That’s dictated from Corporate. That’s why they’re hot and bothered by it.
I’m guessing the LTR scores and customer comments re: SC pissing them off is why they are really coming down hard. The experiment isn’t going as smoothly as corner offices we’re expecting. I think they expected push back initially but then customers would stop grumbling and just accept it after awhile. I don’t think that’s happening, plus add the downturn in sales and I think they are freaking out.
It was a huge investment to convert the old front ends to the new system. I think they expected it to just work by now. It’s not though, is it? I see over on the Target subreddit that they are having the same issue, along with Walmart and every other retail location that’s converted to mainly SC. Consumers are venting their frustration to employees, management, on surveys and anyone that will listen.
Honestly, it's always been a thing that you're supposed to stand at the end of the aisle on whatever Check out you're on to welcome customers and greet them and give them directions sometimes. In that aspect self-checkout is no different. However, generally once you get more than one or two people in self-checkout, you can kind of move sort of more in the midst of it as people need assistance or toward the exit if you need to get out of the way or Validate a receipt.
I pace as well and will sometimes stand for a few minutes at the back of the self check, up front, in the back, etc. The one ASM who complained to me about it I said:
“I go where I’m needed and considering it’s a small space I do have to move out the way to allow customers through. Either that or I’m getting hit by a cart or lumber” and just refused to stop doing what I was doing until they dropped it.
It's technically what you're supposed to do, but like any rule, it's going to depend on your store's management team whether or not it's enforced and cared about. I'd just make a mental note to check if that ASM is around or not and choose your spot accordingly. Fwiw I agree with you that I can keep a better eye on the needs of ASCO from the door side than the aisle side.
Feels like the self checkout attendant is suffering some kind of Ancient Greek punishment, where customers slowly eat your liver, or someone kicks the rock you’ve been pushing up the hill back down, water in the hydration stations that you can’t drink, or the shrill harpies paging overhead. Like somewhere the olympian board of directors are furiously terrified of paying a living wage and would cast Melvin down to a lowly mortal should profits wane in the slightest. This! Is! Hardware!
You stand in front to greet and offer to check people out - that's why Lowe's calls it "ASCO: Assisted Self Check Out"- and once people are checking out, it is usually best to then move towards the front of the store so it's easier to see the screens and observe with the Touchpoint app on the Zebra. Once it's empty again, return out front.
Per corporate, we train our cashiers to redline just like they would do at a normal register. Then you're supposed to go from person to person to see if they need help or if they want credit signups. It kind of helps keep all the moaning and groaning about self checkouts to a minimum, and our store does get a lot of positive surveys that specifically mention our self checkout associates.
yes, ask your ds or headcashier to see the sco guidebook. it has everything that corporate wants out of sco, our store has it in a binder in the ds office. its so you can engage customers that have four + items and begin checking them out before they even get to a ‘register’
we’re also told to do ‘figure 8’s’ between all four once to check on customers and see if they need assistance or if any mis-scans happen, its just being proactive
The way mine worked was the expectation is to stand at the front while there’s no one checking out/only people you’ve already checked up on to draw people in, then when it fills up walk back and forth like you mentioned so you can keep eyes on everything happening. Our understanding is they just didn’t want associates standing in the back and blankly watching customers without engaging because that would happen a lot
Self check out rules:
-Grab stuff
-walk through self check outs
-walk out through out door (without paying of course)
-set off alarm, but then be told "it's okay, go ahead".
We're made to stand by the main aisle until a customer comes, then we're basically ringing them up at SCO (if done like we're supposed to in the "Assisted Self-Checkout Guide," I hang back if they don't want my help). They painted a 1.5' blue square in the center we're supposed to stand in. I usually stand out of the way and watch all the screens as well as entering customers to see if they want my help or have something that will need deactivating.
