October 3, 2008
Wegmans Testing Self-Checkouts
Anyone who has ever shopped at a Wegmans knows the chain is serious about moving customers quickly through its checkouts. Managers stationed at the front-end keep an eye on the queues and are quick to open a checkout or point shoppers to lanes that will reduce their wait time. What you haven’t seen at Wegmans are self-checkouts; but that may be about to change. Wegmans announced that it is testing self-checkouts at a store in Penfield, NY.
Jo Natale, a spokesperson for Wegmans, told the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, “We were never in a rush to introduce self-checkout. We had never seen one we liked or offered features for customer convenience.”
Wegmans decided to test self-checkouts at the request of customers from other states where self-checkouts are more common than in New York. The chain chose the Penfield store, which will have four self-checkout lanes, because of its proximity to Wegmans’ headquarters.
Bob Boehner, a visiting professor of marketing at the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology, said the self-checkouts were intended to build on Wegmans’ customer service model “by giving shoppers another option.”
“For those customers who want convenience and speed, they can use the self-checkout,” Prof. Boehner told the Democrat & Chronicle. “For those customers who like to interact with Wegmans … they still have the option of regular checkout.”
Chris Evans, a customer at the Penfield store, said he liked the self-checkout, but offered a caveat. “I don’t want it to replace a breadwinner’s salary. It would go against what Wegmans represents in the community.”
Discussion Questions: Do self-checkouts run counter to Wegmans’ image for customer service? Will Wegmans’ test become a chain-wide rollout? Will all grocers, perhaps all retailers, eventually have self-checkouts in their stores?
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I think that it’s obvious that there are customers that have come to prefer self-checkouts but it really is a lowering of service. I must quickly add that in some stores the quality of the “service” is so poor that it is an oxymoron at best. When I’m shopping the only time I prefer self-checkout is if the lines are particularly long or slow and if I have a small number of items and no produce. I much prefer to use a checker that is friendly and efficient (yes, there still are some in our society) and have the banter that goes along with it. My wife says that because I love to talk and I’m sure I’m guilty but I have no intention of changing either.
Even when you get the sourpuss that is in the wrong line of work it is interesting to see how different we all are and gain a little insight into why they are the way that they are. I guess grocery shopping to me is more of a pleasure than a bad experience that is dreaded. That undoubtedly has something to do with spending 38 years in the food industry.
Self-checkout at Wegmans is an option some shoppers will prefer–tech savvy, busy people like this choice. Wegmans does such a great job for its shoppers, we hope their systems will be a seamless addition. Some of the earlier versions seem to have difficulty scanning fresh produce and deli items, which are two of the best reasons to shop at this retailer.
I would say (and I’ve said this before) that these self-checkout machines are really an affront to customer service as a whole. The art of checking out is really lost with some chains. I understand the need to get customers out the door quickly, but the cash register is the last image that the customer sees and can make or break the entire transaction. A friendly smile and a quick upsell attempt will increase transactions at the basket.
Self checkouts, while neat and money savers in the very very short term, just don’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I utilize them wherever I go, but retailers are missing out on revenue by not employing the checkout as a sales driver.
Self-Checkouts are customer service for the quick trip 1-5 items (no produce) customers. I love them for that trip, anything more than that and I use a regular register.
Self-checkouts are a great convenience to customers with only a few products, speaking as a customer and self-checkout user. Standing behind customers with full shopping carts is not much fun.
No two shoppers are alike and no matter how friendly and service oriented a cashier is, some shoppers just prefer the option of self-service. That may be different from day to day and hour to hour. Wegmans is doing the right thing for its customers by introducing Self-Checkout and is doing it for the right reason–in response to consumer demand. I would imagine that the way Wegmans implements self-checkout will be with the flair that characterizes their operation.
Wegmans is smart to get going with self-checkout. And, to me, that is an improvement on customer service. Providing service is about providing consumers the choice to interact with your store in the manner most suited to their needs. Not providing a self-checkout choice is not being consumer-oriented.
