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From: strickln@ihlpa.UUCP (Stricklen)
Newsgroups: net.consumers
Subject: Re: Re: UPC Scanners
Message-ID: <978@ihlpa.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 31-Dec-85 08:20:17 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpa.978
Posted: Tue Dec 31 08:20:17 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-Jan-86 01:00:24 EST
References: <942@terak.UUCP> <69600004@hpcvla.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Lines: 23

> <<<<
> <
> < I find that scanner-equipped stores are actually significantly *slower*
> < than the old manual methods (and it appears that they use as many or
> < even more cashiers).
> <
> One problem with manual cashiers is that there is a significant learning
> curve until you can become proficient at it. Scanners allow a beginning
> cashier to perform almost as well as an experienced one with a lot less
> training. This allows a store to pick from a larger supply of unskilled
> labor to fill its needs.
> 

In the good old days before UPC scanners, I read somewhere (sorry I cannot
produce a reference) that more often than not, grocery store cashiers made
at least one mistake in ringing up one's bill.  This was the bad news.  But,
now for the good news -- in the majority of these cases the
mistake was in the customer's favor.  UPC scanners, I presume, hold down
the store's losses for these errors.

Steve Stricklen
AT&T Bell Laboratories
ihnp4!ihlpa!strickln