Meijer, Inc. Complaint - Self Serve Only!

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-15:

I have never used a self-checkout and never will. Not only does it eliminate jobs, but I don't like being spoken to by a machine. I like people.

Also, I don't think it's any faster or efficient. I see too many people having problems at the self-checkout. How do you explain a problem to a machine?

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

well since I used to work at stores as a cashier, I am used to using those self scanners, and prefer them because normally the lines are quicker. If you know how to use them, it can be a quick process, if you dont have a cart FULL of stuff.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

I love the self checkout. As far as costing jobs did you stop using the phone because there is no longer an operator connecting the call? Do you stop using trash service because one person can do the job of 4 today? Did you stop buying cars because robots do most of the assembly today? Do you use the full service when filling your car with gasoline or do you pay the extra 50 cents per gallon? The job market has changed over the years and will keep on changing.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

throwback, I think its the point that when some people as customers go shopping, they are so used to having the interaction with "people" that they don't think its right to have to serve themselve's at a machine, and I can understand that. I mean there are people creating robots right now. Pretty soon there will be a time when robots will be able to do EVERYTHING, from cleaning our house, to BUILDING our house, to cooking our breakfast. How far do we have to go before we say enough? Pretty soon everyon'e job will be done by a robot, and our economy will crumble away.

Posted by jktshff1 on 2011-03-15:

I like self serve checkouts, but, and I want to get this right, the OP is not going to shop there and recommends others don't also, which would jeopardize more jobs, in order to protest them making their operation quicker for their customer?
There is usually a clerk at the self serves for customers.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-15:

Prince, exactly. It's the interaction with people that is important. I also think people who use the self-checkout should get a discount. Why should they do the job of a cashier for free?

Posted by jktshff1 on 2011-03-15:

Speed.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-15:

When I'm in Walmart with my kids, they use the self-checkout and I go to a cashier. I always finish first. I don't know why the self-checkout would be any faster, especially when so many people don't know what they're doing and end up needing help or when something goes wrong.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

I shop for my own groceries, and now they want me to scan and bag them myself as well. What's next? Rolling out a pallet and stocking the shelves for ya' too? While my wife enjoys it, I don't, and I too agree with Venice in thinking that a small discount or coupon should be given to those that use the self-checkout.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-15:

Right, Dirm. Maybe we should sweep the floor, too! I am a very low maintenance customer. I know how to take care of myself and I ask for very little. But why would I save the company money by doing the cashier's job without getting some kind of discount? No thanks.

I don't mind bagging, in fact I prefer doing it myself, but I don't think I should have to do the rest if I'm shopping at a full service store.

Posted by SteveWiginowski on 2011-03-15:

Generally the self-checkout line is faster than going to a cashier because of the lines that ussually are at a cashier's register. If the cashier register is open with no line, I'd go there first. If I have a few items, it's quick to go to the self-checkout. If there is a line for self-checkout, I will try to avoid it due to the all to common user error.

Posted by MRM on 2011-03-15:

I prefer cashier so that I could get rid of some change. I dislike breaking up a large bill for a small amount.

Posted by FlShopper on 2011-03-15:

We have self checkouts where I work. We haven't eliminated any jobs because of them. There are always cashiers in those lanes to help customers as well as another cashier who oversees all of the lanes.
I do think there should be manned registers available for customers with large orders or for customers who prefer not to use the self checkouts, but sometimes (as in the case of the OP)there may be a shortage of manpower and it's better to have several self checkouts open rather than one register.

Posted by Ytropious on 2011-03-15:

LOVE self check out. As a cashier myself I can do the job faster then another person anyway. I prefer NOT interacting with others. I can't stand when I only have a few items and really want to self check out and there's a bunch of bumbling people with carts full using them. For those of you who think self check out is sooooo baaaaad because you have to do the work yourself, well, self check out wasn't made for people like you. It was made for people like me.

OP, people have to go on break, and I doubt many people are grocery shopping at 7AM. Why pay a cashier to stand there and twiddle their thumbs for the 1 customer who chooses human interaction over computer self sufficiency? Run a business OP, you'll find it isn't worth it.

