Sick of seeing self checkouts in local stores

OUR READERS WRITE

This commentary is not about any articles in your paper, but just my thoughts about something that is happening in Bolton, at an accelerated rate, as compared to other locales.

My concern is the burgeoning lack of customer service at some of our stores!  These are the same merchants that screamed about the $15/hr minimum wage – what a laugh, these large corporations had their own agenda to cut customer service and jobs, at the same time. 

And of course the $15/hr minimum wage was cut by the Conservative government at Queen's Park, to the advantage of these large corporations!

I have two sisters, one in Rexdale, and one in Stouffville; and their experiences are somewhat different than Bolton:

1) In Rexdale, the local Walmart store isn't pushing self checkout, nor is the local Shoppers Drug Mart – unlike Stouffville and Bolton.  Interesting

2) In Stouffville, my 85 year old sister is a Walmart account holder, and during her shopping trip last week, all the cashier checkouts were closed and customers were being forced to use self-checkout. She demanded to see the store manager, and told them that she would leave her packed shopping cart in the store and close out her Walmart credit card.  

The manager had to check her through.  What a bad experience for her, and she is still considering closing out her Walmart account.

Our local Walmart is getting worse, with a myriad of self-checkouts, and people are using them, even when there are no lineups at cashier checkouts!  Folks say that maybe customers using them must be looking to cheat on swiping items? I don't  know why a shopper would use self-checkout, even when there are no lineups, or even if there is; this is cashier jobs that are being taken away, along with good customer service, that cashiers provide!  Simply boggles the mind why shoppers would use them.  

As well, the Express Desks are permanently closed down, forcing customers to wait in regular lineups – in order to force customers to use self-checkouts.  Zehr's is guilty as well,  but Walmart  is worse, and Shoppers Drug Mart is trying to force customers to use self-checkout, as well.  

This is a sad state of affairs, and just thought I would express my concerns with this new big business initiative, and point out that complete lack of customer service, should not be accepted by customers, as it only benefits the international corporations, and nobody else.  Why should customers accept such a thing?

Sandra Clarke-Forester

Caledon resident