I've noticed a change in my local HD (since they replaced the CEO, or whomever it was at the top).

If there was one thing that I hated about going to HD, it was the move towards the "self-serve" checkout lanes. I NEVER got one of those to work right, even for a $0.59 doo-dad. I mean, literally, NEVER. I just stopped going to the self serve and would wait for the real person.

At my local HD, I would often go in the middle of the week in the evening and there would be one cashier and 4 (or was it 6?) self-checkout lanes. That one cashier was always at the tool aisle. If I was lucky on the weekend, there might be 2 real cashiers. Then I amused myself waiting in line by watching as the people in the self-checkout couldn't get it to work right either.

I thought that Lowes was going to forgo the self-checkouts but now they have them too. But there always seems to be at least two real cashiers there.

Maybe HD is actually listening to it's customers. Over the past two weeks, I've noticed at least two real cashiers during the week, at least 4 on the weekend and they've opened the access to the tool aisle. They also added conveyors to the checkouts. There are still self-checkout lanes, but there are finally more real cashiers.

Maybe filling out the stupid survey on the register receipts finally paid off. I think I sat down one day and filled out that survey about 10 times in a row, saying that I hated the self-checkout on every one them.

Is anyone else out there seeing this or is it only a local tihng?

Tom

I've never had a problem with the self checkouts. Actually, I greatly prefer them as they are so much quicker.

On the few occasions that I go to a human (2x4's, 10' lengths of PVC, etc) it annoys me that there are so many people in front of me that could have carried their small object to the often empty self checkout and been out of my way in 1/10 the time. :)

I've never had a problem with the self checkouts. Actually, I greatly prefer them as they are so much quicker.

On the few occasions that I go to a human (2x4's, 10' lengths of PVC, etc) it annoys me that there are so many people in front of me that could have carried their small object to the often empty self checkout and been out of my way in 1/10 the time. :)


Ditto, only time I have problems with them is if the item is really big, or really small and doesen't trip the scale. I have noticed that the scale is accurate enough to tell the difference between a full bottle of pop and one with a few swigs out of it!

Tboy

I've never had a problem with the self checkouts. Actually, I greatly prefer them as they are so much quicker.

On the few occasions that I go to a human (2x4's, 10' lengths of PVC, etc) it annoys me that there are so many people in front of me that could have carried their small object to the often empty self checkout and been out of my way in 1/10 the time. :)

I tried checking out with some screws (little plastic bags) and the register didn't let me proceed to scan. Since they are such a light weight, the scale had a hard time telling that I placed it in the bag. The automate checkout cashier had to manually go through the process and let me proceed.

I REFUSE to use those self-checkout lanes in any store. In my opinion, they are just one more step in the erosion of what little customer service there is anymore.

It is a win-lose scenario and I'll bet you know who wins and who loses.

The store wins because they now have less people scheduled to work, therefore, lowering their costs.

The consumer obviously loses, since they now have to do the work that was once done by a paid employee. On top of that, the darn things never seem to work right, so another employee is usually pulled from somewhere (usually one of the registers) to go from self-checkout lane to self-checkout land and help the people check themselves out.

Are they passing the cost savings (for no longer having to pay a checkout person to serve you) on to you? No.

If I actually got a discount for going through those lines...maybe.

Till then, I make it an outright effort to tell every store that uses these lanes what I think of them.

it annoys me that there are so many people in front of me that could have carried their small object to the often empty self checkout and been out of my way in 1/10 the time.

Me too, but this is what seems to ALWAYS happen to me....

I tried checking out with some screws (little plastic bags) and the register didn't let me proceed to scan. Since they are such a light weight, the scale had a hard time telling that I placed it in the bag. The automate checkout cashier had to manually go through the process and let me proceed.

...which knocks the heck right out of the "getting out in 1/10th of time theory."

I've also noticed over the past week that the store seems to be cleaned up. I needed one more 45% PVC connection for my drain line and noticed last night that I MAY have been able to get everything I needed for the entire project from the beginning. That's my other pet peeve....HD almsot NEVER seems to have everything I need for a project and there is almost always a trip to Lowes straight from HD. They appear to be stocking up now. Just last week I was looking to "borrow" a couple of handfuls of galvanized roofing nails to install my shower surround because the last time I was in HD looking for them they only had the 25 pound pails. I went in over the weekend and they had every imaginable size in 1 pound boxes.

