>>>I watch the workflows in places like Home Depot. I'm in line while the person ahead of me needs a price check. Why can't they fire up another instance of the invoice form, complete my sale, and go back to the other guy when his price check comes back?
>>
>>Because they'd then have to hire prople who ask more than $7/hr, and then that'd cost you in the end. Even the current procedure is too complicated for some, and with a high turnover of the staff, chances are is that the white bird (not a swan) at the cash register will have trouble with something because it's only her first week.
>
>I doubt that. Make the process easier.

You're not thinking as a typical semiliterate kid who's at the register. That'd be one more thing to teach them, and the (behind-the-scenes) stuff is already complicated enough for them. These registers are not really user friendly.

>>Since I can't change their habits and business model, I had to learn a few tricks: 1) make sure there's a barcode sticker on your merchandise. 2) if it won't scan for any reason, don't. Just say you're not buying it.
>
>They've started putting in these new self serve kiosks here in Toronto. They look easier to use than the cash register.

Just used one today in Home Depot and guess what - they work only for a certain range of weights. You can't buy a door and get it through that, too big. In our case, eight little bags of seeds didn't weigh enough to be detected. We ended up in a procedure longer than a simple register scan would be.

>I have a similar policy. If the product I paid for sets off the burglar alarm, I return everything, right then and there.

When I have to get back to find another one because the first one wouldn't scan, I usually put it behind some other, loosely related, merchandise and then take one that will scan. And I'm never buying anything without a clear price tag.