Would You Ever Consider Self-Checkout for Your Pet Store?

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Would you ever consider self-checkout for your store? — Pamela Mitchell, PETS+ Editor-in-Chief

• I think that’s the way it’s all going. And will be as normal as credit cards … or Apple Pay! — Kendra Conze, Health Mutt, Tampa, FL
• Nooooooooo way. I won’t even use self-checkout. I have had a strict guideline of never eliminating human interaction. It’s one of my concrete values for living on this planet. I have a big issue with dependence on computers and electronics (as I type on my Android). — Jennifer Flanagan, Nature’s Pet Market, Sherwood, OR
• I would absolutely be open to this in my store. We have customers who do not want to chit chat. They don’t care how we are doing or if we care how they are doing. They simply want in and out, and if this option appeals to them, I’m all for it. Obviously, it wouldn’t be the only option, just one more way to provide the customer experience some people want. — Julie Sterling, Julz Animal Houz, Marysville, WA
• No. I intentionally use one (of the two of 12 lanes that are actually staffed) of the checkout lanes staffed by a person. And I always ask for them to bag my groceries. I don’t care how long I have to wait. vBill Huffor, Furry Friends Inc., Colorado Springs, CO
• We’ve talked about this, with labor shortages, for those customers who just want to grab their bag of food and go. — Britt Zion, Agri Feed Pet Supply, Knoxville, TN
• Absolutely. We spend time with every customer, but there are many who just want to get in and out as quickly as possible. We use enough forms of communication to be able to make sure they are still getting the customer experience through email, social media, phone, etc. I personally prefer to get my stuff and get out without conversation at stores so I know many of my customers would as well. — Nancy Guinn, Dog Krazy, Fredericksburg, VA
• I use them if I’m only buying one or two things for quick groceries or at a drugstore, but I’d have no justification to bring one into my store. — Kim Morgan, Happy Tails Market, Bellingham, MA
• Thought about it after seeing the small ones in the airport shops. They tuck in small spaces. — Jennifer Larsen, Firehouse Pet Shop, Wenatchee, WA
• I’m not sure. I really dislike them as a customer. Also they would reduce customer interaction and chatting at the end, so there would be no opportunity to foster a relationship. — Joanna Bronowicka, Well Bred, Chatham, NJ
• I would absolutely if we were busier. I don’t know how Astro would work, but at my grocery store, self-checkout prompts me to put in my phone number for points. If you’re doing a lot of business, a self-checkout option would free up staff for more customer interaction, better cleaning and refacing time. I see benefits to it versus it taking the place of human bodies. — Tasha Hermanson, Woofta Pet Shop, Dickinson, ND
• I see it as a great way to put ourselves out of business. The personal connections and add-on product sales, based on the customer’s needs, are the life blood of our business. — Janelle Pitula, Wags and Whiskers, Plainfield, IL
• We pride ourselves on how we interact and personally know so many of our customers. Self-checkout will take away some of the time we get to know our people and their pets. — Michele Saharic, Barkley’s Marketplace, Flemington, NJ

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