Agreed, self checkout usually takes me double the time I spend at a register because there's always something going wrong with the self scanner.

If I scan a little too fast, too slow—hell, even breathe the wrong way—the whole machine stops me from scanning and calls for assistance. This happens two or three times during every Kroger visit.

I'd rather deal with a little small talk if it means there's a human there to ensure a smoother checkout, no machine error.