I Like Self Checkout But This is Where My Defense of it Stops

There has been a great debate over the last several years about how good or bad self checkout is at Walmart and other stores. One side says it destroys jobs. The other side says it's the greatest thing ever. In my opinion, I think self checkout is good for both the business and the consumer. The business gets to move people to other parts of the store while the consumer gets an overall better experience while shopping. Having said that, a new self checkout practice is popping up among businesses that I just can't defend nor will I support.

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The Dislike of Self Checkout

One of my co-worker's friends posted on Facebook the other day about hating Walmart because their local store went to all self checkout lanes. Their main complaint was standing in a long line then having to do everything their self. I get it. As someone who has never worked retail, I am not trained to work a cash register, neither are most of us. But I see why this was considered a convenience for Walmart to start doing.

Not Just Big Businesses Using It

Self checkout isn't just a Walmart thing anymore, either. Many mom and pop stores have it now so their overhead is less. Coffee shops are starting to use it more and more as are other businesses. The thing is, some businesses that use self checkout now have those machines ASKING FOR A TIP when you're getting ready to swipe your card.

Wait?! What?!

Yes, some businesses are asking for a tip when you did all the work. Again, I love to use self checkout. I don't feel like I'm doing someone else's job. I just have a more convenient way to get what I need, pay for it and go about my day. However, I draw the line at tipping a machine.

Where does that tip money go?

Businesses say that the money is spilt evenly amongst the workers and that may very well be true for some. If that tip at self checkout is to add a little something extra into the pocket of a worker at a mom and pop store, I would reconsider my stance on self checkout tipping. However, there is no real proof that is where the money is going (New York Post). The better guess is that the "tip" is nothing more than some extra cash to pad the bottom line with no benefit whatsoever to the employees.

Bottom Line

If you can prove to me that tipping at the self checkout is a way to add a few extra bucks into an employee's wallet, without reducing their base salary, then I may reconsider my stance. But if this is nothing more than a way to make your business' bottom line look better, I will have no part in your tipping at self checkout. Corporate greed is going to bring down this economy if we're not careful.