And a self-checkout option does drive business. On more than one occasion, the availability of self-checkout at one store has driven my choice of that store over another store that does not have it yet is equally convenient.
With Wegmans it is very simple. The shopper is king. They try many things. They test them thoroughly. What works goes to other stores.
Self-checkouts are customer service. Those customers who want it will use it. It will be especially valuable for express check out…how quickly one could get through by self scanning 3 items….
In-person customer service at the checkouts is a necessary evil. While shoppers may like the way they are serviced in the deli or the bakery or how clerks help them find products, no shopper considers the checkout a moment for human interaction. The checkout is not a communal event. It is “let’s get through it as quickly as possible.”
The self checkout test will not only be successful at Wegmans but it will be in every Wegmans store very quickly. And, yes, all retailers will have self-checkouts to some degree. I would consider it a major improvement in customer service if they installed self checkout throughout Macy’s.
To me, Wegman’s is just catching up with the times. Men like self check out much more than women. It should be a move that will go over well with men and Millennials, two groups that are growing in grocery.
The only issue is whether this tactic, new to Wegmans but certainly not to the industry, fits Wegmans’ overall strategy. Wegmans via its fresh offerings, theater and delightful customer service, has successfully differentiated itself from the “big middle” occupied by most supermarkets.
Self serve checkouts are a necessity in nearly every supermarket and mass merchandiser. A growing number of consumers now will only shop stores that offer the self check out.
To answer the posted question (“Do self-checkouts run counter to Wegmans’ image for customer service?”) directly, “No, they really shouldn’t.”
Self-checkout is anti-customer-service in the same way that mainframes are anti-efficiency. The mainframe is very inefficient for many tasks, but it’s the most efficient for a handful of key functions. It’s just a matter of using the technology for tasks where it’s best suited. The same can be said for self-checkout.
The story quoted the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology professor (with titles like that, thank goodness for cut-and-paste) saying that self-checkout is good for speed and convenience. Not necessarily. Even, for many consumers, not very often at all. If the list includes any age-sensitive items (alcohol, tobacco, birth control, etc.), it won’t be faster. Or items that scan ineffectively. Or, as will be the greatest concern for regular Wegmans customers, those who have little experience using such a system. And shopping purchases that are larger than nine or ten items. For those customers, the cashier lane will be a lot faster and easier (unless there’s a long time, but there could also be such a line at self-checkout, too).
In short, self-checkout will be faster but only for the right type of purchases and the right kind of customer. Given that new customers won’t know much of this, their initial experience might be bad.
To make self-checkout work effectively, the store will need to have trainers and helpers surrounding the self-checkout lane, which will cause a temporary REDUCTION in customer service as though employees will be pulled from somewhere.
Also, to get a lot of consumers comfortable with it, incentives will be needed. Yes, a sign declaring that self-checkout groceries will cost 5-10 percent less should quickly yield a lot of trainable volunteers.
Any store with a focus on customer service must also set security options appropriately. And the spot checks–assuming that’s how they’ll go–must be done discretely and pleasantly. Making it take more than 45 seconds and the perception of efficiency will vanish.
The story quoted a customer saying that he didn’t “want it to replace a breadwinner’s salary.” That’s a very popular myth. With the difficulties in hiring workers for grocery jobs in much of the country, I don’t see that happening. It’s much more likely that self-checkout would free workers from the cashier job to working in the bakery, preparing hot meals or helping to carry bags to cars. If a chain is truly customer service oriented, that’s the best way to use self-checkout.
Being a regular shopper at a grocery store that has both self checkouts and cashiers, I can tell you that self checkouts have proved to be a real time saver–but only for those customers that know how to use them.
If you have just a few items and even the slightest experience with self checkouts, your checkout time is minimal. But for those with low proficiency or with a cart full of items, the self checkout can prove to be a frustration to both the shopper and everyone else in line.
