Some Walmart employees say customers are getting hostile at self-checkout — and they blame anti-theft tech::When Walmart's anti-theft self-checkout tech alerts an employee of a missed scan, it can cause some uncomfortable situations.

  • polle@feddit.de
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    1 year ago

    Seems like i have a complete different experience of self checkout here in Germany. But why? Are our devices newer?

    • No_Change_Just_Money@feddit.de
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      1 year ago

      No we just care less about theft. The German ones are build to maximace speed and therefore usability. This theoretically makes it rather easy to steal.

      If this would become to much of a problem they would also reduce comfort to increase security

      • JohnEdwa@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        In Finland, we've been getting handheld scanners in a few shops where you scan and pack while you shop, and then pay everything at once. The "theft prevention" is very infrequent random checks where they ask to rescan three items to see if you paid for them.
        It feels like stealing would become really common, but it's been a few years and they are just installing more of em, so I guess not.

        • uis@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          We are talking about Earth, not about Finland. We are still lightyears apart.

        • DJDarren@thelemmy.club
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          1 year ago

          The supermarket I use here in the UK has an app that uses my phone's camera to scan the barcodes on items. Same as the handset, but I don't have to pick up a handset that's been handled by another disgusting human.

          As a rule, it'll only trigger a "Quality Check" if a couple of products don't scan first time. Then it'll trigger a check for the next couple of shopping trips. Assuming I didn't miss anything, after that it'll settle down and almost never require any verification unless I've bought age restricted items.

          If I'm doing any weekly shopping, I will always use the app, because it's SO MUCH QUICKER.

      • CeeBee@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The experience in the US sounds entirely different than even in Canada.

        I think it's an indication of the state of the US. People don't steal for fun. Maybe some do, but not in quantities that put an armoured security guard at checkout.

      • polle@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        Is it really? I imagine, paying a Person for every checkout must be way more expensive than some higher theft rate.

    • Danthe@discuss.tchncs.de
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      1 year ago

      Same Czech Republic and Slovakia. All the stores have now majority of sell checkout registers. People prefer them. No issues with them.

      There is usually one person assigned to 6-8 of these that is watching and making the corrections.

      It cut the waiting time significantly.

    • uis@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      No, in Germany sellers truly want SCOs, while Wal-mart just doesn't want to pay employees.

    • MrSqueezles@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Some machines use scales to measure the weight of items, scan one item, put it in the "bagging area" (scale), repeat. Many stores have disabled scales because they're buggy and don't catch thieves, who learn that to steal, don't put items on the scale. Now, stores have employees watch and offer "technical support". "Oh, ma'am, I think this item may have been missed. Let's check. Do you need help with how to scan items?" I don't try to steal, so don't find the machines to be a problem.