- Big Y should dump the self-service checkout line
- The idea made by the Big Y supermarket chain to eliminate self-checkout lines is a brilliant one. The decision is of advantage to the supermarket because the move will gradually reduce the cost of incurring losses. The system affects marketing of goods resulting to more losses in the supermarket. Customers have to request for assistance from the staff for various issues and this results to wastage of time. The issues that mostly require assistance include how to use bar codes & coupons of the supermarket. In addition, self-service lanes result to clogging of customers when there is a payment problem (Stern 219).
- Other issues that arise while using the self-checkout system include shoplifting of items. This is because some customers come up with methods altering the functions of the machines employed in assisting this system (Stern 221). To prevent this behavior, the supermarket had an obligation of putting more scanners. This process requires money to implement that cause the supermarket to incur more costs. The technology failed to improve according to the intensions of management.
- The fact that the checkout system contributed to missing of data when either the staff or client tampered with the machine is a profound reason for making up the decision. Self-checkout system resulted to poor customer relationship. While using the system, the number of staffs in the supermarket is low. The few staffs in the supermarket are not able to help in addressing every problem of customers. Customers who have various problems that include walking and seeing have problems in using the system (Stern 222). This also contributed to loss of customers with such conditions.
- The marketing department of Big Y supermarket helped in the making of the mentioned decision. The fact that the self-checkout brought more disadvantage to the supermarket, the department had to come up with the decision that would curb cases of incurring losses. Aim of the supermarket while employing the system was to make more profits as possible. However, the results were negative. This made the marketing department come up with a quick decision-making technique. The technique helped the supermarket from losing more customers. Another reason that contributed to t making of the decision is the increased chance of customers leaving items behind. This contributed to some customers opting to use the system of buying from a cashier.
- The marketing department also identified that the system is inconvenient to customers who ought to use cash when shopping (Krafft & Mantrala 200). Considering that, some customers prefer human interaction to the services offered by the system the department had to find ways of winning the customers. The management realized that the self-checkout system had difficulties in handling price discrepancies. The system lacks the ability to override the price when a situation of price discrepancies arises (Krafft & Mantrala 200). Purchasing of certain items like alcohol causes delays when using this system. This is because the supermarket staff has to come and check the age of the customer. This contributed to the management making the decision of terminating the system.
- Works cited
- Krafft Manfred & Mantrala Murali. Retailing in the 21st Century: Current and Future Trends. New York: Springer, 2008. Print.
- Stern Terra. Lean Six Sigma: Practical Bodies of Knowledge. New York: Fultus Corporation, 2006. Print.
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