As for customer service, retailers need to understand that self checkouts are an alternative, not a replacement, to cashiers. There must also always be floater cashier overseeing the self checkouts and to deal with any situations.
When done right, self checkouts are a customer empowering tool that can shorten wait times and reduce costs.
While each interaction with store personnel is part of the customer experience, a retailer such as Wegmans does more to differentiate themselves via their product selection and customer interactions during the course of the shopping trip.
No one visits a store because of how great the cashier is (although a bad experience might keep them from going back), but rather how great their prepared foods offering is, how inviting the store layout might be or how helpful someone was in helping them find a product. Self-checkout doesn’t take away from any of these areas where Wegman’s excels, and a more efficient experience at the end of the trip will only help to reinforce that.
Yes, unless some of their customers prefer this as it may get them out quicker. In general, it feels like a conflict to me but they have such an outstanding reputation that I think they would know their customer.
I agree with the comments that self-checkouts are great convenience to customers with just a few items. IMO at least one self-check lane should be assigned the 10 items or less lane because I hate when someone pulls a large basket or cart of items into these lanes because the retailer is trying to promote traffic in these lanes instead of the manned lanes.
The local Walmart where I live has this problem. They also have running conveyor belt lanes for self-checkout which is obviously large baskets of goods.
I’d like to point out that it is very bad customer service to have self-checkout lanes closed because there aren’t enough clerks to oversee them.
Self-checkout doesn’t run counter to Wegmens. If they execute in their tradition it will enhance their image, improve customer service and improve customer satisfaction. Multiple studies show that large percentages of customers expect retailers to offer self-checkout even if they never plan to use it.
When implemented correctly, it offers more lanes open at any point in the day. It can reduce spikes at the front-end and improve the overall perception of service.
The fact is that self-checkout is slower than a normal lane, but customers perceive them as faster. They perceive them as faster because they are interactive during checkout. Some just like them because they can go at their own speed watching the receipt/display for correct pricing. This is particularly true with older customers which become an unlikely high volume group of users. Cap it off with great assistants in the lanes and continuous bagging coverage just like normal lanes, they become a great opportunity for both the customer and the retailer.
Retailers with a great execution plan for self-checkout keeping their objectives in mind will have great success. When they are viewed simply as a labor savings, both the customers and the retailer lose.
Great service companies (and Wegmans is one of those) have several traits of commonality: Customize how you serve and do business the way your customers want to do business are just two of those
Successful service companies customize their business relationships with customers. These organizations value the differences in customer needs and respond with different solutions. There are more than one in most cases.
Make doing business with you easy and pleasurable and consider how customers want to do business. Assume the burden of inevitable aggravations for your customers. Companies who exceed their customers’ expectations do so, in part, by creating experiences that are memorable because of their complete lack of angst.
If checkout lines produce delays and speed of checkout is a factor, self-service checkouts are a solution option that should be considered. It is another way of doing business; its listening to customers and customizing your service solution to satisfy their needs.
Wegmans will test and evaluate this test and their past performance suggests clearly that they will decide upon what is right for their customers.
“Wegmans decided to test self-checkouts at the request of customers from other states….” Giving people what they ask for IS customer service.
A century ago, self-service of ANY kind was unknown in a grocery store. Shopping was a time- and money-consuming process that involved a clerk retrieving any- and everything for the shopper. Do people think Wegmans should have retained that environment?
Self checkout do run counter to Wegman’s service image. Obviously this is an experiment and Wegman’s will make a decision later as to whether it is practical to roll out in more stores. Typically self checkouts are needed where the cashiers are so slow, inept, and unattractive that customers would prefer not to encounter them. This is not the case at Wegmans. I have many clients who realize that the last experience a customer has is with a cashier so they make sure they have them well trained and well groomed. Nobody wants to stand in line for five minutes only to be checked out by some teenager whose face is mutilated with metal piercings, chewing gum, and is texting their friends on their cell phone. After customers are finished shopping the idea is to get them out the door to make room for more customers. Ideally the best way to do this is with courteous, lightning fast, attractive cashiers.
