Discussion of the Day
Self service at checkout
Speed12-Aug-23
So I have a daughter who worked at a warehouse in customer service. Her hours have been cut so low because she's not needed at the checkout since self service is available. As a matter of fact it's all self service there now. What do you think about machines taking over some people jobs? I find it quite frustrating
Comments - Page 2
  • Morton B
    Self service is not about customer convenience its about company saving costs and bigger profits. I only use then if no other option, I'll wait for a person or use service desk. While many stores want you to use machines some dont trust you and as you are about to leave someone comes up and wants to see till receipt to check against the goods you have, I just wave receipt and keep on walking
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    • Jennifer H 396811
      Self service checkouts are awful and take jobs away but unfortunately they are here to stay. Personally, I think that the items should be limited to under 12 and any more than that should have to go through the proper checkout. I refuse to use the self service as it's taking somebody's job away.
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      • debra j 18701
        I do not like self serve checkouts ,,,they can be a pain ,i would rather have a real person ring up what im buying
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        • lynda e 390007
          All in the name of progress but there is still a need for customer service . I am sorry for your daughter hopefully she has more opportunities where you live.
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          • Bruce 1274521
            Ever since the industrial revolution, machines have been taking jobs and it is not new. I refuse to use the automatic checkout with employed spies rather than tellers.
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            • Tara R 637512
              I avoid using self-checkout. I do not work for free, except at home.
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              • Robert L NZ
                WOULD RATHER NO USE THEM. I LIKE CONTACT WITH THE STAFF MAKES IT MORE PERSONAL. ONE OF THE SUPERMARKETS WE USE HALF THE SELF SERVICE CHECHOUTS WORK LEFT TO RIGHT THE OTHER HALF ARE RIGHT TO LEFT. MOST TIMES END UP HAVING TO CALL ON A STAFF MEMBER FOR HELP.
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                • Miss Reevy
                  I dont like self service, I am not young and do it slowly and it has put people out of jobs😀
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                  • Darren S 116121
                    I refuse to use it and have been known to have a trolley full of groceries,no manned checkouts open or line is too long to use them,i just walk out and leave the full trolley there
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                    • Carolyn K 714554
                      I prefer to see someone than a machine. We are being seperated from other people to much. A very lonely planet.
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                      • Andrew C 287196
                        I refuse to use self-service checkouts at the supermarkets, The Warehouse, K-mart, petrol station pumps, online / ATM banking, etc. They simply don't work properly and are far less efficient than an experienced checkout person. They are also easily conned by people wanting to steal stuff. Banking is the worst - if you make a mistake with online banking, the bank simply says it was your fault and they can't do anything, whereas if the cashier makes a mistake the bank *has* to fix it.
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                        • pam rae
                          now and then depending but like going thru checkout more so...
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                          • Kat 1286896
                            I don't enjoy it, or (NOT everyone) the attitude of some CSR's getting frustrated with me for declining it most of the time. I use it when I have a small amount of items and there's a big lineup, but I used the express lines before in the same situation.
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                            • Anne S 123999
                              Refuse to use. Stopped using Target they have no service checkouts. For many of us this is a way talk to some one for a short time.
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                              • Sheree T
                                If I have only got several items I will use self service. What I find most annoying is that the store I go to which a large grocery store will have 1 Station open and you get to stand around with your trolley and then they will call someone to open up. By this time there is often 4 people with full trolleys waiting to be served.
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                                • Roy R 1009866
                                  I go through the cashier as often as I can but their are probably 10 cashier stations, at the grocery store I use, and only 2 or 3 and occasionally 4 are open. Sometimes there are 4 or 5 customers with full carts in line and there isn't an Express Line, from 10 or less items. The store also has about 12 Self-Serve and there are often full and a line up waiting. The store really benefits and the price of food has not gone down, they just make more profit. I try to use the cashiers and I also encourage my wife but she prefers the Self-Serve. Good luck to your daughter and all of the other cashiers out there.
