Regardless of technological advancements & security measures, self-checkout systems often found in supermarkets and convenience stores solely depend on the honesty of customers for scanning and paying for their shopping.
In a recent study, it has been revealed one-third of all customers “cheat” the self-checkout machines. Some technological security measures built into the self-checkout machine utilize scales in the bagging area. However, shoppers find these measures are easy to get around.
Shoppers carry out all kinds of tasks to cheat the self-checkout, including:
- Swapping barcodes on items
- Scan more expensive fruit & veg as lower-cost varieties
- Avoid scanning an item altogether and simply placing it on the floor in an already packed bag.
Emmeline Taylor is a criminologist and comments on shopper’s attitudes toward supermarkets as massive corporations makes it okay to cheat the self serve checkouts.
Others believe their actions are justified because they are forced to do the work of a checkout attendant, or that they’ve had to put up with problems in the checkout process and the miss-scanning of items is simply a mistake or accident.
Solutions to reduce theft and cheating at self-service checkouts include a simple login screen at the start of every self-checkout system’s sequence, where the shopper must agree to be honest and not cheat the system – research suggests this could play into the mind’s of the human psyche.
Another popular solution is to schedule a staff member to greet shoppers entering the self-checkout service area, reminding them they are there to help them.
The presence of the staff member can also act as a deterrent to shopper’s considering cheating the system.
GaP Solutions can tailor your self serve checkouts how you want them, talk to us now about all your point of sale equipment needs
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