I think a self check-out lane is a great addition to Wegmans. I use self check-out when I only have a few items. Wegmans also gives you the option to weigh your produce and print and attach the price label before you go to the check out. It’s wonderful. If your goal is to get in and out quickly both of these time-saving ideas are a great option. I do think there should be an item limit though–perhaps 15 or less.
Self checkouts are indeed, an empowerment to the customer.
I am a strong advocate of self checkouts. I use them almost exclusively. I particularly enjoy “Ann Page” at various Great A&P banner stores. She greets me cheerfully and shouts out, Savings, Savings, when I use my Bonus Savings Card. As I have stated before, she never has a bad day.
But I agree with comments above, that the customer needs to gain an expertise in operating the U scan.
This indeed is customer service, because it addresses the need customers of Wegmans and other chains demand. Remember, supermarkets are not full service, they are self service. When automated or not, the key here is “service.”
I disagree that the concept of self-checkout is somehow anti-customer service. The way I see it, retailers like Wegmans are listening and acting on their customers’ feedback.
Consumers today are busier than ever and the last thing they may have time for is standing in line with a basket of groceries. What many customers want is to get into the store, get what they need, and get out in the fastest way possible. If a self-checkout station contributes to that goal, then so be it. Those who don’t want it shouldn’t be forced to take it.
The grocery customer experience is made up of a host of factors beyond the checkout, including selection, availability of product, quality of produce, store cleanliness, and staff knowledge (deli, meat, bakery, stock, etc.). With so many ways to differentiate in grocery, offering customers an alternate method of checkout can’t hurt.
One final point–and this is too often missed in the “customer loyalty” and “customer experience” literature–once you know what differentiates an experience for your brand and have evidence on what drives loyalty, a retailer should also have a clear understanding of what does NOT drive loyalty or differentiation. These non-loyalty driving components of the experience are great candidates for cost reduction, including self service or in some extreme cases, no service. If it’s not what someone came in looking for or expecting, why deliver it?
This is a smart decision to test self-checkouts near Wegmans’ headquarters and then to evaluate consumer opinions. Implementation must be managed carefully to educate consumers. Having store associates on hand at all times to “teach” and handle problems is essential and Wegmans is premier at that. Many consumers actually expect the retailer to bag a self-checkout order.
The location of self-checkouts in each store is also important to communicate if a retailer wants to push self-checkouts or if they are just an alternative choice for consumers. What the consumer sees as they enter the store tells a story along with their actual checkout experience.
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I think that it’s obvious that there are customers that have come to prefer self-checkouts but it really is a lowering of service. I must quickly add that in some stores the quality of the “service” is so poor that it is an oxymoron at best. When I’m shopping the only time I prefer self-checkout is if the lines are particularly long or slow and if I have a small number of items and no produce. I much prefer to use a checker that is friendly and efficient (yes, there still are some in our society) and have the banter that goes along with it. My wife says that because I love to talk and I’m sure I’m guilty but I have no intention of changing either.
Even when you get the sourpuss that is in the wrong line of work it is interesting to see how different we all are and gain a little insight into why they are the way that they are. I guess grocery shopping to me is more of a pleasure than a bad experience that is dreaded. That undoubtedly has something to do with spending 38 years in the food industry.
Self-checkout at Wegmans is an option some shoppers will prefer–tech savvy, busy people like this choice. Wegmans does such a great job for its shoppers, we hope their systems will be a seamless addition. Some of the earlier versions seem to have difficulty scanning fresh produce and deli items, which are two of the best reasons to shop at this retailer.
