Delays in Clearing the Self-Service Store Check-out Counter: An Informal Look

Abstract

Swiftness of service, one of the advantages which one normally associates with self-service stores, is something which may well be more fiction than fact. 328 observations at 3 large suburban hardware stores showed that about 4 out of 10 transactions at the checkout counter involved delaying problems which increased the 1 1/2- to 2 1/2-min. time required to clear the counter by an average of 2 min. Of the 143 delaying incidents noted, 118 (82%) were customer-driven, 14 (10%) store-driven, and 11 (8%) customer- or store-driven.