It’s not that the technology isn’t ready, or that consumers aren’t able to scan their own items. The unions and employees simply don’t want it to happen.

I’ve been a technology geek for years and was excited when I first encountered a self-checkout at my local Alberstons. The thought of bypassing the lines of people with 15 items in the ‘10 items or less’ line, or no longer being stuck behind someone writing and balancing their checkbook while my ice cream melted was nirvana.

But my excitement was short-lived. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t able to scan the items at the same pace as the regular checkout person. Things got worse when the scales onto which the items are placed after scanning (to make sure I’m not cheating the system) regularly failed to recognize my purchases.

When I was able to get the system to work properly and managed to get 5 or more items scanned and bagged, the system would suddenly decide I was having way too much fun and tell me that without the assistance of the cashier I could go no further. The little red light on the top of my checkstand would flash and the same alert would display on the cashier’s terminal. Instead of rushing to help me and get me through the line as quickly as possible, he or she would often just stand there looking at me while I tried to work out what sequence of events caused the hiccup.

When that little red light goes off above a slot machine in Tahoe or Vegas the attendant is there in a flash. Not in your local grocery or hardware store. Instead they continue their conversation with the other ‘soon to be unemployed cashier’ or stare blankly into space wondering why you’re scanning that carton of milk for the fifth time.

I could never figure out why, if I used a regular checkout, the cashiers would greet me and seem genuinely interested that someone had finally bought a Chayote and knew what to do with it, yet treated me like a pariah when I used self-checkout. Then the little red light in my head went off. Why would they want to help me, when I’m taking away their jobs by using the automated system?

Sure the corporate bean counters see the benefits of replacing four cashiers with just one, but there isn’t any job security for the workers under this method. So, they begrudgingly amuse their managers by working the self-checkout stands, but go out of their way to make sure you don’t find it a pleasant experience. Over time, people like me will find the allure of self-service not so exciting after all, and the statistics will be there to back up the claims by the employees and unions that there is no point in adding more terminals, as ‘customers just don’t like them’.

With the news last week that the unions have bludgeoned the likes of Raley’s and Savemart into providing substantial wage increases, better medical benefits with no employee-paid premiums and protected pension benefits, its probably safe to say that they also managed to convince the owners of these companies not to increase the number of self-checkouts anytime soon.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to using one of those new shopping carts that scans my items as I put them into the basket. Or better yet, reads the RFID chip on each item and debits my credit card as I wheel the cart out the door.

Happy shopping.

Paul Robinson
Guest Blooger
The Sacramento Executive