this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2026
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I had someone at target try to direct me to the self checkout... I politely declined with "I don't work here"
If I'm doing the work, I should damn well get the employee discount.
I literally don't see the point of the employee. Just scan your stuff, pay, leave. You only have to scan what you choose to buy and take, not other people's stuff.
Those are great entry-level jobs I'd rather not be eliminated.. People > Computers in all ways.
My question is: Why have the employee there?
Why is them scanning my few items and pushing a button better than me doing it? We're doing the exact same thing and it takes very little work from me. It seems to me like them being there is just adding work for the sake of a job. Pointless. It's quicker and easier without them in my experience.
Why not add an additional person to the check-outs to hand me my bags so I don't have to pick them up from the counter? We can keep adding work for the sake of jobs.
As seen from what the company claims in the article, the employee is there, and it is better that they are, because people are both accidentally and intentionally bad at scanning everything and they're losing their ass.
Because of just that alone, the idea seems to be dying without the previous poster's philosophical argument, which is not invalid, even coming into play.
I'd rather have one employee per register, not one employee managing 8 registers... Because when something goes wrong, you're standing around with your thumb-up your ass waiting until someone comes to check your ID or fix whatever went wrong...
Besides, I like employing people, especially people who need the employment and don't have access to careers that require an education. Everyone needs the ability to work, and part of that is making sure there are jobs...
Right, but that's what you, a customer, want. These guys are scaling back the self checkouts because there is excessive shrink happening due to customers being totally untrained and some of them shoplifting much more easily because they're barely supervised. They're claiming to be doing it of their own accord because it is hurting profits by way of shrink, though many consumers happen to get what they prefer by coincidence in this case.
I'm beyond giving a fuck what's best for corporations.
Right? If they're not paying someone to scan and bag my stuff, I should be getting that savings.