I would say (and I’ve said this before) that these self-checkout machines are really an affront to customer service as a whole. The art of checking out is really lost with some chains. I understand the need to get customers out the door quickly, but the cash register is the last image that the customer sees and can make or break the entire transaction. A friendly smile and a quick upsell attempt will increase transactions at the basket.
Self checkouts, while neat and money savers in the very very short term, just don’t do it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I utilize them wherever I go, but retailers are missing out on revenue by not employing the checkout as a sales driver.
Self-Checkouts are customer service for the quick trip 1-5 items (no produce) customers. I love them for that trip, anything more than that and I use a regular register.
Self-checkouts are a great convenience to customers with only a few products, speaking as a customer and self-checkout user. Standing behind customers with full shopping carts is not much fun.
No two shoppers are alike and no matter how friendly and service oriented a cashier is, some shoppers just prefer the option of self-service. That may be different from day to day and hour to hour. Wegmans is doing the right thing for its customers by introducing Self-Checkout and is doing it for the right reason–in response to consumer demand. I would imagine that the way Wegmans implements self-checkout will be with the flair that characterizes their operation.
Wegmans is smart to get going with self-checkout. And, to me, that is an improvement on customer service. Providing service is about providing consumers the choice to interact with your store in the manner most suited to their needs. Not providing a self-checkout choice is not being consumer-oriented.
And a self-checkout option does drive business. On more than one occasion, the availability of self-checkout at one store has driven my choice of that store over another store that does not have it yet is equally convenient.
With Wegmans it is very simple. The shopper is king. They try many things. They test them thoroughly. What works goes to other stores.
Self-checkouts are customer service. Those customers who want it will use it. It will be especially valuable for express check out…how quickly one could get through by self scanning 3 items….
In-person customer service at the checkouts is a necessary evil. While shoppers may like the way they are serviced in the deli or the bakery or how clerks help them find products, no shopper considers the checkout a moment for human interaction. The checkout is not a communal event. It is “let’s get through it as quickly as possible.”
The self checkout test will not only be successful at Wegmans but it will be in every Wegmans store very quickly. And, yes, all retailers will have self-checkouts to some degree. I would consider it a major improvement in customer service if they installed self checkout throughout Macy’s.
To me, Wegman’s is just catching up with the times. Men like self check out much more than women. It should be a move that will go over well with men and Millennials, two groups that are growing in grocery.
The only issue is whether this tactic, new to Wegmans but certainly not to the industry, fits Wegmans’ overall strategy. Wegmans via its fresh offerings, theater and delightful customer service, has successfully differentiated itself from the “big middle” occupied by most supermarkets.
Self serve checkouts are a necessity in nearly every supermarket and mass merchandiser. A growing number of consumers now will only shop stores that offer the self check out.
To answer the posted question (“Do self-checkouts run counter to Wegmans’ image for customer service?”) directly, “No, they really shouldn’t.”
Self-checkout is anti-customer-service in the same way that mainframes are anti-efficiency. The mainframe is very inefficient for many tasks, but it’s the most efficient for a handful of key functions. It’s just a matter of using the technology for tasks where it’s best suited. The same can be said for self-checkout.
The story quoted the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology professor (with titles like that, thank goodness for cut-and-paste) saying that self-checkout is good for speed and convenience. Not necessarily. Even, for many consumers, not very often at all. If the list includes any age-sensitive items (alcohol, tobacco, birth control, etc.), it won’t be faster. Or items that scan ineffectively. Or, as will be the greatest concern for regular Wegmans customers, those who have little experience using such a system. And shopping purchases that are larger than nine or ten items. For those customers, the cashier lane will be a lot faster and easier (unless there’s a long time, but there could also be such a line at self-checkout, too).
In short, self-checkout will be faster but only for the right type of purchases and the right kind of customer. Given that new customers won’t know much of this, their initial experience might be bad.
To make self-checkout work effectively, the store will need to have trainers and helpers surrounding the self-checkout lane, which will cause a temporary REDUCTION in customer service as though employees will be pulled from somewhere.
