Self-checkout machines, the panacea of technological progress in the world of retail, have proven to be more problematic than previously thought. Despite their apparent simplicity, these machines have become slower and less efficient, and they are creating more problems than they solve. A common issue is the poor detection of products, which leads to errors in billing and the need for human supervision. In fact, according to a recent study, 25% of purchases made through self-checkout end up requiring the intervention of a store worker.
Another common concern for the costumers is the slowness of the payment process itself. Consumers using these machines often find themselves struggling with insensitive touchscreens, barcodes that don’t scan, and connectivity issues that further slow down the process. In fact, according to a recent survey, 67% of consumers who use self-checkout are frustrated by their slowness and errors, which has led to a decrease in the popularity of these machines. And don’t even think about when somebody is caught red-handed stealing in these machines. This will activate a complex operative involving even the police. If this happens, the whole self-checkout area will go out of service, for the safety of the shoppers.
You Might Be Wasting Your Time at the Self-Checkout Lane, Depending on the Type of Machine
There are different types of self-checkout, such as the more traditional ones that have two variants: full lanes and fast lanes. In these, the customer processes the entire transaction, from arriving at the station and placing all the products in a tray to scan them one by one, to processing the payment and packing everything. In these systems, the process is slow and complex for some people, and this can delay the lines a lot.
The express lanes, which are usually used for 10 to 12 items or less, are composed of a bagging station and an autopay terminal. But, since they are all different, you have to learn how to use them depending on the supermarket or store. This is what drives costumers mad, because of the countless types of screens, software programs, and payment terminals.
Others are convertible self-checkout kiosks, which can sometimes be converted between automatic and human-controlled. In these, there is always someone nearby to help people who have problems in their handling, but it also frequently causes delays and interruptions in the queues of angry buyers because of the lousy service.
The Self-Checkout Machines That ACTUALLY Work, and You Will Save Time
RFID payment is an innovative technology that is becoming an increasingly popular trend around the world, specially at the self-checkout stations. Through the use of RFID tags, the payment process becomes faster and more efficient, allowing customers to enjoy a smoother and seamless shopping experience.
Implemented mainly in areas where items are not often weighed, RFID technology is applied through the placement of tags on products and their integration with the conventional security tag. At the checkout, the customer simply touches the RFID-enabled tag on a fixed or manual scanning device, which activates the payment and disables the security.
Consumers can place their basket of products inside a box with RFID technology so that all the labels are read at once. This open cube usually has three antennas that are triangulated to ensure that all the elements inside the box, and none outside of it, are identified. RFID payment also has a significant impact on reducing waiting times in the queue. By eliminating the need to search and scan each item individually, customers can pay for their purchases in a matter of seconds. This not only improves the efficiency of the payment process, but also increases customer satisfaction.