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                                  • JANN R
                                    I never use self service checkouts because I want to keep people in there jobs and I always use a checkout that is manned no matter how long I have to wait to go through
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                                    • Denise E 319573
                                      We dislike them so much and would much prefer to have a face to face conversation with a real person. But our local Supermarket at certain times of the day (like early morning) only have self serve open, so you don't have a choice. I think it is disgusting that it takes jobs away from those that probably need them most, like your daughter. Where are they suppose to work now? And it is all for more profit to businesses that are already making huge profits. More of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
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                                      • Sherry L 1144204
                                        I absolutely hate them and the other issue that I have with them as you're checking your groceries sometimes they don't scan properly etc then you can't find anybody to help you but the thing that really gets me going as you leave the store they want to check to make sure that you paid for your groceries you want me to do so check out you don't need to be checking me It'll make it worse I live in the state now that they bent plastic bags so you have to bring your own plastic bags or be charged 10 cents per bag on top of stuff checking out
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                                        • Lynne F 384823
                                          Hate them, I work with high needs students and there are no jobs left for them
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                                          • MoB
                                            I won't use the self service check outs because they do, whatever people think, take aways jobs. The local supermarket here used to have 10 check outs, they now have four and the rest are self service. I remember when self service checks came in they swore it would not cost jobs, well it has. I wonder how long before AI (Artifical Inteligence) takes over the serviced check outs, then all the jobs will be gone.
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                                            • Raymond K 449636
                                              I am happy using them for a small number of items, but what really annoys me is when people try and a full trolley load through the self service check out, it takes absolutely for ever, which means that those with a few items have form a long queue, and all because of one selfish person
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                                              • Robert nsw
                                                i heard a lady the other day in the supermarket if she would use the self-service check out and her answer was i don't work here
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                                                • Michael S 1128483
                                                  I prefer a human cashier to self check out. The issue the last few years is there aren't enough lines open, and a lot of cashier's work at a snails pace. If I'm picking up a few things after a full day at work, I'm not real happy about a line backed up half to the back of the store.
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                                                  • Siupolu S
                                                    Can't ask at self checkouts "how's your day been" rather have human interaction
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                                                    • Carolina Z
                                                      SELFISH, GREED ON THE PART OF BUSINESSES
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                                                      • Helen L 750218
                                                        I think in the end the machines are going to be useless. But unfortunately these corporations are more concerned with making big profits.
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                                                        • The dog house
                                                          I hate them and avoid them 99% of the time for this reason. when I have used them something goes wrong more than once and I have left everything there and walked out in frustration.
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                                                          • Stephen B. C
                                                            We always use self checkouts. Don't want people touching all our stuff.
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                                                            • Grommie
                                                              It's an inevitable progression. Look at what has happened to phone wires, washing, photography, sign writing, light bulbs, motor mechanics, farm hands,.........
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                                                              • Brian M 325759
                                                                I prefer to have someone in a job. Do not like self-serve checkouts.
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                                                                • Kevin L 1010680
                                                                  Walmart has recently abolished all self cashouts.
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                                                                  • jeffrey t 1083827
                                                                    I don't use we need Jobs for young people to get start in the job market and I shop at stores with maned check outs for service and I think we will have to pay more to cover stolen goods.
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                                                                    • Sharon T 891767
                                                                      Self check out & don't have alot of stuff, I'll use it only if lines to long at Cash Register. Keep employees they need jobs
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                                                                      • Kathy 1270954
                                                                        People need jobs, not machines. It's not like you get a discount to pack your own groceries or items. Even worse, now there are line-ups to use self-serve because they won't activate all of the machines. So, you still waste time.
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                                                                        • JASMINE 1283742
                                                                          I don't like it overall. At first I saw it as a convenient and easy way to check out quickly. Now I see it as an overall bad thing for our economy. Also, you think that because we have self service checkouts, that other things around the store would improve. Not the case, no change there.
