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DUMAC Installs Our First NCR Self-Checkout (SCOT)
Posted on February 21, 2001 Article taken from the January 11th, 2001 Finger Lakes Times By Jill M. Giocondo, Times Staff Writer WOLCOTT - A trip to the grocery store can often take an hour or more with crowds and long checkout lines. Grocery shoppers in Wolcott, however, have a new twist that could make their shopping ex-perience easier at Bob s Big M. The supermarket recently purchased a self-checkout machine nicknamed SCOT (Self Checkout terminal). Customers can now unload, check out and pay for their own groceries without the assistance of a human cashier, and be on their way. Robert Delf, co-owner of Bob's Big M, said that DUMAC, the Syracuse company that supplies their regular cash regis-ters, invited him and his sister, Robin, the other co-owner, to see a prototype. After they looked at the NCR unit, they decid-ed to purchase one. The units sell for about $28,000 each. "We have the first NCR unit in New York state, so we are guinea pigs,'' he said. Delf added that Robin is always on the lookout for new technology to improve the store for customers. Customers entering the store are greeted by a bulletin board announcing the arrival of SCOT and instructions in how to use the new equipment. After gathering his or her groceries, the customer unloads them, scans them across a bar code reader and then places them in plastic bags. When the customer finishes, he or she swipes a credit card or debit card and takes the printed receipt. The computer terminal talks customers through the process, with a touch screen and automated voice. The checkout currently accepts only credit cards or debit cards and the new food stamp EBT cards. It also scans manufacturer and store coupons. The system is comparable to the pay at the pump technology used at many gas stations. Delf added that the self- checkout is not designed to replace traditional cashiers, but is an additional service. They are now looking at another model that can be used as a self-checkout or converted into a regular checkout with a cashier for busier times during the day. "It is really designed as an express lane and isn't as useful for large orders," he said. The terminals also have several security features so theft hasn't been a problem so far during the first month of use. The weight of each item is in the computer's memory so it knows if a customer has scanned a box of cereal and then put a six-pack of soda into the bag, for example. Scan-ning errors are reduced by a voice message that says, "Please remove the last item from the bag and scan it," if a customer didn't scan an item or the scan didn't register it. Another security feature pre-vents alcohol and tobacco products from being sold to underage customers. The store manager wears a pager that is activated when SCOT scans a package of cigarettes or an alcoholic beverage, and the manager then verifies the purchaser's age. Delf said some people have been reluctant to use the new system, but overall, the response has been positive. "The reception from cus-tomers has been warm al-though more women then men seem to be using the self-checkout," he said. |
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