowes & HD make HUGE Profits

Doesn't surprise me one bit. Their tool section is a joke. It's bad when a $10 socket set from Harbor Freight does a better job than stuff from Lowe's. Only a few brands (like Dremel, etc.) seem to have any real value.

Like I said in the last post, the only time I've seen a price drop is when it comes to beating competition...and I did my time working retail at Sears, so I'm well aware of the industry practices when it comes to pricing an item.

Home centers now have the leverage to spec product.........only one entity wins in that scenario.

Well, no, consumers can still insist on quality by shopping elsewhere and (probably) paying more. McMaster Carr has great products and they deliver quickly.

I always get a kick out of folks who want the lowest price, but then complain about quality or Chinese manufactured goods. What? You thought the price fairy discounted Snap On tools?

It seems that many of those who are throwing stones at Lowes and Home Depot may need to look in the mirror.

I purchase 85% of my wire through HD, because of all my vendors, they sell it to me the cheapest. Even if I'm there grabbing small items I prefer to check out via humanoid. Only time I'll use self checkout, is if lines with actual cashiers are backed up. Here in Ga, most every larger chain store has self checkouts...grocery stores, walley world, home improvement, etc.

The old adage is...

You can have it good (quality)
You can have it fast (local inventory)
You can have it cheap (low cost)

Pick 2.

Good & fast ain't cheap
Good & cheap ain't fast
fast & cheap ain't good

Works in almost any scenario...


Bill

P.S. Love the self checkouts. They speak English I can understand, and don't ask me if I found everything today, want to save 10% on my purchase, or if I need a hunting license.

Not throwing stones, just stating a fact.

A reasonably large percentage of home center consumers don't really know(by experience) or understand quality. Manufacturers and re-sellers exploit that fact especially in the lower retail price ranges. At least that's my perception after 36+ years in residential/commercial floor/wall/counter/window covering business.

A good long time friend with Mohawk Industries handles their National Accounts such as Home Depot, Lowes, and numerous retail floor covering buying groups so I do have some insight on how the product specification game is played on the floor covering side.

But very rarely do they have to lower a Price to beat the Competition. In the instances where Lowe's, Home Depot, Menards or Wal-Mart have the same product, there will be a different part number on it. Then they can say that is a different product - no price match, no 10% back price guarantee

FINALLY A POINT ON WHICH YOU AND I CAN AGREE!!! LOL


Middle America shopped it's way out of manufacturing jobs by spending the pay check they got from working on the assembly line -- buying stuff at Walmart et al.... and then wonder why their job doesn't exist anymore. They wanted (and went on strike for) union wages and job guarantees -- while wanting the lowest prices for things they bought. They can now be "greeters" at WalMart in their "retirement". "I want my 90" TV for $499"... Well - that may be why there is no Motorola factory here anymore.

frustrates me greatly that I have to answer 'can I help you' people 15 times in the aisle while I sort out what I need. the few times I have asked them a question it has been totally worthless ( I can hold my broken faucet stem in my hand and look at the ones on the rack as good as they can!)

and yet when it is time to check out there is zero help to TAKE THE MONEY WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I DONT WORK HERE!
I AM A CUSTOMER!

The most true statement in this thread. The Wallmartization of the USA.