Reposted by Pegah Moradi
We've all used self-checkout as customers. But how is it changing jobs for cashiers? Through an interview study for #CSCW2025, @pegahmoradi.bsky.social tells us about how self-checkout can turn cashiers into cops: tinyurl.com/copcashiers-...
tinyurl.com
How Self-Checkout Is Turning Cashiers Into Cops
If you’ve ever used self-checkout, you might’ve heard the kiosk’s robotic voice utter its famous phrase: “Please wait! Help is on the way.”
![Text from article: Automation may also have unintended social consequences. Pegah Moradi, a PhD candidate and researcher in Information Science at Cornell University, studies automation in retail. “When [an electronic shelf label] breaks down in the store,” she explained, “the worker has to repair the system even if they don’t have the technical expertise. The customer becomes frustrated: There is no price available, or why has the price changed? The burden falls on the employee to alleviate the tension of that situation.” The technology may put employees in the position of performing what Moradi calls “relationship management,” adding social pressure to service jobs but without additional pay or training.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:iuapdbkkbx2nvfqoqksek4re/bafkreihfqzgnucd7rmexljtf674zig7ahjqkkadhdbvdtbwqmgzptin6vy)