We have all stood in line waiting to pay for our "stuff".I have seen this happen time and again,people waitng until their "stuff" has gone though the checkout,and then start to write out their checks!The stores also contribute,by have a spot to write out the checks,AFTER the checkout.I think a way to speed this up would be to have a place,to fill out your checks,with the date,the business's name and signed BEFORE hand,then all that is needed is to fill in the amount for the "stuff".A small sign with a statement like: Make checks payable to(the store's name) ,might be enough of a hint to get people to go along.
I agree
No opinion
I disagree
Add your comment
Most stores I go to that accept cheques have stapms they stamp on the payable to line.
Hi classicsat thanks for the feedback.I think my idea would still work,just has the stamp BEFORE the checkout,people could stamp their own check. Any thoughts???
Since a shelf might get in the way of loading at a supermarket, it may need to be a flip-up.I think stores should supply a calculator for the shoppers who balance their checkbooks afterward!
I am in favor of anything that speeds up checkout lines. It was a sad day when, about 20 years ago, the stores did away with the "no checks allowed" quick checkout lines.
What about a scanner on your shopping cart, along with a small display that tells what the total cost of your groceries is. A small printer (like they use at car rental locations or the police's parking ticket devices) prints out an itemized receipt. You give the receipt to the cashier, pay the bill, and leave! No need to put items in the cart, remove them, scan them, bag them, then return them to the cart!
I really like the scanner on the shopping cart idea flaglewood, but what immediately comes to mind is people "accidentally" forgetting to scan certain items.Would the cashier have to do a full audit to check what's in the trolley is also on the receipt? May as well scan everything again ... :-(.
I use my credit card. It can be passed through the reader while the checker is handling the merchandise. All I have to do is sign. Of course, I always pay the balance in full to avoid interest.
I use my debit card all the time for supermarket items.
No signing. I just deduct my purchase from my balance, back in my car.
Store cashiers love me. Purchasers behind me adore me.
I use credit cards for store purchases and gas, because I collect airmiles. I may fly to Paris, someday. Or pick out the behemoth plasma TV!
A shopping system quite similar to what flaglewood describes was developed by Symbol Technologies some years ago. Pre-qualified customers were permitted to use the hand held scanner by swiping their credit card at the station where the scanners were docked.
Items were scanned and placed in the cart. Upon checkout, the scanner was re-docked, the scanned item information uploaded to the main computer and the credit card was charged automatically.
Random audits were supposed to take care of the cheating. I don't recall how produce was handled in this system.
Now, the trend seems to be moving toward RFID tags on each item. RFID tag readers exist that are capable of reading multiple tags within its scanning range. Again, produce would be an issue. It occurs to me now that in a system like this, you may as well bag the groceries as they're placed in the cart, otherwise you'll have to handle them again later.
I think such a system would definitely have the ability to speed up the checkout process.
Why not use wireless technology similar to wifi that operates store wide? Upon entering, customer takes a cart. The cart has a "halo" type of mini-wifi so it knows what are the items' bar codes inside it. Whatever he puts into it or takes out of it to return to the shelves the shopping cart continuously updates its totals payable. When customer wants to leave he goes to the checkout counter and no need to take out all the items scan them one by one and put it back in the cart. The mini wifi transmitter in the cart communicates with the checkout receiver about the total. Customer pays and leaves. FAST!
With current check readers, available in most main stores, the customer doesn't need to fill out any portion of the check. The customer hands a blank check to the clerk and the computer verifies funds, then the customer signs the electronic signature or inputs their pin; finished. At the end of the month the bank account register will show a transaction using that particular check number. Verizon currently uses this program and it should be more common.