Self-Serve on the way out?
Posted Oct 2, 2011 05:28:56 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It may be the end of the line for self-checkouts.
It seems that a growing number of stores are getting rid of the do-it-yourself machines. They say they can offer better customer service when clerks help shoppers directly.
But Mel Fruitman of the Consumer Association of Canada, tells 570’s Jeff Allan Show it’s not really about better customer service it’s about saving money. He says theoretically, self-serve machines should be cheap. But, stores often have to provide oversight and, if there’s problems it ultimately ends up taking an actual employee anyway. Therefore, they are not actually saving any money. Fruitman says this is all part of the concept of “minimize whatever you do for your customer in order to maximize your profit.”
Fruitman says “customer service” is a loosely used term nowadays.
He says in the past grocery stores were very accommodating: “You went thru a line-up, you had a cashier who checked out your goods and put them into the bag that did not charge you for. That’s customer service. Now, if there is a cashier, you probably have to bag the stuff yourself. In the old days they even used to carry the items out to the car for you.”
Banks were probably the biggest ones to start minimizing their services, when they began operating ATM’s, according to Fruitman. He says the way you get people to start using these devices is to cut back on tellers so that the line-ups get longer. At that point, he says, people start turning to the automated machines so as to avoid frustrating wait times.
Bottom line according to Fruitman is if self-check outs still work for the stores, they will continue to use them. If it causes complications so that they’re not increasing their profits, they’ll do away with it.
Whatever the reason for ditching the machines, it seems shoppers will be happy. Surveys have shown people who like the self-checkouts are actually in the minority. Most are more satisfied with their trip to the store when they deal with a real-life human at check out; someone who can answer their questions and fix any problems.
