14 Annoying Self-Checkout Habits Grocery Workers Wish Would Stop

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When you think about grocery store industry controversies, a bunch of things probably come to mind. Rising food prices, predatory store layouts designed to make shoppers spend more, and shady marketing to children are just a few common gripes. One innovation that's quite polarizing is self-checkout.

Some folks are thrilled about having the option because they want to skip the small talk and bag their groceries exactly how they like them. Others fear that too many people are losing jobs and that they shouldn't have to do this unpaid labor. As interesting as these debates are, not many people stop to consider how grocery store employees feel about the situation. As it turns out, many workers loathe self-checkout, but not just because of job insecurity.

Are you wondering if you've ever given a grocery store worker a headache? There are a lot of things that employees want you to know before you use self-checkout. Read on to uncover 14 annoying habits that grocery store workers wish customers would stop doing.

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If you ever roll a giant grocery cart over to self-checkout, the employee overseeing operations may side-eye you because that's way beyond the acceptable number of items to take through self-checkout. Cashiers and baggers are trained to handle giant grocery hauls with speed and care. The average person scans items too slowly.

Every self-checkout can be slightly different at each grocery store chain, and there are plenty of machines that weigh your items after you scan them. If you have a bunch of stuff, there simply won't be enough room to leave everything on the small shelf. Removing items as you move along could result in errors that an employee must clear. The last thing a grocery store worker wants to do is keep going back to the same shopper a dozen times to complete the transaction, or scan and bag everything themselves, just to get rid of them.

As a general rule of thumb, grocery store employees suggest avoiding the self-checkout line if you're buying more than 15 items. Not only will it save you the hassle, but you're also being courteous to your fellow shoppers by not holding one of the limited machines hostage.

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Maybe you're grabbing a few items for dinner on the way home from work and want to treat yourself to some wine, or you're running late for a get-together and need to quickly grab a pack of beer. Regardless, grocery store employees appreciate it when you skip the self-checkout line whenever you're buying age-restricted items. You won't be able to complete your transaction without an employee checking your ID, so you might as well go to a line with a cashier. Accidents happen, though, and if this ever slips your mind, an employee can still come over to help you at the self-checkout machine. You're just making their day easier if you're aware of this hurdle.

Of course, there are a handful of other age-restricted products. The good news is that these items, such as lottery tickets and tobacco products, are usually stocked behind a separate counter run by an employee. However, some folks may run into trouble in some areas if they buy energy drinks, which may or may not enforce an 18-year-old age requirement.

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Of all the employee complaints about self-checkout, perhaps the top one is that too many shoppers are immune to reading the screens. They're not illiterate; they just become temporarily screen-blind, which baffles and infuriates some employees. Some grace is given to older folks who may struggle with technology, but still, most issues can be resolved simply by reading the screen.

For example, many grocery store workers have shared online that they're summoned dozens of times each day because a shopper can't — for the life of them — complete the transaction. They say, "It won't let me pay!" The employee then has to tap the big button that says "finish and pay" or "pay now." Another issue is when a prompt pops up asking shoppers if they want to enter their loyalty card or donate to charity. All they need to do is tap "no" to exit the pop-up, but they just stand and stare at it impatiently instead.

In an effort to fight these issues, some grocery stores are rolling out self-checkout machines that speak to shoppers. Employees on Reddit groan that these machines, which can tell shoppers exactly what to do out loud when issues arise, still can't defeat customers who refuse to follow simple instructions.

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Redditors feel torn about self-checkout for many reasons. One complaint is that they don't appreciate being interrupted by employees who treat them like they're criminals. However, employees hate it when shoppers mouth off during these security checks. Believe them: no employee wants to have a weird interaction with a customer, but the grocery store forces them to do these checks.

Occasionally, employees need to take a closer look at random shoppers' items to ensure that nothing shady is going on. It's true that a few bad apples can spoil the bunch when it comes to having the freedom to scan our own items.

Sometimes, the employees can help you save money during these interactions as well. If they notice that the bill doesn't accurately reflect what you're buying, they'll review the list and make adjustments on the screen to correct any issues caused by user error. They're there to protect both the store and the shoppers. As long as you haven't done anything wrong, you should feel grateful for their assistance. They likely aren't getting paid enough to deal with customers who get offended and even verbally abuse them when they're just doing their jobs.