If I actually got a discount for going through those lines...maybe.

Till then, I make it an outright effort to tell every store that uses these lanes what I think of them.

My thoughts exactly!

If stores can lower cost, in the end, competition will pass those savings on to me. Really. The system works.

What I don't like about self-check-outs is the ones that insist that I put my item in the bagging area -- and when I actually put the item there, it insists there's an unexpected item in the area, and won't let me continue until the problem is rectified.

Just getting rid of the bagging sensor would solve 95% of the problem I've seen.

If stores can lower cost, in the end, competition will pass those savings on to me. Really. The system works.

What I don't like about self-check-outs is the ones that insist that I put my item in the bagging area -- and when I actually put the item there, it insists there's an unexpected item in the area, and won't let me continue until the problem is rectified.

Just getting rid of the bagging sensor would solve 95% of the problem I've seen.

I agree with you completely. I like it when stores have self checkout. Unless I have a ton of items, or some non standard items, I alway use them. However, I sometimes have the same problem you have where it gets confused about whether you have placed the item in the bagging area.

Guy

I was a HD employee for nearly 2 years and dept head in garden and hardware for nearly a year combined.
Their policy, under old CEO...spits on floor sound...,is to keep staff at its' minimum because it is the only "controllable" expense. They also have a complex ordering system for inventory that is managed by their central corporate location and the individual stores have little control over what is ordered. Being in Northern NY we would get materials that we could not sell because they did not work in our region but were forced to take them because some "corporate" entity said all stores should have the item. We would eventually sell them for a dramatic loss or if lucky find some schlub dept head in another store to accept them as a transfer hehehe.
Additionally some items...worst problems are in plumbing and hardware which has the highest number of items, sku's, in inventory, can not be ordered until a specified dollar amount of the order is reached. In depts such as plumbing if you are out of a .50 cent part but all the other parts from that supplier are at adequate quantities you can not order...literally can not as your computer/networked ordering cart will NOT allow the order often even with a store manager over ride...again it is a corporate decision not the stores...anything until your ordering total reaches the proscribed mininum. Imagine how hard that is with the bags of 2 screws that are out of supply in the size you need and you will not see them for literally months.
No one wants to transfer that part in from another store generally as well because of the paperwork that needs to be done from several depts just to get it done. This is one of the biggest hazards of the Big Box in your neighborhood. Also try finding an employee that knows what they are talking about...not easy generally. I will say HD provides some of the finest training I have seen and makes it mandatory for each and every employee to maintain a certain level of training/knowlede in the dept they are working in does not mean the employee retains the info or cares to pass it on for vavied reasons. I have found the customer in general to be the most informed and would pump them for their knowledge and experiences especially in the lesser used and more complex tools.

I like the self checkout in general. Because so few people use it I find I can quickly pay for my goods and leave while others are still in line. Generally the self checkout area has a dedicated cashier assigned for the difficult items...2x4's, etc. and you still get out faster.
I was very much against self checkout until I used it and got a bit more experienced with it now I use it as much as I can.
Generally HD has the least number of cashiers it can because if they are not actively cashing out a customer they are just standing around though HD rules require them to go to a nearby dept to help out when they are not busy but generally the Assistant store managers/store manager does not enforce that rule so they just congregate and chit chat. At times they may clean up, dust, ect. their area but not often hehehe.
HD also pays poorly and has very few full time employees. They are mainly staffed with part time people and "sick calls" are a major problem. I am not saying that part timers are not good employees though it may sound like it. I am saying generally if there is something more important going on or the staffer is tired, etc. work is not a "primary" and as you would imagine weekends are the worst to staff with part timers. After all who gererally want to work on weekends or holidays.
Whew this seems to be a rant but is not. I enjoyed, at times lol, my time at HD and still shop there nearly exclusively over Lowes...which has a worse track record...but under the old CEO...agains spits on the floor sound...employees were treated and considered as a negative to be hired as cheaply and carelessly as possible.

Don't get me started on the "Regional Managers"...spitting on floor sound louder than when mentioning Nardelli...