I have observed that some customers, especially the elderly, rely on the supermarket staff overseeing the self-checkout station to do everything for them, such as scanning the grocery items, bagging them and making payment.

Understandably, these customers do not know how to use the self-service points. But then, they must realise that the staff members are there to help as and when needed, not to serve customers like the usual checkout cashiers do. 

Some older people like me want to navigate the self-checkout process independently. It can be done if we adopt a hands-on approach, and this involves actually doing it ourselves.

Going through the whole learning process entails making errors or encountering difficulties and this is where the staff on duty can step in to help.

After a few hands-on attempts, customers are more likely to manage using the self-checkout counter independently.

Jeffrey Law Lee Beng