self serve checkouts

[Renegade]

I for one refuse to use these devices because my wife happens to work retail as a Head Cashier/Front-End Manager in a grocery store, and if our particular Co-op was to install these self-service modules, those girls and boys who rely on that part-time employment as a way to pay their educational costs would no longer have that money coming in.

I agree with you. The reason for the technology is to eliminate positions and improve productivty. Your reason for resisting the change is borne out of self-interest. The vast majority of the population will also look to their self-interest and use the devices to realize lower wait-times, and eventually lower product costs.

People seem anxious to protect part-time service jobs like they are some essential part of the economy. They are not. The sooner we get rid of them the better. Let's use people for the things only people can be used for and not the things which can be done better by machines.

When I was a kid, I earned money delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and shovelling snow. In the last 15 years, no kid has come to my house and offered to do those things. These are all now taken over by contracting companies. Personally, I'd much rather support the kid down the street, and at lower cost to me, but it doesn't seem like they want the work. I guess our society has become too wealthy and kids today don't care about doing that kind of work. However, it does seem that if people are looking at ways to earn extra income, there are plenty of ways out there.

[fryingpan]

When I was a kid, I earned money delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and shovelling snow. In the last 15 years, no kid has come to my house and offered to do those things. These are all now taken over by contracting companies. Personally, I'd much rather support the kid down the street, and at lower cost to me, but it doesn't seem like they want the work. I guess our society has become too wealthy and kids today don't care about doing that kind of work. However, it does seem that if people are looking at ways to earn extra income, there are plenty of ways out there.

When they become adults and realize that every single job out there requires previous work experience, those kids will care. You'll probably have them beating down your door and begging to mow your lawn. You could probably get them to do it for free, since minimum wage laws don't apply to those kinds of jobs.

[cybercoma]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Who are you talking about? Those people that used to scan and beep as you choose to call it are not helping serve peole in the aisles, they no longer have jobs, period. This self-serve solution is about only one thing, and that is eliminating employees, and thus increasing the bottom line. I for one refuse to use these devices because my wife happens to work retail as a Head Cashier/Front-End Manager in a grocery store, and if our particular Co-op was to install these self-service modules, those girls and boys who rely on that part-time employment as a way to pay their educational costs would no longer have that money coming in. The store would just eliminate those positions and employ only those who now stock shelves.

Don't kid yourself, none of tese stores will shift those employees to another part of the store, they will simply lay them of, but if you are naive enough to believe this corporate B.S. of how much they care about their employees, you go right ahead. Those of us that are more enlightened know better.

I work in a store that brought in self-checkouts. No cashiers lost their jobs and some of them were even given better jobs in sales on the floor. You're right in the sense that we won't have quite as many cashiers on manned tills, but the difference isn't drastic. In a store that does $74 Million in sales per year we may have about 10% less cashiers now; however, there is more than 10% more coverage on the sales floor where the customers need the help.

Don't kid yourself with conspiracy theories of layoffs and job slashing. Although some companies may do it, not all companies operate on those same philosophies.

[fryingpan]

Like they said, they can't justify hiring more people outright. This just allows those that used to scan and beep to go help people in the aisles. Makes sense to me.

I don't think the Cashiers are going to be out of jobs. Most are unionised anyways.

Who are you talking about? Those people that used to scan and beep as you choose to call it are not helping serve peole in the aisles, they no longer have jobs, period. This self-serve solution is about only one thing, and that is eliminating employees, and thus increasing the bottom line. I for one refuse to use these devices because my wife happens to work retail as a Head Cashier/Front-End Manager in a grocery store, and if our particular Co-op was to install these self-service modules, those girls and boys who rely on that part-time employment as a way to pay their educational costs would no longer have that money coming in. The store would just eliminate those positions and employ only those who now stock shelves.

Don't kid yourself, none of tese stores will shift those employees to another part of the store, they will simply lay them of, but if you are naive enough to believe this corporate B.S. of how much they care about their employees, you go right ahead. Those of us that are more enlightened know better.

I work in a store that brought in self-checkouts. No cashiers lost their jobs and some of them were even given better jobs in sales on the floor. You're right in the sense that we won't have quite as many cashiers on manned tills, but the difference isn't drastic. In a store that does $74 Million in sales per year we may have about 10% less cashiers now; however, there is more than 10% more coverage on the sales floor where the customers need the help.

Don't kid yourself with conspiracy theories of layoffs and job slashing. Although some companies may do it, not all companies operate on those same philosophies.

Doesn't it also depend on where the store is located? Some provinces have higher minimum wages and stricter labour regulations than others.

[Renegade]

I work in a store that brought in self-checkouts. No cashiers lost their jobs and some of them were even given better jobs in sales on the floor. You're right in the sense that we won't have quite as many cashiers on manned tills, but the difference isn't drastic. In a store that does $74 Million in sales per year we may have about 10% less cashiers now; however, there is more than 10% more coverage on the sales floor where the customers need the help.