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                                                                          • Norman PSBHRJ
                                                                            Jobs are going to be lost because of AI. Technology is great but when taking over jobs what are the human suppose to do for work and make a living. Lost jobs means more profit for business.
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                                                                            • SueM2
                                                                              You don't keep a dog and bark yourself, so why should I do the supermarket's job for them?
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                                                                              • ELIZABETH F 1074855
                                                                                I think it is disgraceful that this is costing jobs...
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                                                                                • Kathy 1343859
                                                                                  My husband likes them but I miss the personal touch. Funny, companies claim they’re saving money but no savings are passed to the customers who use these.
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                                                                                  • Ned M
                                                                                    I hate them and refuse to use them. They take peoples jobs, I don’t work for the company. If a shop has self-service check outs only, I wont shop there.
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                                                                                    • Sweetums
                                                                                      Self service, AI.......we are self destructing.
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                                                                                      • Greg T 1126372
                                                                                        I hear some of those machines are being programmed to ask for tips to add insult to injury
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                                                                                        • Pamela G
                                                                                          Really!
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                                                                                      • Barbara H 1073102
                                                                                        I use self checkout all the time if I don't have too many items. If you go to Costco, they have attendants , and they mark your receipt. Also at the door. Sam Club's has checkers at door as well.
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                                                                                        • kathy h 1139589
                                                                                          hate it! takes jobs away, lets thieves get away with stealing!
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                                                                                          • Teri 1282723
                                                                                            I live in a town of fewer than 15,000 people. I was a cashier at the town's largest and busiest grocery store for 18 years. People came from many miles away. I LOVED getting to know my customers, watching their babies go from belly to high school and jobs, etc. We saw each other more often than our families. I got to know their struggles with health, spouses, children, jobs, ... I've cried with women who lost their husbands to age, cancer, divorce. I don't know how many I've asked if it's okay if I give them a hug and NOONE said no. I am a good listener and trustworthy with information. My customers knew that. And the kids all knew me as 'the sticker lady' because I always gave the kids who were behaving themselves a sticker. Now, my point..... I CHALLENGE ANY MACHINE TO DO THAT JOB AND MAKE THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT A HUMAN BEING CAN. When we got machines, most customers refused to use them. Even now, many years later, there are 8 machines and 10 checkouts with cashiers. Some companies do understand the need for human contact:)
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                                                                                            • david j t
                                                                                              apparently shop lifters can bypass self checkout i have heard thru the grapevine but it takes nerve
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                                                                                              • gloria N 666866
                                                                                                Its wrong, it takes away jobs, and it takes away are freedom. What happens if you do not want to use self service.. I say its time to put are foot down and avoid the stores that use only self service.
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                                                                                                • Donna M 594867
                                                                                                  I do not use self checkout at all. It takes jobs away from people, like your daughter. I wish more would not use it also.
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                                                                                                  • Squirrelsmo
                                                                                                    I use self service checkout a lot of the times at a local Dollar General. I have noticed that even though there are self checkout, there are still the same amount of employees in the stores. I know that some of these retail stores, like the one mentioned above, only has so many hours to give to employees and so that limits their hiring abilities or people being able to only get so many hours in. I think that it is frustrating that machines are taking over human jobs because companies are too tight, even though they bring in beaucoup dollars, they are still in it for the profit. I figure that before the day is halway over in a store that they have already made the employees payroll and the rest of the day is company profit...I'm sure that they will keep it like that as long as they can.
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                                                                                                    • Tiffany L 690503
                                                                                                      I prefer self checkout than dealing with regular people at the checkout because they are ridiculous at all stores
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                                                                                                      • FoxyAlien
                                                                                                        I don't often use them, but when regular checkouts are busy, and I have only a few items I use the self-service checkout.
