Rikkitic:

 

We have a big new Woolworth's in Hastings. Presumable under the same management because just like the old one, the new one clearly thinks they are such a god's gift to shoppers that they don't have to offer any customer service. In spite of multiple shiny new checkout counters, only one is ever staffed and the queue winds around the store as shoppers patiently wait to be parted from their money. It has been like this for years and I try to avoid it as much as possible. Unfortunately there are some items I like that I can only get there. 

 

Our local new world started doing this. I ended up having a chat with the store manager who happened to walk past me one day. I expressed my dismay at the self checkout trend. A few months later he actually sent me an email and said my feedback and others had led him to believe they were better with more operators. Now around half the checkouts are manned, and they have a couple of floating 'packers'. It might be more expensive than elsewhere, but I think that's a decent bit of customer service.