They're everywhere. From supermarkets to hardware stores, self-service machines are an increasingly common sight, promising faster, more convenient checkouts.
And it's not just in-store shopping: Canadians are selecting their own movie seats, printing their own event tickets and checking themselves into flights.
People starting to resent doing unpaid work. As it seems to be escalating
Self-service may strike many as convenient, but some critics say consumers don't always benefit — in savings or speed — as much as they think.
"We are doing a lot of jobs that used to be done for us by someone else... You may choose to do it — some people think it saves them time, gets them out of the gas station quicker. But there is a price to be paid."
Shadow work includes all of the unpaid tasks we do on behalf of businesses and organizations. It has slipped into our routines stealthily; most of us do not realize how much of it we are already doing, even as we pump our own gas, scan and bag our own groceries, execute our own stock trades, and build our own unassembled furniture. But its presence is unmistakable, and its effects far-reaching.
Craig Lambert, author of Shadow Work: The Unpaid, Unseen Jobs That Fill Your Day.
It's clear self-service is here to stay, but not everyone is convinced customers are coming out on top
In a 2004 experiment, McDonald's found that customers using self-service kiosks supersized their meals, spending 30 per cent more on average. One reason? We're more willing to increase the order when we're not worrying about the person behind the cash judging our choices.
"Some people like to be in control of what's going on. Some people like to have a very private experience. So if I'm going in and buying something that's maybe a personal item, I might prefer to buy it on my own without help," says Christina Forest, a senior project manager for Fujitsu, which makes self-checkout machines.
The latest technology can also include wearable sensors that alert employees to when you need assistance.
With stiff competition from discount stores and online retailers, many companies have to find a way to provide better service for lower cost, says Dusty Lutz, general manager of self-checkout solutions at NCR, the world's leading manufacturer of self-checkout kiosks.
"The reason that stores are wanting to be more efficient is because they've got to stay more relevant on price," he says.
For example, the cost of checking in a passenger at the airport is about $3 with a staffed desk.
But when customers use electronic terminals? That cost drops to 14 cents.
In total, moving to a fully automated check-in and boarding process could save the airline industry $1.6 billion a year, the International Air Transport Association says.
Are those savings being passed on to the consumer? Marketplacespoke to leading retailers and industry experts and found no clear evidence that is always the case.
"Shadow work, at times, will get you a better price on things. Generally it doesn't," Lambert says.
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