One morning, I was listening to the radio, and they were talking about self-checkouts. Self-checkouts are basically a cash registration where you are in charge of scanning your items, and paying for them on your own without a cashier doing it for you. This idea is having mixed opinions. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of self-checkouts.
Advantages of Self-Checkouts
- no need to rely on cashiers
- independently scanning your items
- can be useful and quick if you are buying only a few items
Disadvantages of Self-Checkouts
- Doing the cashier’s work = less jobs for workers
- Lines build up if people buy several items or having trouble with scanning their items
The idea of self- checkout machines isn’t a popular idea for everyone. Some people like the idea of scanning their own items because it is quick, and do not need to interact with other people. Some people don’t like the machines because a machine is doing the work for them as opposed to a human being and therefore eliminating several positions. They are also reluctant to adapt to the new technology. According to an article from CBC, 46% of millenials prefer self-checkouts while the baby boom generation tends to prefer having a cashier scan their items.
What does this blogger think?
Having self-checkout machines can be useful if you buy a few items. As long as there is not a line up, I prefer to use self-checkouts when I am buying a handful of items. If let’s say I go grocery shopping, I would rather have a cashier checkout my items because it’s faster for someone who has experience checking out items than for someone who isn’t as used to doing the job. A problem that I have with self-checkouts is when someone uses it when they buy dozens of items from the store. They are not experienced in checking out items, and it only holds back the line.
Recap
To summarize this blog, self-checkouts have been popping up tremendously in retail stores and fast food restaurants over the past 15 years. They are an alternative to having an experienced cashier checkout the item for you. While it can be useful to self-checkout a few items, it can be seen as a threat to the job market since machines are replacing humans. However, as people become more dependant on technology, the amount of self-checkouts in stores will only continue to rise. If you are concerned about self-checkouts replacing jobs then you should avoid self-checkouts at all cost (if you haven’t done so already). If more people avoid self-checkouts, it would only mean longer lineups in stores and therefore they will be a higher demand of retail jobs.
I hope you enjoyed my blog and come back next week as I will give out advice on getting out of your comfort zone. It can be a challenge to get of your comfort zone, but if you want to achieve something you’ve always wanted to do, it is necessary to get out of your comfort zone, and chase the dream.
Until next week, take care and thanks for reading.
Robert Toto
Blogger
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