Someday Robots Will Replace Us All
from the well,-if-that-means-we-can-all-hang-out-at-the-beach... dept
A few weeks back we had a discussion about how retail self-scanners were catching on in many retail establishments such as Home Depot (the only place I've used one). At the time, we discussed issues of theft and customer annoyance. However, a San Jose Mercury News columnist has just come across these machines for the first time (also at Home Depot) and experienced a different feeling: fear. When presented with a strange machine and a process that you're not used to, some people may be afraid to actually make a purchase, since they don't understand how this works, and it makes them feel uncomfortable. Of course, that's a limited time problem for most stores. As these things become more popular (and it sounds like they will), and more people understand them, the "fear factor" will quickly go away.
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The down side is you have to bag your own groceries which can slow the line down if your alone. VIVA LE' TECHNOLOGY !!!
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Why not?
Where do you draw the line?
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Airport Check-In
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A few thoughts
Second thought: I absolutely hate these machines in grocery stores. Only if I have less than 5 items, and my items don't require weighing (veggies), do I use them. Usually because they never recognize when I put the groceries in the bag after scanning, and it tells me over and over 'please place your items in the bag.' But they should reduce costs (in theory) of running a store, which should (in theory) result in lower consumer prices.
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(A nod to Red Dwarf, I couldn't resist)
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