Pleasant surprise upon check-out at local Home Depot

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

For quite some time, our local Home Depots have had an abundance of self check-out lanes, and only one or two lanes with actual people doing the cashiering. You know the self-check out, scanners that you do the work for checking out, and if the scan is problematic, there is one poor "helper" who has to run back and forth to the various stations to try to help the customer who has the problem.

As a matter of principle, we never used the self-check lanes...and even waited long times to have a human cashier....and would tell the cashier that we are thankful that he/she is working there, and that we prefer to see Home Depot employ people, rather than machine checkers.

This week, we were totally surprised and pleased to see several more cashier lanes open. Pleasant helpful folks, who are doing a job, getting a salary.....sure it isn't a lot of money they probably earn, but in these times, a job is something!

Sure, an electronic scan machine can get you in and out quick (provided the items scan accurately).....but from our point of view, we would much rather see a smiling cashier and know that the local store is adding to employment rather than not.

[1950bing Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close 1950bing]

Good reason to consider your local family mom & pop stores in your area.
They have been around longer, give back to the community and just may employ one of your kids to help them along their way.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

I am with you. Kelli is a bagger at a grocery store and they have put in several self check out lanes. I was scared Kelli would lose her job. I refuse to go thru those self check lanes. shaggy

[katiemack Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close katiemack]

Good reason to consider your local family mom & pop stores in your area.
They have been around longer, give back to the community and just may employ one of your kids to help them along their way.

I couldn't agree more, bing, and we do use our M&P's as much as possible, but every once in awhile, we have to go to the big chains for a specific product......and these chains report profits like crazy, and they should hang their heads in shame for using this type of "saving" strategy. As a customer, I resent having to deal with an unreliable machine, and I also want them to be hiring, and I want them to have folks who know the products and how to resolve problems or answer questions.

I am with you. Kelli is a bagger at a grocery store and they have put in several self check out lanes. I was scared Kelli would lose her job. I refuse to go thru those self check lanes. shaggy

At our local grocer, they have hidden mikes under the counter to "review" interaction....often I will state how we love being able to see the same friendly faces and complement the company, knowing that they are eavesdropping. The cashiers will get "docked" if they don't ask certain questions, use the customer name, etc. So I make sure that if corporate is listening that they hear us thank the grocer for being aware how much we enjoy seeing live folks, and not having to deal with technology.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

Sure, an electronic scan machine can get you in and out quick (provided the items scan accurately).....but from our point of view, we would much rather see a smiling cashier and know that the local store is adding to employment rather than not.

Personally, I'm more likely to shop at a store that adds to local employment by putting people out on the sales floor to answer my questions rather than putting people to work at a cash register.

That's one of the big differences between our Lowe's (doesn't have self -serve) and Home Depot (has four self serve lanes). Every time I go into Lowe's I see either at least the equivalent of one person unnecessarily operating a cash register, or backups at the registers that soon result in them calling people off the sales floor to operate registers.

If Lowe's added some self-serve lanes they could put at least one more person on the sales floor. Or maybe start paying a bit more so they can attract and retain better staff.

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Are you aware that at Lowes if you sell appliances you are responsible for getting the product off the shelf taking it to pickup and loading it for the customer That is why I never went to work at Lowes. It didn't matter if you were a woman or a man. That also pulls the salesman off the floor with no one to help the customer. Is that not the craziest thing you have ever heard? shaggy