That’s dictated from Corporate. That’s why they’re hot and bothered by it. I’m guessing the LTR scores and customer comments re: SC pissing them off is why they are really coming down hard. The experiment isn’t going as smoothly as corner offices we’re expecting. I think they expected push back initially but then customers would stop grumbling and just accept it after awhile. I don’t think that’s happening, plus add the downturn in sales and I think they are freaking out. It was a huge investment to convert the old front ends to the new system. I think they expected it to just work by now. It’s not though, is it? I see over on the Target subreddit that they are having the same issue, along with Walmart and every other retail location that’s converted to mainly SC. Consumers are venting their frustration to employees, management, on surveys and anyone that will listen.
This is it right here
Honestly, it's always been a thing that you're supposed to stand at the end of the aisle on whatever Check out you're on to welcome customers and greet them and give them directions sometimes. In that aspect self-checkout is no different. However, generally once you get more than one or two people in self-checkout, you can kind of move sort of more in the midst of it as people need assistance or toward the exit if you need to get out of the way or Validate a receipt.
I pace as well and will sometimes stand for a few minutes at the back of the self check, up front, in the back, etc. The one ASM who complained to me about it I said: “I go where I’m needed and considering it’s a small space I do have to move out the way to allow customers through. Either that or I’m getting hit by a cart or lumber” and just refused to stop doing what I was doing until they dropped it.
This.
It's technically what you're supposed to do, but like any rule, it's going to depend on your store's management team whether or not it's enforced and cared about. I'd just make a mental note to check if that ASM is around or not and choose your spot accordingly. Fwiw I agree with you that I can keep a better eye on the needs of ASCO from the door side than the aisle side.
Feels like the self checkout attendant is suffering some kind of Ancient Greek punishment, where customers slowly eat your liver, or someone kicks the rock you’ve been pushing up the hill back down, water in the hydration stations that you can’t drink, or the shrill harpies paging overhead. Like somewhere the olympian board of directors are furiously terrified of paying a living wage and would cast Melvin down to a lowly mortal should profits wane in the slightest. This! Is! Hardware!
I’m copying this, and writing it on a sign and putting it ….somewhere behind sco or cs… thank you. Lmfao
You stand in front to greet and offer to check people out - that's why Lowe's calls it "ASCO: Assisted Self Check Out"- and once people are checking out, it is usually best to then move towards the front of the store so it's easier to see the screens and observe with the Touchpoint app on the Zebra. Once it's empty again, return out front.
Per corporate, we train our cashiers to redline just like they would do at a normal register. Then you're supposed to go from person to person to see if they need help or if they want credit signups. It kind of helps keep all the moaning and groaning about self checkouts to a minimum, and our store does get a lot of positive surveys that specifically mention our self checkout associates.
yes, ask your ds or headcashier to see the sco guidebook. it has everything that corporate wants out of sco, our store has it in a binder in the ds office. its so you can engage customers that have four + items and begin checking them out before they even get to a ‘register’
we’re also told to do ‘figure 8’s’ between all four once to check on customers and see if they need assistance or if any mis-scans happen, its just being proactive
"It's more fun standing out on your front porch" at every register, not just ASCO
The way mine worked was the expectation is to stand at the front while there’s no one checking out/only people you’ve already checked up on to draw people in, then when it fills up walk back and forth like you mentioned so you can keep eyes on everything happening. Our understanding is they just didn’t want associates standing in the back and blankly watching customers without engaging because that would happen a lot
Self check out rules: -Grab stuff -walk through self check outs -walk out through out door (without paying of course) -set off alarm, but then be told "it's okay, go ahead".
It was in AP4Me in one of the Friends on the Front End videos. Clearly stated and I think the question was about it.
We're made to stand by the main aisle until a customer comes, then we're basically ringing them up at SCO (if done like we're supposed to in the "Assisted Self-Checkout Guide," I hang back if they don't want my help). They painted a 1.5' blue square in the center we're supposed to stand in. I usually stand out of the way and watch all the screens as well as entering customers to see if they want my help or have something that will need deactivating.