[whyileft]

Bingo. Automation is cheaper, not higher quality. The only people that consider not talking to service agents or cashiers an improvement in service have social anxiety issues or something similar. A checker at a grocery store actually does all of the work for you. Objectively it is better in every way unless you consider it a negative to be involved in human interaction.

[dota_fanatic]

How about when they scoff at your having brought re-usable bags, slightly demanding of them to do something different? Or when they pack your goods in a way that damages them? Or puts colds next to warm, or highly heat conductive items? Or when they're clearly sick, and likely spreading that illness to everyone that comes through that lane? Or when they're at the end of their shift, hate their job, and give you that lovely dead-eyed stare that just makes you feel warm and fuzzy when you try to make small talk?

How about when they reek of cigarettes? Or when they make a mistake (and they do) and all the people behind you start eyeballing you and the cashier, clearly upset at the delay? How about when they ring up produce incorrectly, or double count items, overcharging you? How about when something comes up wrong, and then they argue with you, because they're stressed with a queue to process?

Human cashiers being objectively better in every way than self-service automated lanes is not correct, especially as you sample more and more cashiers. SOME cashiers are better. Many aren't.

[jonknee]

> The only people that consider not talking to service agents or cashiers an improvement in service have social anxiety issues or something similar.

Or they are in a hurry. I will take the faster option every time and that usually means no human.

> A checker at a grocery store actually does all of the work for you.

What if there was no work to do? Amazon is exploring that concept and if it works as described (I haven't used it yet, but have walked by and it seems to) seems objectively better in every way.

https://www.amazon.com/b?node=16008589011

[whyileft]

> Or they are in a hurry. I will take the faster option every time and that usually means no human.

Correct, but this is the result of the store intentionally routing you through the self checkout by under staffing cashiers to save money.

>What if there was no work to do? Amazon is exploring that concept and if it works as described (I haven't used it yet, but have walked by and it seems to) seems objectively better in every way.

Excellent point. I should have used "self service" instead of "automation". It was a poor choice of words on my part. Full automation to remove anyone from needing to do the work would certainly be objectively better. The article linked is more about self service than automation.