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                                                                                                        • Eduardo 1280077
                                                                                                          The situation is complex and frustrating because of all the possible ramifications involved in the situation if it is expanded all over the jobs, leaving a lot of people struggling financially, then the whole market probably will sink as not enough customers will have money to buy products or services. The resources will be there, controlled by the richest people living in their "protected castles" surrounded by the rest of us trying to survive. Or, governments will set up rules to balance salaries, making businesses to increase salaries to balance the social act. I like to think that if a business need just 2 hours a day of my work to make sure the business work smoothly, then I will do the job and get a salary that can cover my average needs to enjoy nutritious food, a comfortable place to live, appropriate education, and spare money to spend on my entertainment. I hope.
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                                                                                                          • Sasha V
                                                                                                            Half of the time, always call/need human assistance anyway, from multiple machines.
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                                                                                                            • Chosen
                                                                                                              Automation - don't you just love it.
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                                                                                                              • Liane H
                                                                                                                I refuse to use them unless absolutely no choice ,, and then I usually am found talking back to the computer ,then asking someone for assistance anyway ! Fr🤬strating yes ! Keep our kids in jobs ...and others too. Social interactions are often important to boost someone's day as well.
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                                                                                                                • Beryl M 1009442
                                                                                                                  Hate them, I like humans better than machines.. Can have a laugh. Wonder when some smart ars* comes up with a giggling smiling robot machine..BEWARE lol
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                                                                                                                  • Tina 423889
                                                                                                                    it sucks but thats a way for businesses to save money, people demand more pay than a robot
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                                                                                                                    • Linda 3
                                                                                                                      I dislike to use the self service, half of the time there is a glitch and you need a humans help anyway, self service is taking jobs away. more and more companies are doing away with the human touch, sad.
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                                                                                                                      • Luke W 72035
                                                                                                                        Restructure the financial system and have more free time. Maybe people can stop lying about how they feel about their only time to experience life. This will never happen obviously.
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                                                                                                                        • Julie K 348980
                                                                                                                          I am vision impaired so can’t use them.
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                                                                                                                          • Ligeress
                                                                                                                            Hate using them but unfortunately have no choice because it's the only option at most supermarkets and retail outlets here in Australia
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                                                                                                                            • Linda J 383315
                                                                                                                              Have never seen a supermarket or retail outlet in Australia that only has self serve. There are less manned checkouts open so if they're really busy & I only have a few items I go the self serve
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                                                                                                                            • LigeressLinda J 383315
                                                                                                                              Most in the area I live in are now self-serve only
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                                                                                                                            • Linda J 383315Ligeress
                                                                                                                              I live in Gympie so certainly not the case here, already enough complaints on Facebook now on not having enough manned checkouts so there would be war if they cut them all out.
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                                                                                                                          • Therese M 73305
                                                                                                                            I refuse to do the self serve I always have to call someone over to fix the problem. I like to have someone pack my shopping and have a little chat with the the checkout person.i like to think I'm keeping someone employed.before long a lot of jobs won't be there as everything will be digital and computerized which is wrong as they now are trying to raise old age to 70 to retire even though there wont be any jobs available.
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                                                                                                                            • Cher
                                                                                                                              I feel for your daughter. At times it is getting more difficult for young people to find jobs. Do we really need more automation? Not really. But it is the way the world is going. We are losing the human factor. Sad.
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                                                                                                                              • lin r
                                                                                                                                I CALL BS SIGNS ALL OVER WHERE I LIVE FOR HELP WANTED
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                                                                                                                              • Cherlin r
                                                                                                                                So frustrating for you. They should have taken down those signs. Just ignore the signs and walk into establishments with no signs. Keep going and don’t give up. I remember driving my young niece around the city so she could hand in her Resume to many establishments. She felt discouraged but I cheered her on and she did land a job. Best wishes to you!
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                                                                                                                              • Teri 1282723lin r
                                                                                                                                In my area there are hiring signs all over the place. BUT, you pretty much need to know someone already working there to get a job. NOT FAIR.