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One habit that makes grocery store workers feel like they're in purgatory is when shoppers get frustrated by a machine that freezes and immediately move to another self-checkout machine instead of waiting for help. The issue is that the machine often freezes due to an error, and an employee must assess the situation. Afterward, they sign in to verify that the transaction is legitimate, which allows the customer to move along and complete the checkout process.

When someone abandons a frozen machine, they render it unusable for everyone else waiting in line. Then, inevitably, when they start scanning their items at a different machine, that one will also freeze. Employees are always questioning their own sanity when they witness customers' shock after getting the same results.

One grocery worker on Reddit said that every day, without fail, customers get blocked, make eye contact and even wave to the employee who's immediately coming over to help, and quickly jump to another machine and disable it. They can't wait a few extra seconds to unlock the screen. Another employee said that they helped a woman scan each item because she couldn't do it alone. Once it came time to pay, the woman cried out that she wanted to cancel the entire transaction because the credit card reader took a few moments to process. Had she left, she would've sabotaged everyone behind her.

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There's nothing more exciting than realizing that you have a coupon for one of your favorite products. Any time we can save even just a few cents feels like a victory in such a tough economy. Grocery store employees have varying opinions, but most of them are happy to help customers save money. However, there are limits, especially when self-checkout is involved.

There are two types of coupons: store and manufacturer. Each one will have its own rules and expiration date. It's the customer's responsibility to read the fine print on the back carefully before potentially making a big mess. Nothing puts a grocery store worker more on edge than a customer who lives by the motto that they're always right, even when there's textual evidence supporting the contrary. If you try to scan a bunch of invalid coupons at self-checkout, the employee will do their best to get the most out of each one, but they also can't work miracles. Also, you definitely don't want to be that person who has to race through the store to grab another item while holding up the line because the coupon requires a specific number of items or a different size.

There's also the possibility that the employee will kindly ask you to join them over at a register, which would make your previous efforts a waste. One or two coupons may work fine at self-checkout, but you're taking a risk when you introduce more.

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Reddit has a treasure trove of stories involving customers who refuse to give up when they're confronted by a self-checkout machine that only accepts debit or credit cards. Mind you, this is a battle of their own making, since all of these machines have bold warning signs around the checkout space and even on the screen itself. These tales would be funny if they didn't carry chilling implications for our society.

One poor employee was physically assaulted with a loaf of bread after they witnessed a man enter a bizarre trap. He read the warning on the screen that the machine would only accept card payments. When asked if he wanted to continue, he hit "no." The screen reset with the same warning. He continued to press "no," growing more enraged for who knows how long. Once he reached his limit, he decided the right course of action was to strike the nearby employee with his loaf of bread. Thankfully, security forced the customer to leave. The store happened to have his name and address on file, so security followed up by sending a trespass notice.

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Most employees on Reddit are kind enough to understand that many instances of double scans are due to the machines being overzealous. If it's not programmed to have a waiting period of a couple of seconds between each scan, it can clock the same thing twice almost instantly. Still, the frustration goes both ways. Many stores require employees to come over and do a whole song-and-dance for each item they need to remove from the bill. This means that lists that contain several double scans can be a real time-consuming nightmare for everyone. One Walmart employee got so fed up with how many double scans were on the screen that they canceled the entire thing and scanned every item for the customer themselves.

Other Redditors have noticed behaviors that are harder to forgive, though. Some customers wave their items around frantically instead of lining up the barcode for just a moment before setting it aside.

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Some grocery stores are diligent about keeping at least one or two lines with cashiers open to give folks a choice. However, sometimes self-checkout is the only option. If this is the case, you either have to get through the experience or leave the store. Harassing the employee who oversees the self-checkout area should never be your third option.

One Redditor shared that the two lines with cashiers only had a three-minute wait. A customer decided to go to the self-checkout area and yell at the employee about how much they loathed scanning a whopping three items by themselves. Another employee shared that they couldn't wrap their mind around why people over (the employee said they are 50) a certain age can't grasp self-checkout machines. The kicker is that, in their experience, meltdowns begin at age 30. They suspect that feigning stupidity so they can throw a temper tantrum is just something some customers do to sweeten their shopping experience.

