I used to laugh at the self-checkout at my local hardware store

I mean, I figured it was just for people buying a couple of screws and would never work for big orders. Then last week, I saw a guy scan and pay for a whole pallet of lumber by himself in maybe five minutes. The two actual cashiers were just standing there looking bored. It kinda hit me that this isn't just about convenience anymore, it's about not needing those people at all. I've been in that store for years and they've cut the front-end staff in half since they put those things in. Has anyone else's workplace slowly replaced people with machines like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

irisowens1mo ago

My local grocery store has six self-checkouts now and one actual lane open. I'm the guy who always needs the "unexpected item in bagging area" help, so I'm probably keeping at least one person employed.

leo_black761mo agoMost Upvoted

I read a thing that said a single self-checkout station can do the work of three cashiers over a shift. Makes you wonder, right? I feel for @irisowens though, at least someone's job is safe from us tech-challenged folks.

ross.lily1mo ago

You might be keeping one person busy, but those machines still cut the total jobs in half.