Also, to get a lot of consumers comfortable with it, incentives will be needed. Yes, a sign declaring that self-checkout groceries will cost 5-10 percent less should quickly yield a lot of trainable volunteers.
Any store with a focus on customer service must also set security options appropriately. And the spot checks–assuming that’s how they’ll go–must be done discretely and pleasantly. Making it take more than 45 seconds and the perception of efficiency will vanish.
The story quoted a customer saying that he didn’t “want it to replace a breadwinner’s salary.” That’s a very popular myth. With the difficulties in hiring workers for grocery jobs in much of the country, I don’t see that happening. It’s much more likely that self-checkout would free workers from the cashier job to working in the bakery, preparing hot meals or helping to carry bags to cars. If a chain is truly customer service oriented, that’s the best way to use self-checkout.
Being a regular shopper at a grocery store that has both self checkouts and cashiers, I can tell you that self checkouts have proved to be a real time saver–but only for those customers that know how to use them.
If you have just a few items and even the slightest experience with self checkouts, your checkout time is minimal. But for those with low proficiency or with a cart full of items, the self checkout can prove to be a frustration to both the shopper and everyone else in line.
As for customer service, retailers need to understand that self checkouts are an alternative, not a replacement, to cashiers. There must also always be floater cashier overseeing the self checkouts and to deal with any situations.
When done right, self checkouts are a customer empowering tool that can shorten wait times and reduce costs.
While each interaction with store personnel is part of the customer experience, a retailer such as Wegmans does more to differentiate themselves via their product selection and customer interactions during the course of the shopping trip.
No one visits a store because of how great the cashier is (although a bad experience might keep them from going back), but rather how great their prepared foods offering is, how inviting the store layout might be or how helpful someone was in helping them find a product. Self-checkout doesn’t take away from any of these areas where Wegman’s excels, and a more efficient experience at the end of the trip will only help to reinforce that.
Yes, unless some of their customers prefer this as it may get them out quicker. In general, it feels like a conflict to me but they have such an outstanding reputation that I think they would know their customer.
I agree with the comments that self-checkouts are great convenience to customers with just a few items. IMO at least one self-check lane should be assigned the 10 items or less lane because I hate when someone pulls a large basket or cart of items into these lanes because the retailer is trying to promote traffic in these lanes instead of the manned lanes.
The local Walmart where I live has this problem. They also have running conveyor belt lanes for self-checkout which is obviously large baskets of goods.
I’d like to point out that it is very bad customer service to have self-checkout lanes closed because there aren’t enough clerks to oversee them.
Self-checkout doesn’t run counter to Wegmens. If they execute in their tradition it will enhance their image, improve customer service and improve customer satisfaction. Multiple studies show that large percentages of customers expect retailers to offer self-checkout even if they never plan to use it.
When implemented correctly, it offers more lanes open at any point in the day. It can reduce spikes at the front-end and improve the overall perception of service.
The fact is that self-checkout is slower than a normal lane, but customers perceive them as faster. They perceive them as faster because they are interactive during checkout. Some just like them because they can go at their own speed watching the receipt/display for correct pricing. This is particularly true with older customers which become an unlikely high volume group of users. Cap it off with great assistants in the lanes and continuous bagging coverage just like normal lanes, they become a great opportunity for both the customer and the retailer.
Retailers with a great execution plan for self-checkout keeping their objectives in mind will have great success. When they are viewed simply as a labor savings, both the customers and the retailer lose.
Great service companies (and Wegmans is one of those) have several traits of commonality: Customize how you serve and do business the way your customers want to do business are just two of those
Successful service companies customize their business relationships with customers. These organizations value the differences in customer needs and respond with different solutions. There are more than one in most cases.