Distraction theft is an old trick in the book. People are also using the technique at self-checkout machines. One shopper plays dumb to monopolize the attention of the single employee managing the area, while the accomplice gets away with free items. Since employees have to be aware of this, they don't appreciate dealing with bossy customers who want their entire cart scanned for them.

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Self-checkout machines can have two scales. One is where you weigh produce, while the other is the baggage area where you place products that you've scanned. Both can be a major source of grief for customers and employees alike.

Unless you're buying a bag of produce that's already weighed and has an attached price, you must weigh all produce at self-checkout because the weight will affect the price. Some stores require customers to weigh meat and seafood as well. You also need to be mindful not to leave items, such as your car keys or wallet, on the scale because you will pay extra.

The second scale tends to cause more issues. Some stores allow shoppers to move items back into their carts, while others require that everything remain on the scale. One Redditor who works at HEB said that their store has a sign that flashes when people can remove the item from the baggage area. Of course, all of these differences cause confusion. If an employee comes over to help because your screen froze due to a scale issue, do your best to avoid making the same mistake again. It's common for employees to assist the same shoppers three or more times because they're entirely disregarding the scales.

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Some people detest grocery shopping, yet they don't want to pay extra for delivery services. As a result, they try to speed through the chore as quickly as possible, including self-checkout. Others have anxiety about the growing line behind them and want to free up the machine for everyone else. No matter what your internal struggles may be, scanning your items too quickly at a self-checkout machine could unintentionally slow you down.

Lots of grocery stores use AI to detect suspicious behavior. One red flag is rapid movement. Some thieves shuffle things around quickly to avoid paying. Even if you're an honest person who's a master at scanning barcodes, the screen may freeze until an employee can come over and review the footage and your bill. Many employees dread these interactions because some people act awkwardly or even aggressively when the AI accuses them of theft.

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Efficient people enjoy finding new ways to streamline their chores. If you're stocking up on a particular product because it's on sale or you go through it quickly, self-checkout can be a bit daunting. Instead of grabbing each item and passing it through the scanner, why not just hold the same item and scan it until you reach the correct total in your cart?

This issue circles back to the scale issue, but it's so common that it warrants its own conversation. If the machine doesn't sense the scale getting heavier after you keep scanning the same item, it will trigger an employee search. Some shoppers on Reddit have also reported being flagged for shady behavior because they were holding the same product in both hands, which the AI didn't like.

You may get lucky and live near a grocery store that's evolved. Some self-checkout machines now allow folks to scan one item, then enter the number of products they have on the screen. When in doubt, a grocery store employee is happy to answer your questions if the response can prevent a screen freeze.

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Following a budget is the responsible thing to do if money is tight. Since grocery shopping can be a bit chaotic, you might lose track of your running bill. If you don't want to retrace your steps to find the price on the shelf, you could always ask an employee for help or check the grocery store's app for an accurate figure. The last thing employees want you to do is take up valuable space at a self-checkout machine simply to see how much something costs. Those machines are for shoppers who are ready to leave the store with their grocery haul.

When people do this, an employee has to go over to the frozen screen and clear the entire transaction before another customer can use it. It only takes a minute or two of their time, but imagine how many customers pull this stunt per day.

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Some theft is unintentional, such as when someone forgets to scan a pack of gum that was hiding at the bottom of their basket. Others see how far they can go before they get caught.

One employee on Reddit shared that a man removed the sticker from an avocado and put it on a $50 package of wagyu steak. Thankfully, the employee didn't have to step into the role of a police officer. The screen froze because the scale figured that no avocado could actually weigh several pounds. Still, if you try any nonsense, you could be setting yourself and the employee up for a terribly awkward conversation that they don't want to initiate.

Walmart added self-checkout reflection to deter theft in recent years, which is why you'll notice yourself at an unflattering camera angle when you're using the machines. If you have to face your own reflection while doing a bad deed, the shame might be enough to stop you. Other grocery stores believe that enough is enough. Aldi is removing self-checkout from some of its stores to reduce drama. Some customers are bummed that they'll have to wait in long lines again, but others are happy that prices can stay low. The brand explained that hiring extra staff to monitor for theft was raising operating costs.