I imagine my gripe being when I'm stuck behind someone who can't work the machine. I use the self checkouts at the grocery store, and the game I play is to complete my purchases before the others already there. Sometimes I lose badly when there's someone under thirty with only two items, but so often there are people who constantly struggle with "scan, bag, repeat." This may change as I gradually become the old person unable to fathom new technology, but right now basic self checkouts can be a struggle for many.
I hate the self-checkout so much. - buying light produce? Yeah, please wait for the attendant. - Using your own bag? yeah, please wait for the attendant. - bought beer? Yeah, wrong line, go over to one of the two lines that are open, neither express. - Forgot and used register 2? Yeah, please wait for the attendant after every purchase because that one has a virus that eats up all its cycles and nobody here understands computers.
The weight sensor is what drives me nuts. - Bought a light item and the weight sensor didn't detect it? Wait for attendant. - Scanning too quickly since you want to be out of there within the next hour and there is a line building up? Wait for attendant. - Moved a bag off the weight sensor because you need more than two bags to fit your stuff in? Wait for attendant. - Scanned an item and put it back in your cart because it makes no sense to put that large of an item on the tiny bagging area? Hit "I don't want to bag this item" and wait for attendant. - You seem to be triggering "wait for attendant" too much, so wait for attendant to put in a passcode to tell the system that you are doing everything right.
And I use my backpack because I generally ride a bicycle to the store. And the weight sensor won't tare anything that ways over 200g. Which means I have to put everything not in the backpack and then fill it up afterwards, or else I need to wait for the attendant after every single item, and the attendant is generally off smoking a cigarette. At least you have a passcode. Here? No, fuck you. Every. Fucking. Item.
None of this would be that bad if someone hadn't realized that, during slow periods, they can send everyone home but the one attendant manning the self-checkout lanes, so if you don't notice on your way in you're either using the self-checkout lane, or putting your stuff back on the shelves and coming back later.
I dunno, man. a scale that runs XPSP3 maintained in a retail environment by underpaid, overworked manual laborers and has to interface with coupons, credit cards, cash, checks and EBT is gonna be a bad time just about any way you implement it. Until grocery stores start fielding in-store IT departments those stupid scanners are gonna suck.
The one I interact with is running Red Hat, they could and hopefully did arrange to administer it remotely. I say it wouldn't be that bad so long as there were actual lanes open too because then you can choose your badness; standing in line or dealing with the kiosk. If you just have a couple of things and aren't doing anything unusual like using a backpack, the kiosk might well be better than standing in line. Well, unless it's running XPSP3, which is just irresponsible for a device processing credit cards.
Similar, my store sometimes has a checkout that doesn't accept cash. Just walk away, even if you were going to use a card. If that message comes up, you'll never get past it. The attendant will try to fix it, and it might even look like they did, but it will be in vain.Yeah, please wait for the attendant after every purchase because that one has a virus that eats up all its cycles and nobody here understands computers.