This week&nbsp;on Cross Country&nbsp;Checkup...

More and more companies expect you to serve yourself, bagging groceries, airport check-in, AI chatbots.

Has self check-out made your life better or worse?&nbsp;Has self-service gone too far?

Plus, our second topic: Negotiation 911. Are you in a tough negotiation at home or work? How do you get the deal done?

Black Friday sales are designed to give you FOMO. Don't let them

Black Friday is here, and it's hard to miss. Posters scream about big sales while emails flood inboxes — warning the savings are for one day only. It's become one of the busiest shopping days of the year. But experts say it's also a time when impulse spending can spiral out of control.

A sign placed outside a store reads 'Black Friday 30 per cent off storewide'

According to Deloitte, 48 per cent of Canadians plan to buy something on Black Friday.

Black Friday

Many consumers are looking for deals this year, with 48 per cent telling a recent survey they plan to shop on Black Friday.

Trump's tariffs would crush Canada's economy. Why some industry leaders are calling his bluff

From auto leaders to farmers, Canadian industry players say patience is a virtue when it comes to Trump's tariff threats — and that the mutually beneficial nature of the Canada-U.S. trade relationship, worth more than a trillion dollars, shouldn't be underestimated.

A farmer harvests wheat in Manitoba in August.

Combining in Manitoba one day before rail strike also grain elev

From leaders in the auto industry to farmers, Canadian players say patience is a virtue when it comes to Trump's tariff threats — and that the mutually beneficial nature of the Canada-U.S. trade relationship, worth more than a trillion dollars, shouldn't be underestimated.

What's Trump's price for averting tariffs? He didn't tell Trudeau

What would it take for Donald Trump to declare a win and drop plans for potentially devastating tariffs? It's the multibillion-dollar enigma now rippling across North America. Details are scant but one thing is clear: We're entering a new chapter, where security risks trumping trade.

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the spin room after a presidential debate with Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, in Philadelphia.

Election 2024 Debate

Donald Trump appears at the Mexico-U.S. border at Eagle Pass, Texas, on Feb. 29. He's declared he wants changes to slow irregular migration and fentanyl shipments, or Canada and Mexico will face devastating economic tariffs when he takes office. What specific changes? That's unclear. 

USA-ELECTION/BORDER-TRUMP

Canada Border Services Agency has introduced electronic gates (eGates) as an alternate device for self-service primary processing at Toronto Pearson International Airport in Terminal 1 on Aug. 3, 2022.

Has self check-out made your life better or worse?

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