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this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2023
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I always use lines with cashiers because:
their jobs will evaporate if people don't use them
self checkout means that you're doing that job FOR FREE for the company
It is a misconception that work has value. Time is what has value.
If it takes longer for a cashier to ring you through, you are giving up more to the business than you would using the self-checkout. If you are worried about working for the company, this is what you want to avoid.
Granted, in practice, self-checkout is rarely implemented well and can often be slower than meeting with the cashier.
That doesn't make sense. I'm not giving the business my time by using the cashier. I may be wasting my time, but it's not part of the transaction. The business isn't receiving a ledger with "Time from Customer" on one side and "Time Banked" on the other side. And yes, labour has value. What are you smoking, "work has no value". You mustn't be in a union.
As a counterpoint, I'm unbothered during the time the cashier is doing their thing, usually listening to a podcast or an audiobook. If I have to scan it myself, I have to give up some concentration to scan the things, specially the ones that I need to search for codes and weigh items. So even if it takes more time, the cashier might be time better spent. Time has value, but not just the amount of time; how I spend that time changes its value. In other words, work has value too.
If I'm just listening to music or chatting with my wife, I do tend to pick the self checkout to get out of there ASAP. So I agree with your core idea.
On the flip side, the only reason you have to go through the check out process at all is because you accepted the job as warehouse worker and picked the items off the shelf yourself. Historically, business would have someone do that work for you too.
Imagine the things you could do while the employee is in the back pulling the items you need. What is it about working in a warehouse that you like, that you don't like about being a cashier?
oh man. I miss service merchandise so much. It was way ahead of its time.
Yeah, absolutely. I don't subscribe to this "free work" analogy for me doing something for myself, just wanted to highlight that for some people in some situations, there is more value in using the cashier even if it takes longer.
Sure, but the question asks what value a cashier brings that a picker doesn't bring?
Perhaps the value is in simply not having to accept change? All of us here likely grew up when walking in the warehouse was already commonplace. While there are still some stores out there that keep the warehouse off-limits to the customer, it's not a common practice anymore. If we were, instead, in the transition towards pushing the warehouse work off onto the customer, rather than the cashier work, maybe we'd be hearing the same thing?
I can't think of any. But I don't see how that changes anything.
I don't have to imagine, I'm a happy customer of grocery delivery so I make use of warehouse pickers too.
In any case, the main point is that for some people in some situations, there is more value in using the cashier even if it takes longer.
It changes my understanding. If I can't learn from discussion, what's the point?
Right, but what's the value which isn't also found in the picker? If you want to sit back and relax while the work gets done, as posited earlier, why is that not true for the entire process?
I can't think of any. Again.
I'm not saying it's not true. If the local supermarket decides to provide that service at no extra cost, I'll use it. And even when it's not free, sometimes I use it (grocery delivery).
But, again, I ask... It doesn't have to come from you. This service is a multi-user system.
Even if the experience is worse?
It depends. Worse in what way? I'm sure there would be scenarios that it would work out fine.
Why does it matter if cashier jobs evaporate. It's a shit job and automation is getting rid of it. That's a good thing. Also, what if I don't mind taking 5 minutes to scan my items FOR FREE just so that I don't have to talk to anyone or wait in line.
The only negative I see is that corporations are making even more money. We should take it from them and implement UBI to pay these cashier's after their jobs evaporate.
I was thinking the same until couple of them screamed at me for not using self checkout. And most of them are not happy with their job. Or life, I am not sure.