Don't kid yourself with conspiracy theories of layoffs and job slashing. Although some companies may do it, not all companies operate on those same philosophies.

cybercoma, it is true that most companies will make considerable efforts to retrain and place diplaced employees into new positions. Afterall the company has made an investment in this employee it would like to retain. This of course presumes that either there were positions which were open, or the company thought it could grow their revenue by moving the employees to new roles.

Surely your company with 10% more coverage on teh sales floor, is also expecting at least 10% more sales revenue, otherwise why bother investing in self-checkouts.

[cybercoma]

I work in a store that brought in self-checkouts. No cashiers lost their jobs and some of them were even given better jobs in sales on the floor. You're right in the sense that we won't have quite as many cashiers on manned tills, but the difference isn't drastic. In a store that does $74 Million in sales per year we may have about 10% less cashiers now; however, there is more than 10% more coverage on the sales floor where the customers need the help.

Don't kid yourself with conspiracy theories of layoffs and job slashing. Although some companies may do it, not all companies operate on those same philosophies.

cybercoma, it is true that most companies will make considerable efforts to retrain and place diplaced employees into new positions. Afterall the company has made an investment in this employee it would like to retain. This of course presumes that either there were positions which were open, or the company thought it could grow their revenue by moving the employees to new roles.

Surely your company with 10% more coverage on teh sales floor, is also expecting at least 10% more sales revenue, otherwise why bother investing in self-checkouts.

So you're saying companies do things to make money?

I thought that was obvious.

[Renegade]

So you're saying companies do things to make money?

I thought that was obvious.

It was obvious to me. I wasn't sure if it was obvious to you. There are only two ways to make more money. Increase revenue or reduce costs. If their plan to increase revenue by changing the cashiers roles didn't work, can you guess how they were going to reduce costs? (hint: it won't be by pulling out successful self-checkouts)

[cybercoma]

So you're saying companies do things to make money?

I thought that was obvious.

It was obvious to me. I wasn't sure if it was obvious to you. There are only two ways to make more money. Increase revenue or reduce costs. If their plan to increase revenue by changing the cashiers roles didn't work, can you guess how they were going to reduce costs? (hint: it won't be by pulling out successful self-checkouts)

All I'm saying is that the company I work for did not get rid of any cashiers when they installed self-checkouts. Now the fact that they won't replace cashiers as they leave is another issue; however, currently those hours have been relocated. The scheduling system has been restructured, so I don't see that changing anytime soon.

[Concerned]

I for one refuse to use these devices because my wife happens to work retail as a Head Cashier/Front-End Manager in a grocery store, and if our particular Co-op was to install these self-service modules, those girls and boys who rely on that part-time employment as a way to pay their educational costs would no longer have that money coming in.

I agree with you. The reason for the technology is to eliminate positions and improve productivty. Your reason for resisting the change is borne out of self-interest. The vast majority of the population will also look to their self-interest and use the devices to realize lower wait-times, and eventually lower product costs.

People seem anxious to protect part-time service jobs like they are some essential part of the economy. They are not. The sooner we get rid of them the better. Let's use people for the things only people can be used for and not the things which can be done better by machines.

When I was a kid, I earned money delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and shovelling snow. In the last 15 years, no kid has come to my house and offered to do those things. These are all now taken over by contracting companies. Personally, I'd much rather support the kid down the street, and at lower cost to me, but it doesn't seem like they want the work. I guess our society has become too wealthy and kids today don't care about doing that kind of work. However, it does seem that if people are looking at ways to earn extra income, there are plenty of ways out there.

Our society needs more skilled workers. Unskilled jobs will all go by the wayside eventually. A good argument for further education. Canada should be investing in both technology and education, to improve society's productivity and to improve the average workers' standard of living, including the job experience.

[cybercoma]

I for one refuse to use these devices because my wife happens to work retail as a Head Cashier/Front-End Manager in a grocery store, and if our particular Co-op was to install these self-service modules, those girls and boys who rely on that part-time employment as a way to pay their educational costs would no longer have that money coming in.

I agree with you. The reason for the technology is to eliminate positions and improve productivty. Your reason for resisting the change is borne out of self-interest. The vast majority of the population will also look to their self-interest and use the devices to realize lower wait-times, and eventually lower product costs.

People seem anxious to protect part-time service jobs like they are some essential part of the economy. They are not. The sooner we get rid of them the better. Let's use people for the things only people can be used for and not the things which can be done better by machines.

When I was a kid, I earned money delivering newspapers, mowing lawns and shovelling snow. In the last 15 years, no kid has come to my house and offered to do those things. These are all now taken over by contracting companies. Personally, I'd much rather support the kid down the street, and at lower cost to me, but it doesn't seem like they want the work. I guess our society has become too wealthy and kids today don't care about doing that kind of work. However, it does seem that if people are looking at ways to earn extra income, there are plenty of ways out there.

Our society needs more skilled workers. Unskilled jobs will all go by the wayside eventually. A good argument for further education. Canada should be investing in both technology and education, to improve society's productivity and to improve the average workers' standard of living, including the job experience.

When the basic standard is a skill, and everyone has at least that, those will become as valuable as unskilled jobs currently are. The more people that can do a job, the less it is worth.