Comment Re:Costco (Score 1) 464
You're right: a single line is much more efficient. More people go through the hole, faster.
But I don't give a shit about that. I want to get in and out fast, so I'll walk all the lanes and quickly pick the one that looks like it's got an effective cashier with non-fat people in line. End result: I'm almost always out of the grocery lines in a couple minutes.
And if they have self checkout, it's even faster, because those never have a line.
And that is the appeal, to many: sure, it may be overall less efficient, but self determination and half a brain allows me to get through faster than the queuing method would, so it's preferential to me. My time is worth a hell of a lot more than other people's time - to me. If they felt similarly, maybe they'd move faster.
That's pretty much my MO as well. I try to find what will be the fastest line and get in it. Cashier speed is usually the biggest factor. I've seen cashiers that regular shoppers avoid at all costs, sometimes even when they don't have a line. I've seen others that a long line at their register is still faster than a short line at another. If I have a good handle on who the fastest cashiers are, I won't want a single line/multiple register approach. Otherwise I would welcome it.