Posted by azspots on 2011-03-15:

I like yelling at the self check outs ;) Not yell, but I do talk back to them.

Posted by clutzycook on 2011-03-15:

I prefer the self-checkout myself. I wish my local WM hadn't gotten rid of theirs.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

I don't use the self check out lanes either. I also don't understand the point of having the self check out lanes if they also have to have employees there observing and helping. Get rid of them and put the employees back to work ringing and bagging. Express lanes are in all the stores I shop at for those that have just a handful of things and want to get in and out quickly.

Posted by Skye on 2011-03-15:

Yes it was an inconvenience for you at that moment, but the cashier was on a break. They are entitled to breaks. I love the self check out, but I know many do not.

I'm sorry you did not receive the service you wanted at that moment.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-03-15:

I hope you put all those groceries back, as that would be the considerate thing to do.

As far as it being 7:05 at a grocery store, at these off hours there is usually an employee assigned to (on request) staff a register. If that employee is temporarily unavailable, you are on your own.

Personally, I support minimum staff at odd hours, because if it is increased it may be wasteful and result in higher prices for all customers.

Posted by Skye on 2011-03-15:

Trm, they say they left the groceries so now it will cost them more money, because they have to pay someone to put them back.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-03-15:

I see, the OP wasn't interested in courtesy but rather compensation. Sometimes I get to a certain point and my attention span wanes. Problem is, that point varies randomly.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

I use self checkouts when I have a few items. If I have a lot of items or I'm buying alcohol (for my bf. I swear I'm still sober), then I go thru the regular lines. If I go to a store late ot night, the self checkouts are usually closed and that annoys me cause then I have to stand in line.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-15:

Just, I don't understand it either. I was hoping self-checkouts wouldn't catch on, and I dread the day they take over. Target and my grocery store still don't have them, so I'm grateful for that.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

I was a kid when gas transitioned from full service to self service. The discussion then is very similar to the discussion on this review.

Whether you like it or not self checkout is the future. There will come a day when somebody checking you out will seem as odd as that time in Oregon when a guy put gas in my tank and I thought he was some crazy homeless guy looking for a hand out.

The beat goes on man.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-15:

Depends where you live. I grew up in New Jersey where there are no self-serve gas stations. When I moved to New York, I had to get used to self-serve, but I still don't like it.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

I e-mailed Meijer and asked if they eliminated any jobs as a result of going to self-serve ... they responded and said they would not answer the question.

Posted by jktshff1 on 2011-03-15:

Toto, no offense, but why should they? Unless you are a stockholder it's actually none of your business.

Posted by Anonymous on 2011-03-15:

Well, when everyone does nothing but *speculate* on an accusation against a company, with no facts whatsoever to suppport any position, I feel it's only fair to give that company a chance to set the record straight, if they want to. The only way to do that is to ask them about it.

If they had not lost any positions, they would have jumped up and down and said so.

They are privately owned, which is why it is none of my business. But they are a significant force in my community (they are HQ'd here), which gives me the prerogative to ask them questions about how they conduct business.

Posted by trmn8r on 2011-03-15:

Venice -> As a fellow native NJerseyite, I hear you. But I like self serve, because I like not worrying that an attendant is going to spill gas on my car. Or be busy speaking on his bluetooth to a relative in another country.

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-16:

Trmn, one reason I don't like self-serve is because some people are idiots and shouldn't be allowed to operate a gas pump. I don't want to be there when something happens. I am also spoiled. Having grown up with full-serve stations, I got used to not having to get out of my car, clean my own windows, etc. I'd even tip the attendant for good service. Of course, that was back when I didn't have to mortgage the house to fill the tank. In case you haven't figured it out, I tend to live in the past. Those were the days, my friend...

Posted by FlShopper on 2011-03-17:

I don't agree that they would've jumped up and down to confirm that no positions have been lost by self-checkout. I think people believe what they want to believe.
We tell people regularly that no cashier jobs have been eliminated because of self-checkout; on the contrary, our store is currently hiring more cashiers. But despite that, some people refuse to believe it and prefer to think that the self-checkout is somehow an arbiter of the decline of civilization.
To the rest of us, it's simply a convenience.

