Autofood: The Self-Service Trend
"Self-check-out also puts grocery store clerks out of work, which makes me feel a little bad."
Back in the 1940s, the Automat ruled the land. You know those vending machines where you push the button to rotate your food choices past, then slide a plastic door aside to get your (e.g.) tuna salad sandwich? Imagine that, but a whole entire cafeteria.
I wonder if we aren't heading back in that direction. It seems like self-service is creeping into many areas of our food service industries. The benefit to the companies is obvious: you can hire one teller to work one register, or one teller to cover six self-serve registers. The benefit to consumers is… somewhat less obvious.
Example One: Grocery store self-check-out
At first, I loved this idea. No longer would I be trapped in line behind a dozen people with tons of food piled atop their carts! I could just breeze through self-check-out! I am reasonably tech-savvy, and not easily cowed by machinery and computers and things that go "beep." I took to the registers easily. I am proud to say, I can look up produce and use coupons without a hitch.
