Self-checkout has become a ubiquitous feature in modern supermarkets and retail stores all around the world. Of course, the United States and Canada are infested with this almighty machines, and there’s no gray shades: either you love them or you hate them. No matter in what team are you at, it’s hard to deny that self-checkout has become an integral part of the grocery shopping experience. But what happens when shoppers are fed up with being forced to do the work of a cashier without any incentives? Well, here’s where Rhode Island Democratic State Representative Megan Cotter comes into play.
Cotter, along with two Republican state senators, has introduced a bill in Rhode Island that would restrict the number of self-checkout lanes a store can have open at any one time. The bill would also require stores to offer a 10% discount to customers who scan 10 or more items at self-checkout. Cotter argues that self-checkout unfairly exploits customers by getting them to do the work of cashiers without offering any compensation. What?! Yeah, that’s what she argued when presenting the bill.
Doing Something to Stop the Mistreat to Costumers at Self-Checkout Kiosks
While the proposed legislation has garnered support from some quarters, there are others who oppose it. Supermarket lobbyists have already started to congregate to fight the bill, arguing that it’s an infringement on their right to run their business as they see fit. Cotter’s bill may not pass in its current form, but it highlights an important issue. Self-checkout may seem like a convenient way to avoid long lines, but it can also be frustrating and time-consuming. For many shoppers, it’s a deeply unpleasant experience, especially when they’re being watched over by a store employee like a hawk.
What is more, self-checkout can be challenging for older people or those who are not tech-savvy. This demographic is often overlooked by supermarkets, who assume that everyone is comfortable using self-checkout. But, guys, not only for the elders but ever for me, these machines can de bothering! Cotter’s proposed legislation addresses these issues head-on. By limiting the number of self-checkout lanes and offering a discount to customers who use them, supermarkets would be incentivized to provide better customer service. Customers who are in a hurry or who have a small number of items to buy could still use self-checkout, but the experience would be less unpleasant and potentially more rewarding.
Will Self-Checkout Machines Survive Their Own Problems?
Of course, there are potential downsides to Cotter’s bill. If customers know they can get a discount for using self-checkout, they may flock to those lanes and cause congestion. This could leave human cashiers idle and potentially even harm the supermarket’s bottom line. However, these are issues that could be resolved with a bit of planning and creative thinking.
At the end of the day, the goal of Cotter’s bill is to make the grocery shopping experience less frustrating and more rewarding for everyone. Whether or not it passes. These machines were supposed to solve the theft problem, and the long-waiting lines in the human-operated cashiers. Instead, these futuristic all-knowing and all-watching machines are being reviewed. Will they survive in the future? I’m not so sure, but that’s to be seen.