The advance of technology helps facilitate our lives a great deal, but do we pay a high price when it comes to relying on the machines way more than we should?
In order to speed up the process of running errands and shopping for groceries, Walmart introduced self-checkouts. What they didn’t expect, however, is to face backlash because of this decision that many of the customers consider controversial.
The self-service machines aren’t something new. In fact, they were first introduced in the 1980s to lower labor expenses.
But this service faced plenty of obstacles and customers complain to the added responsibilities.
For example, certain items may have multiple barcodes, whereas the produce, including the meat, fruit, and vegetable, typically needs to be weighed and manually entered into the system using a code, which might be time consuming for the ordinary shoppers. Other times shoppers won’t hear the “beep” confirming an item has been scanned properly.
Another issue is the increase of theft. Walmart announced that thefts at its stores has reached an all-time high.
The machines not only fall short at their purpose of making shopping easier at times, but they also make it harder for the employees they were meant to help.
Christopher Andrews, a sociologist and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy, says the system “doesn’t work well for anyone.”
He continued: “Everyone feels like they have to have it. Companies are thinking: ‘If we can just get more people on this, maybe we can start reducing some overheads.’”
What’s most, most of the customers have reported that they miss the human interaction while shopping.
Randy Parraz from Making Change at Walmart perfectly summed up customer sentiments by saying, “You can’t convince customers to do the job of a cashier just because you don’t want to pay for the work.”
Walmart decided to listen to what their customers had to say and instead of further expanding automation, the retail giant will hire additional cashiers to provide their customers with a pleasant shopping experience and service.
What Walmart and the rest of the retailers, among which Costco and Wegmans, learned is that efficiency is important but maintaining a balance with positive experiences remains crucial.
5 Ways to Quickly Check If There’s a Hidden Camera in Your Dressing Room
Privacy is perceived differently across the world. For example, in Germany, very few offices have open doors, while in America, this is quite common. However, nobody would be okay with secretly being watched, especially during private activities.
We at Bright Side want to warn you: some retailers do place hidden cameras in their fitting rooms, but with these tips, you may be able to spot them.
1. Scan the room for suspicious objects.
The easiest way to find hidden cameras is to look around and check your surroundings carefully. An inch-by-inch search can help to spot rather “obvious” signs right away. Pay special attention to objects like wall decor, lamps, shelves, etc. Any suspicious wires, lenses, or lights could belong to a hidden camera.
2. Connect to Wi-Fi.
Surveillance cameras usually work on Wi-Fi, so you can find one by connecting to the network available in the room. Then you’ll need to use a special app to see what other devices are connected to the same network. Keep an eye out for devices that show a camera manufacturer name or list things like “IP camera.”
3. Use your phone’s flashlight.
Mirrors are one of the easiest places to hide a camera in a fitting room, so you should carefully check them. If there’s an opportunity to turn off the lights, try to do so and use the flashlight on your phone to peer through the mirror. Light shined against a mirror, allowing you to see beyond it, may reveal the presence of a hidden camera on the other side of it.
4. Stare into the mirror.
Fitting rooms are the perfect place to use 2-way mirrors because one of its sides will be brightly lit, and the other can be kept in the dark. So you need to put your eyes up against the glass, block out light with your hands, and you should be able to see through the mirror and detect if it’s actually a 2-way.
5. Touch the mirror.
When you touch a regular mirror, there’s always a small gap between your finger and its reflection. If you see it, you can be sure the mirror is real. However, if your fingers appear to be touching in the reflection, it’s probably a 2-way mirror and you’re being watched.
Have you ever seen a hidden camera in an inappropriate place? Tell us the story!
Preview photo credit depositphotos.com
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