Are Cashiers Being Replaced by Self-Serve Kiosks?

Sure, we've seen self-serve checkouts at McDonald's and Wal-Mart, but one self-serve kiosk company seems to want to eliminate cashiers entirely.

The Ontario government is currently looking into a significant minimum wage increase from $11.40 an hour to $15 an hour. Most cashiers make minimum wage, and while a wage increase would be great for employees, the $15 an hour price tag seems to have shaken some employers.

The Solo Series, a self-serve kiosk company that eliminates the need for human interaction at a cash register with a convenient, skip-the-line technology, has tweaked their marketing strategy in accordance with the possible minimum wage hike in an attempt to appeal to employers.

The ad positions the self-serve technology as better than a cashier, largely due to the fact that it's cheaper than paying a person minimum wage, and apparently, has other advantages to being a machine and not a human being.

The ad, which I saw in print this morning, appeals specifically to quick service restaurant operators, or fast food employers.

According to the ad, the kiosk only costs $2.50 an hour, while a human employee will cost $15 an hour - a "devastating" increase.

Moreover, the ad boasts that the technology doesn't come late, take coffee breaks, use social media on the job, or complain.

It seems to come down to humans versus technology, mocking human employees in the interest of saving costs for employers.

For the most part, the possible wage increase has been celebrated as a step up for the labour industry, and as fair compensation aligning with inflation rates and the cost of living. This increase may be the difference in making life more affordable for many people working for minimum wage.

Self-serve kiosks might get “every order right” and not need overtime or vacation pay, but they do take away jobs, and take away the need for human interaction.

What do you think about self-serve kiosks eliminating the need for cashiers?