first they replaced workers with automated checkouts depriving themselves of the other 20 jobs a “mere” checkout operator had to do; what’ll happen next is now they’ll pair every self-checkout with a checkout operator anyway so you’ll just have someone who’s job is to breathe down your neck to make sure you’re not walking out with one of those 5 in 1, 1 gallon shampoo bottles
“Hi, I’ll be your self-checkout specialist today. Can I interest you in a premium reusable tote? It’s only $0.75 more and hides 30% more items from the Loss Prevention Officer.”
They are literally already doing this. A couple weeks back at Costco, the self checkout lanes had an employee at every one of them checking your ID against your member card. They then would scan your stuff. They still had someone at the exit checking your receipt.
The labor spend on preventing you from sharing your member card and then STILL verifying your receipt against their own employees seems like a massive waste.
The price of cameras and gait analysis is well under the cost of even one year of a full time employee, which is why they are doing it. If they can hire even one less employee it is a win for them.
first they replaced workers with automated checkouts depriving themselves of the other 20 jobs a “mere” checkout operator had to do; what’ll happen next is now they’ll pair every self-checkout with a checkout operator anyway so you’ll just have someone who’s job is to breathe down your neck to make sure you’re not walking out with one of those 5 in 1, 1 gallon shampoo bottles
Don’t forget tho, you pay that second worker less because there’s no skill left in the labor.
naturally, otherwise we’ll replace their job with more automation, again!
That’s always the argument, but there is no such thing as unskilled labor. I’ve seen the variety of weird shit those machines do, and the people.
“Hi, I’ll be your self-checkout specialist today. Can I interest you in a premium reusable tote? It’s only $0.75 more and hides 30% more items from the Loss Prevention Officer.”
working a shift helping people steal shit and then walking out the back with a cartload of “returns”
Hi, I’ll be your checkout overseer today
They are literally already doing this. A couple weeks back at Costco, the self checkout lanes had an employee at every one of them checking your ID against your member card. They then would scan your stuff. They still had someone at the exit checking your receipt.
The labor spend on preventing you from sharing your member card and then STILL verifying your receipt against their own employees seems like a massive waste.
Not to mention the untold amount of money wasted on extra camera surveillance and all kinds of algorithmic gait analysis and tracking shit.
The price of cameras and gait analysis is well under the cost of even one year of a full time employee, which is why they are doing it. If they can hire even one less employee it is a win for them.