Its times I just want to scream at self checkout, I cant stand it. As a matter of fact, I never see my superiors work it more than a hour or two, I believe they know it can run you up a wall. I have had customers ignore me if I simply asked them Whats wrong? but then will call me over as soon as I start helping other customers. I absolutely hate what the company did to the card system, I prefer please continue checking out instead of the customer just standing there watching the pinpad processing.... Then when I tell the customer press card they speak over me saying I already...... then I say press card one more time.
Today almost pushed me off a cliff for certain, my handheld and the machines glitched and my security messages stopped popping up for about five minutes. So then my handheld started ringing like crazy and showed 8 or more alert messages for each machine . Then the machines locked my sign in out so there really wasnt a way for me to clear out my error messages or check the alerts.
I almost quit when one customer today stopped me as I was leaving my break saying that she didnt want these items and she needed the basket. She just had two bags and she gave me a ton of stuff. She shouldve just gave me the basket but she was being evil.
Its just a cry for help and I literally have a headache because I am fed up with it !
I absolutely hate what the company did to the card system, I prefer please continue checking out instead of the customer just standing there watching the pinpad processing.... Then when I tell the customer press card they speak over me saying I already...... then I say press card one more time.
I don't bother telling them they have to press the button. I just press it for them without saying anything. There is no point in explaining anything to them regarding this as they will learn nothing.
Anonymous wrote:
Today almost pushed me off a cliff for certain, my handheld and the machines glitched and my security messages stopped popping up for about five minutes. So then my handheld started ringing like crazy and showed 8 or more alert messages for each machine . Then the machines locked my sign in out so there really wasnt a way for me to clear out my error messages or check the alerts.
When that happens, if the robot's screen is stuck on a "help is on the way" screen, transfer their order to the attendant station. From there, you can either finish scanning the rest of their stuff, suspend the transaction with an override then scan the receipt to transfer the order to a robot that is working, or have the customer pay for what they scanned and then they can finish scanning the rest of their stuff on a robot that is working. It's a balance of discretion depending on what the customer wants. Sometimes they'll say **** it and just go to a regular lane, which is fine too.
Usually when a robot "locks" you out, I'm guessing, it has lost it's connection to the main system. I usually give it a couple of minutes to reconnect. If its over 5 minutes and it's still "locking" you out, I reboot it. That or one of it's internal programs crashed. Either way, a reboot always fixes it, 99.9% of the time.
Do you know how to use the barcode? I highly recommend it. You cannot rely on the handheld. The handheld won't always be there for you. The handheld will even lie to you. Use your eyes, look at the robot's screens, watch what the customers are doing.
I think you have the wrong attitude towards Uscan. In my opinion. You're trying to teach the baby to walk. Don't do that. The baby will walk when it wants to walk. Don't be disappointed if it chooses not to walk. Your job is to pick up the ball the baby just threw on the floor. And more importantly, your job is to EXPECT that the baby will throw the ball on the floor.
My biggest pet peeve with u-scan right now is when it says, "Please place item in bag or cart then scan next item." This happens with 2 liter soft drinks. I like to double bag them because if you don't, the handles on the plastic bags break. I also like to put them on the shelf above the carousel because they tend to fall over easily. Apparently that's a no no. If you move anything after it's bagged you get that "Help is on the way" screen. One of these days I'm going to scan a big order full of perishables and frozen stuff and just walk out and leave it if that stupid screen pops up.
My biggest pet peeve with u-scan right now is when it says, "Please place item in bag or cart then scan next item." This happens with 2 liter soft drinks. I like to double bag them because if you don't, the handles on the plastic bags break. I also like to put them on the shelf above the carousel because they tend to fall over easily. Apparently that's a no no. If you move anything after it's bagged you get that "Help is on the way" screen. One of these days I'm going to scan a big order full of perishables and frozen stuff and just walk out and leave it if that stupid screen pops up.
