Recently Safeway Grocery Stores instituted a policy of removing Self Check stands to be replaced by "Express" Kiosks staffed by a live person so as to improve the "customer experience". In our local Safeway they removed 4 self checkouts and added 2 Express Checkouts. I've spoken with the store manager and was told the "customer experience" line. I believe it to be a union issue cloaked as a customer service improvement.
The main reason people use the Self Checkout stations is to avoid the "customer experience" with a cashier. Most of the time they are gabbing with a bagger or another checker. When you do have their full attention things go smoothly, but no more smoothly than when I'm checking myself out.
This may seem a trivial thing to some. Some may also think it's anti-union. Neither is the case. This is purely a customer expediency issue. Lessening the checkout opportunities can never be considered good customer service. And if adding one extra checker to staff the Express Checkout makes the union happy, then keep the person around to assist the self checkout folks.
