You have to read this.

cincinnati · Post by **cincinnati** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:41 pm

http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/money/consu ... and-clerks

wiredone · Post by **wiredone** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 12:46 pm

Yeah, yeah we all know how well the self checkout works. Go stand at a place that uses them and just watch. It's great free entertainment.
They have to have someone standing by to help at all times.
Ahhh, the world run by bean counters.......................
Has anyone seen the movie "Idiocracy" ?
It's a must see.

ss50th · Post by **ss50th** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 1:20 pm

The new CEO (from Apple Store fame) needs to do a little market research. Many grocery stores are dumping altogether or reducing the self checkouts. The only ones who like them are those buying just a few items and thieves.

swampgator · Post by **swampgator** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 3:44 pm

I stopped buying from Home Depot as they went to this system about 8 years ago. Can't get help with some stupid computer beeping at you and you have to use credit card. I could not get one machine to take cash. Now, they have one clerk with about 4 self check outs. Walmart doing the same thing. Wherever these are, I boycott. I like people and want to talk with people. Second part of my rant, is I also try not to deal with automated phone calls. If you don't want to talk with me, then I'm just an automated wallet. Not!

Think I'll get off here and talk with the wife. LOL Soylent Green, anyone?

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 4:36 pm

I fought self check out at gas stations and Home Depot.
Now I love them. I can walk into the home depot get my items and check out almost at will. Before I had to stand in line while the cashier got the number right or the customer and cashier discussed the price of pickel juice.

I only carry credit cards and pay the balance religiously each month. Safer than cash. If I lose them or they get stolen I'm out nothing. Simply call my card company and they overnight me a new card. If I lost money or it was stolen I would be out with no recourse.

Also at the end of the month I know where I spent my money and I can really build a useful budget from it.

Penney's is in real real trouble, they aren't going to survive unless something is done and done quickly. They haven't been able to stimulate sales enough to help so they need to cut costs. It is either this or close.

If you like Penney's you will have to do this if not they will be forced to close.

It is that simple

terrydowning · Post by **terrydowning** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:08 pm

I'm with Ed on this one. I much prefer the self checkout.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Thu Jul 19, 2012 5:15 pm

I prefer the 'staffed' checkout at the 'pro' end of the HD or Lowes store. Shorter lines and fewer confused customers(and clerks).

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:19 am

I never saw a difference and the guys that man the "PRO Desk" aren't pro's.
At least that is how it is in 4 Home Depots I visit in my area.

dusty · Post by **dusty** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 9:36 am

Ed in Tampa wrote:I never saw a difference and the guys that man the "PRO Desk" aren't pro's.
At least that is how it is in 4 Home Depots I visit in my area.

That is because the "Pro Desk" is named for the customers who check out there and not for the people who work there.

From my perspective, it is well named. I very seldom check out there because I typically shop very early in the day and the tradesmen are most often there then. The beginning of their work day.

Ed in Tampa · Post by **Ed in Tampa** » Fri Jul 20, 2012 10:45 am

dusty wrote:That is because the "Pro Desk" is named for the customers who check out there and not for the people who work there.

From my perspective, it is well named. I very seldom check out there because I typically shop very early in the day and the tradesmen are most often there then. The beginning of their work day.

When my now ex son in law and I were building houses together we were the tradesman. We never got an order right from the pro desk, we usually were backed up an extra half hour because of some snafu by someone in the check out, and home depot really didn't carry the products most pro use.

We quickly learned to order everything from the friendly neighborhood lumber yard that did and would cater to tradesman. We only used Home Depot and Lowes for grab it and run type needs and there self check out was super.

Go into to Home Depot and ask for outdoor soffit drywall, or ceiling drywall, or quarter turn vertical garden bibbs, and until just lately green board. Try to find a 12' or 16' sheet of dry wall. WE found it was actually cheaper for us to have the window company come out to the house and install the windows than pay Home Depots price for tapcon screws (required by Florida wind codes)if you could find them, they usually carried cheap knockoffs. They only carried a very limited selection of metal tie in straps and supports again required by florida wind code. So you always had to go the lumberyard for those. These are all things used almost daily on build sites.

When you asked about things mentioned above they would look at you like you have one eye in the middle of your head.

However I will say they would hold coffee and donut seminars to present new products and I got a ton of caps, t shirts, coffee mugs and things like that from Home Depot. Of course if we ran into the Dewalt, Hitachi, Ridgid or various other tool reps they always were the ones to load us up with goodies. Dewalt was the best. New sets of drill bits, new router bits, recip saw blades, and the ever famous advertizing item of the month. Loved those guys! Of course we also owned a ton of Dewalt, Delta and Makita tools.