I'm not sure I understand what your problem is. At my store, at every U-Scan, the "lady robot voice" says "PLEASE PLACE ITEM IN BAG" over and over for EVERY SINGLE ITEM I scan........ but, since I can't tolerate listening to "her" tell me that over and over, I just push the VOLUME button until it goes silent (there are 2 or three different volume choices including silence.......try it). Then, I scan everything carefully, and put each item on the carousel. If it is a very large item and being put into the cart directly, make sure you push the button indicating you are NOT going to bag it (I forget how that button choice is worded) so the system is 'warned' that no weight will be detected. For some strange reason, I rarely have any problems when I use U-Scan, and about 98% of the time there is no need to call the attendant. Yet, it seems like everyone around me is constantly having some kind of trouble and needs to call the attendant for some reason or other. Why? i don't get it. Btw, your last sentence sounds almost makes you sound like you are not an employee. Are you?
since I can't tolerate listening to "her" tell me that over and over, I just push the VOLUME button until it goes silent (there are 2 or three different volume choices including silence.......try it).
LOL, I love customers like you. You fascinate me. But just please keep in mind, if you turn the volume off, it may take me a bit longer to realize you need help. That voice is my primary way of immediately alerting me that someone needs help. I love that voice. Very handy voice.
If it is a very large item and being put into the cart directly, make sure you push the button indicating you are NOT going to bag it (I forget how that button choice is worded) so the system is 'warned' that no weight will be detected.
"Skip Bagging" is the button.
Kroger-Employee wrote:
For some strange reason, I rarely have any problems when I use U-Scan, and about 98% of the time there is no need to call the attendant. Yet, it seems like everyone around me is constantly having some kind of trouble and needs to call the attendant for some reason or other. Why? i don't get it.
The most common reasons security checks are triggered are... removing a bag immediately after scanning something. You're supposed to wait at least 3 seconds, I recommend 5, without scanning anything before you can remove a bag. I actually have to laugh sometimes cause most customers think they're not supposed to remove a bag, that some of them pile EVERYTHING they bought into the bagging area. I've seen cases of water and sodas and eggs and milks stacked on there like they were building a fort. Putting too much weight on the bagging area also messes with its ability to sense what item you just scanned, and will trigger a security check. Also, if you're touching the bagging area, or holding a bag while it's resting in the bagging area, that's going to tell you to remove the unscanned item.
Other less common reasons include, entering the same PLU too many times, pressing Skip Bagging too many times, scanning something that has a barcode that's not in the system.
Before CHEC (Toshiba), SCO (Fujitsu) software required all items except "Skipped Bagging" items to be placed on Bag Scale or Large Items Scale. While it might have annoyed customer with larger orders, it made things more understandable for customers to "Place item in bagging area". SCO-Mini Carousel (Genesis) was designed for smaller to normal sized orders, 2nd generation U-Scan was designed for smaller to large sized orders, but were eliminated because of the units size and 99% of customer did not have large orders. I'm surprised CHEC does not have a hand scanner for customer to scan their "large items". Since "large items" area already coded as "skip bagging", they could allow only coded large items to be scanned with handheld.
I'm surprised CHEC does not have a hand scanner for customer to scan their "large items". Since "large items" area already coded as "skip bagging", they could allow only coded large items to be scanned with handheld.
Guess that's what the attendant handheld is for when they press that button. It's okay, I don't mind scanning it for them, when the handheld is working... I hate the way they have those items like cases of water coded as "place item in cart" cause when they have like 6 of them and I have to scan each one, I have to wait 5 seconds for the screen to clear before scanning the next one. Some customers don't put it in the cart anyway, they put it in the bagging area. Like those huge bags of dog food.
I have my special trick of getting around that if it's super super super super busy. I transfer it to the attendant station and scan all their stuff with the wireless hand scanner. I really love the attendant station.
Thanks for the history lesson. You're always dropping useful bits of knowledge. Now I know where the mindset customers have of being afraid to remove their bags came from. Fujistu.