Make doing business with you easy and pleasurable and consider how customers want to do business. Assume the burden of inevitable aggravations for your customers. Companies who exceed their customers’ expectations do so, in part, by creating experiences that are memorable because of their complete lack of angst.
If checkout lines produce delays and speed of checkout is a factor, self-service checkouts are a solution option that should be considered. It is another way of doing business; its listening to customers and customizing your service solution to satisfy their needs.
Wegmans will test and evaluate this test and their past performance suggests clearly that they will decide upon what is right for their customers.
“Wegmans decided to test self-checkouts at the request of customers from other states….” Giving people what they ask for IS customer service.
A century ago, self-service of ANY kind was unknown in a grocery store. Shopping was a time- and money-consuming process that involved a clerk retrieving any- and everything for the shopper. Do people think Wegmans should have retained that environment?
Self checkout do run counter to Wegman’s service image. Obviously this is an experiment and Wegman’s will make a decision later as to whether it is practical to roll out in more stores. Typically self checkouts are needed where the cashiers are so slow, inept, and unattractive that customers would prefer not to encounter them. This is not the case at Wegmans. I have many clients who realize that the last experience a customer has is with a cashier so they make sure they have them well trained and well groomed. Nobody wants to stand in line for five minutes only to be checked out by some teenager whose face is mutilated with metal piercings, chewing gum, and is texting their friends on their cell phone. After customers are finished shopping the idea is to get them out the door to make room for more customers. Ideally the best way to do this is with courteous, lightning fast, attractive cashiers.
I think a self check-out lane is a great addition to Wegmans. I use self check-out when I only have a few items. Wegmans also gives you the option to weigh your produce and print and attach the price label before you go to the check out. It’s wonderful. If your goal is to get in and out quickly both of these time-saving ideas are a great option. I do think there should be an item limit though–perhaps 15 or less.
Self checkouts are indeed, an empowerment to the customer.
I am a strong advocate of self checkouts. I use them almost exclusively. I particularly enjoy “Ann Page” at various Great A&P banner stores. She greets me cheerfully and shouts out, Savings, Savings, when I use my Bonus Savings Card. As I have stated before, she never has a bad day.
But I agree with comments above, that the customer needs to gain an expertise in operating the U scan.
This indeed is customer service, because it addresses the need customers of Wegmans and other chains demand. Remember, supermarkets are not full service, they are self service. When automated or not, the key here is “service.”
I disagree that the concept of self-checkout is somehow anti-customer service. The way I see it, retailers like Wegmans are listening and acting on their customers’ feedback.
Consumers today are busier than ever and the last thing they may have time for is standing in line with a basket of groceries. What many customers want is to get into the store, get what they need, and get out in the fastest way possible. If a self-checkout station contributes to that goal, then so be it. Those who don’t want it shouldn’t be forced to take it.
The grocery customer experience is made up of a host of factors beyond the checkout, including selection, availability of product, quality of produce, store cleanliness, and staff knowledge (deli, meat, bakery, stock, etc.). With so many ways to differentiate in grocery, offering customers an alternate method of checkout can’t hurt.
One final point–and this is too often missed in the “customer loyalty” and “customer experience” literature–once you know what differentiates an experience for your brand and have evidence on what drives loyalty, a retailer should also have a clear understanding of what does NOT drive loyalty or differentiation. These non-loyalty driving components of the experience are great candidates for cost reduction, including self service or in some extreme cases, no service. If it’s not what someone came in looking for or expecting, why deliver it?
This is a smart decision to test self-checkouts near Wegmans’ headquarters and then to evaluate consumer opinions. Implementation must be managed carefully to educate consumers. Having store associates on hand at all times to “teach” and handle problems is essential and Wegmans is premier at that. Many consumers actually expect the retailer to bag a self-checkout order.
The location of self-checkouts in each store is also important to communicate if a retailer wants to push self-checkouts or if they are just an alternative choice for consumers. What the consumer sees as they enter the store tells a story along with their actual checkout experience.