Meije= Often a hassle-full self-checkout experience - 4 years running Ft. Gratiot MI

I’ve been having trouble with both the lousy ‘old’ and the recent ‘new and improved (?)’ self-checkout systems for about 4 years now.  The old – constantly red and green lights stopping and then clearing the way to continue, the lights sometimes flash red then green so often they should use them for blinking Christmas lights. Lots of ‘wait for attendant’ notices (key word here is WAIT), machine stopping your order with a red light somehow thinking it’s a separate order (not exactly Artificial Intelligence), see the line you’re in get the dreaded red light and jump to another?  That lane often will get the red light too.  Other glitches also. 

On to the ‘new and improved’ system.  The machines will often spit back or reject perfectly new and fine bills from the on-site ATM or my bank.  Over and over. Often the few and sometimes overwhelmed human attendants can’t get to you, will walk right by you and say “I’ll be back to help you in a minute” and then disappear to the back of the store to put items back. Other attendants will come over and ‘push the wrong button’ to solve your problem and cause more delays.  I’m missed a dozen or so buses at least by just a minute or half a minute over the last 4 years.  I end up spending 1-1/2 hours for 30 minutes of shopping and 10-20 minutes of of checking out.  “Try allowing for more time” you say?  I allowed an extra 10 minutes last night and STILL  missed another bus.  Again.

  I complain half the time, but get lame apologies, lip-service about speaking to the employees and improving things, etc.  but the same problems keep happening, even with their shiny new and improved system.  They can't or won't fix things. Or maybe don’t really care.  I know a couple of people who also don’t like the Meier’s checkout experience.   Even some of their employees don’t like it!  I’ve cut back my Ft. Gratiot Meijer’s shopping by 2/3’s.  Maybe  I need to skip them even more.   Occasionally their machines short you  when you insert coin in to cover the 'coin' amount.