Posted by jktshff1 on 2011-03-17:

will put Shopper

Posted by Venice09 on 2011-03-17:

People assume (myself included) that self-checkouts eliminate jobs because that's the way it appears. Where I live, it did seem to eliminate cashier jobs in Walmart and Stop and Shop, but the public really doesn't know what goes on behind the scenes. I guess each store is different.

Posted by nikalseyn on 2012-02-04:

Meijer is my favourite store and has been since they opened in Saginaw, Mi decades ago. However, lately they have been closing the express lane down in order to give the cashier a break---instead of relieving the cashier, they just close the lane!! I complained to the manager and he said they don't do that! He actually had the gall to lie to me! I also refuse to use the self serve. I have left a few carts half or more full of groceries when they either don't have enough lanes open or the express lane is closed. I always ensure there are frozen items in the cart and just park it somewhere in the women's clothing area where it won't be found until the ice cream has melted onto the floor, etc. We also say absolutely nothing when the cashier does not notice the bag of bird seed on the bottom of the cart, etc. Our attitude towards Meijer has followed their apparent attitude towards it's customers: to hell with them! We still go to Meijer almost every day, and Meijer is still much better than WalMart, but Meijer has now lost our loyalty due to their lack of lanes and closing express lanes down in an effort to save money. When they installed the self serve lanes a few year ago in Saginaw the boss in charge of both Saginaw managers told me personally that they would ALWAYS have an express lane open. Period. He lied. They do not. His name was Rick W. (forgot the last name) This was after I told him we do not patronize the self serve lanes. This guy is still with Meijer, too as I have seen him recently on a periodic visit to the Saginaw Stores. All in all, we still like Meijer and their cashiers are mostly good reps for the company. But, as for loyalty to a particular store, that is now out the window.

Posted by old fart on 2012-02-04:

For what it's worth the Meijer's on Tittabawsee road in Saginaw had All the lanes open this Saturday and a lady directing customers to the next available lane to speed thing up. Wallysmart NEVER does that! much less have ALL lanes open.

Posted by clutzycook on 2012-02-04:

The walmart near me will do that on occasion. I was actually in line today when a cashier approached me and asked if I was buying cigarettes (I was in the cigarette line). 7 month pregnant me laughed and said no, so she said she could take me over at her lane. I had no trouble waiting, but it was nice to get out so quickly n

Posted by wjk898 on 2012-11-08:

I insist on my groceries bagged "paper in plastic" and I can more easily do it myself at the self check then pester the cashier to do it..and they usually don't know what I'm requesting. Self checkout for me!

Posted by bob on 2012-12-24:

I think the thing that most people don't understand is that the grocery industry on avg. only makes 2% profit a year. (thats if you have a good year!) Approximately 65 - 70% of the revenue a grocery store generates is given back to the companies that made, packaged, and delivered the goods to the store. So you generate 1 million in revenue, than it cost you around $700,000 to bring the products into your store. So for your $100.00 grocery order, after you factor in everything, (cost, labor, rent for the building, Health Care, general maintenance) the store probably only profits about $5.00 on that order.

So while it is very frustrating when there are only four lanes open and the store really needs about 8 lanes open to properly get customers checked out, there is a balancing act going on. So yes I can have 10 lanes open for 15 hours a day to accommodate the business, but in order to pay for that labor I will need to raise, egg prices, milk prices, bread prices, and other goods to cover it.

So if you want to pay $6.00 for a gallon of milk, $5.00 for a dozen eggs, and $6.00 for a loaf of bread, I will have all my lanes open for 15 to 18 hours a day. Unfortunately that will not happen, so in order to be competitive and keep my prices lower than other stores, I will invest in more self check-out machines. Yes I may have a cashier who will man 4 to 6 self check-out machines, but if you want to buy .99 cent eggs, and milk at $2.99, then you will have to deal with less cashiers. That is the hard truth...

People want Wal-Mart prices, but want 5 star service! The two don't mix most of the time.... there might be some exceptions.