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                                                                                                                            • Simba 1006243
                                                                                                                              I work in retail and they recently lessened their use of cashiers to become self-checkout. There is more theft happening as customers are changing the price tags on products. I don't like the fact of self-checkout. This creates lack of jobs and more people turning to Government assistance which is not fair to the working people as it's our tax dollars that these people receive.
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                                                                                                                              • Linda C
                                                                                                                                Some of these people who have lost their jobs have been paying tax for many years. Unfair to keep saying the working people are paying for them. I worked from just turned 15 till I was 65. Sometimes full time and sometimes part time. I paid taxes on everything I purchased also and still do. We have so many politicians and public servants draining the coffers and yet no one ever mentions them. They get paid after they leave service even if they only served for a few years. The get an office, free transport, plane trips, phone, superannuation, and the list goes on. Let's cut some of these back maybe by 50% and I bet this will pay for a lot of the social security payments.
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                                                                                                                            • desley l
                                                                                                                              It is very frustrating, Speed. I object to a highly priced Australian supermarket removing all staff assisted checkouts except for one,and telling us that we have a choice of the type of check-out experience we want. They also continue to raise prices on many items weekly, yet encourage us to do our own check-out in order to return higher profits to their shareholders. A classic case of buy a dog and bark yourself.
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                                                                                                                              • Pamela G
                                                                                                                                Love the last sentence.
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                                                                                                                            • Ghostgirl1971
                                                                                                                              I hate self check out! Half the time it doesn't work for me and the employees always seem to have to call a hundred others to fix the problem. 🤬🤬🤬🤬😈
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                                                                                                                              • Linda C
                                                                                                                                Be like myself and many of the older generation who refuse to use them. We want customer service and I will wait in line the extra minutes to get it. Tell your young people to do the same as it is their future they are destroying by using the self checkouts.
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                                                                                                                            • Ernie 67
                                                                                                                              The grocery store I currently work at added 3 self checkouts because we didn't have enough staff to keep enough tills open and so far it hasn't cost any hours but now we're told if the self checkouts don't get 40% used every day hrs could be cut - does that make sense???
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                                                                                                                              • Pamela G
                                                                                                                                Interesting.
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                                                                                                                            • Janet B 814772
                                                                                                                              Hardly any customer service nowadays at grocery stores. I remember the days where there was a someone who bagged the groceries and also took your groceries to your car and put them in the trunk for you!
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                                                                                                                              • Linda C
                                                                                                                                Yes me also. They were the good old days. Of course, the supermarkets were very small back then and the cars were just outside usually.
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                                                                                                                              • lin r
                                                                                                                                U AND ME ARE OLD LOL
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                                                                                                                              • Linda Clin r
                                                                                                                                Mature
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                                                                                                                            • mike B 1066235
                                                                                                                              IT IT SO TRUE NO MATER WHERE YOU GO ADUMATION IS THAEN JOBS AWAY MORE AND MORE IN ALL WAYS MIKE
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                                                                                                                              • mike B 1066235
                                                                                                                                THIS IS HARD TO SAY BUT IT IS SO TRUE/ I WAS AT DENNES
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                                                                                                                                • Rhonda D 522615
                                                                                                                                  Yes, very unfair. That is what companies want, lower overhead. Sad.
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                                                                                                                                  • lin r
                                                                                                                                    WELL DUH IF U OWENED A COMPANY WOULD U NOT WANT LOVER OVERHEAD...
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                                                                                                                                  • Rhonda D 522615lin r
                                                                                                                                    They should then move employees to another position.
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                                                                                                                                  • lin rRhonda D 522615
                                                                                                                                    WHY WHEN THEY R NOT NOW NEEDED THINK
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                                                                                                                                • Rosemary E 383382
                                                                                                                                  Hopefully she can find a job where she is appreciated and may be rewarded for her skills. Like a friend of mine said people are losing the jobs but the companies aren't cutting their prices at all. The customers are doing the work that employees should be paid for
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