Self Service Checkouts.

markpb

gurramok wrote:

Its quicker doing it the old way and going to the human cashier, at least laser payments are easier that way.

Tesco in Artane have added chip and pin readers to their self service tills so paying by card is much handier.

greine

seamus wrote:

The people who use them in Tesco seem to be infinitely more inept than those who use them in Superquinn.

"Superquinn....Where smart people shop! " - I can see the ad campaign now! Customers wearing name badges - "Tom - Neurosurgeon/Rubiks Cube Champion 1980-1982" - (checking out at self service tills with smug knowing smirk on face)

mikemac

I always bring a sportsbag if I'm shopping.
Obviously, I want to put the sportsbag on the scales and pack stuff straight into it as otherwise I be wasting time transferring items afterwards.

When you do this an option called "Own Bag" comes up but Tesco Drumcondra must have disabled it as it never works and you still need staff to clear the error and more often than not, staff have gone walkabout and there is nonone to clear the error.

I wish they'd sort this

phasers

I hate those things!

in Tesco, it always says "place item on counter" when you've scanned it and sometime it doesn't feel it so I spend about 10 minutes trying to make it work again!

so I'll stick to regular checkouts

kenmc

Ya gotta pick and choose which tills to use when. For some reason I find that the scanner is faster on the 'small' self-scanners than the one with the belt, for trollies. don't ask why, should be exactly the same, but for some reason it consistently seems to be better on the basket one. and less 'unexpected items' too.
Tesco insist on signing any laser transactions over E20, so if you're hitting that, skip the self-service - although that may be gone now with the chip and pin, unless, like me, your laser card is not yet C&Pd.
Of course if you have alcohol you are better going to the real people.
And as already pointed out, there's usually some real people sitting idle while there's a queue of ppl standing behind a mouthbreather watching 'TV', especially outside peak hours.
I've scanned some stuff through a few times, waiting for authorization, gave up, picked up the few bits and pieces, gone to a real person and paid and left while the self-scanner was still waiting for the 'assistant' to fix it.
I wish you were allowed to give out 'go to the back of the queue' cards though for the real muppets.

KamiKazi

seamus wrote:

They should have a dummy demonstration till at the back. If you take more than five seconds to scan an ordinary, working item and put it on the shelf, then you should be removed, and forced to queue with all the other idiots and be shown how to do it.

lol^^

workaccount

Slow Motion wrote:

Stupid statment ? I'm sorry I expected the staff to be able to do their job ! My mistake :rolleyes:

I have a background in IT and know it's vagaries quite well and if you are going to have staff using it they should have some basic training before they are allowed to use it ! I was the customer and I was kept waiting for an unacceptably long time and therefore I am completely within my rights not to be happy about it ! So get down off that high horse and stop with the personal attack I don't appreciate being called Stupid or a fcuking eejit :mad:

I had a few drinks last night so I think my mood came out through boards this morning.

2 stroke

I've stopped shopping at tesco because of theese machines and the security tags put on some items which need to be publicly removed by staff.
Once I was highly embarresed when a staff member reached into my shopping and pulled out a durex product, but not as embarresed as she was. I made a complaint to the manager and accepted his point that theese items would just walk out of the store if it wasn't for the security tags. Next week I had a problem with a security tag on a bag of potatoes. Now I can't realy see a skanger running out with a bag of potatoes in his pocket.
I haven't been back since. I prefer not to shop where the average shopper is treated as a potential shoplifter.

Slow Motion

workaccount wrote:

I had a few drinks last night so I think my mood came out through boards this morning.

Fair 'nuff

workaccount

Slow Motion wrote:

Fair 'nuff

Sorry by the way. and it was not personal. It's obvious I work in IT isn't it. I've never come across you before and it was more expressing my anger from the job. (not that I hate my job it's just annoying sometimes that's all!!)

Some people just demand things that are not possible.

Slow Motion

workaccount wrote:

Sorry by the way. and it was not personal. It's obvious I work in IT isn't it. I've never come across you before and it was more expressing my anger from the job. (not that I hate my job it's just annoying sometimes that's all!!)

Some people just demand things that are not possible.

Understood ! No probs ! Just don't offer any manhugs

Cake Fiend

elviscostello wrote:

The people that start scanning their items as I'm still taking mine really need to fúck off though.

Dickheads like these are why I stand in front of the scanner as much as I can while packing my stuff. If someone is taking half an hour to put their shopping in a bag, fair enough, but moving in while someone is still collecting their change is the height of ignorance.

GreeBo

Seriously, why not use SuperScan?
Its infinitely quicker.

AlmightyCushion

Sorry if it's been said before but this really pisses me off. It's when people scan the item through and then put it down in front of the scanner. The machine then kindly informs them to "Place the item in the bagging area" and shows them a nice video of someone placing a product in the fúcking bagging area. They proceed to take another item from their basket and try and scan this through then look at the screen and wonder why it won't work while the thing is still showing the video and screaming at them. Fúcking idiots

Blush_01

2 stroke wrote:

I've stopped shopping at tesco because of theese machines and the security tags put on some items which need to be publicly removed by staff.
Once I was highly embarresed when a staff member reached into my shopping and pulled out a durex product, but not as embarresed as she was. I made a complaint to the manager and accepted his point that theese items would just walk out of the store if it wasn't for the security tags. Next week I had a problem with a security tag on a bag of potatoes. Now I can't realy see a skanger running out with a bag of potatoes in his pocket.
I haven't been back since. I prefer not to shop where the average shopper is treated as a potential shoplifter.

The average shopper is treated as a potential shoplifter everywhere, like it or not. Hence security cameras and security men. If something comes with a big plastic security box around it, it's worth being aware that this box will have to be removed, as a rule. If you're that embarrassed of having a sex life and needing condoms, maybe that's a problem you need to address. Hyper-sensitivity towards a supermarket who check your bags when you set an alarm off is more an admission of a guilty conscience than something laudable about yourself. Next time you go to <insert generic supermarket here> and they look in your trolley as you pass through the checkout (just in case) are you going to refuse to shop there again too? You'll run out of places to shop preeeety quickly. I suppose you could always grow your own food and make your own clothes, but even then you need seeds, utensils, fabric... I guess you're a bit stuck.

fly_agaric

seansouth wrote:

My jaysis.

How can people not know how to use these wonderful inventions.

Wonderful inventions? What a crock of shít! They are the same old tech as the normal checkouts minus an employee. Chump pays tesco for goods. Then chump checks out and packs stuff saving greedy bastards at Tesco etc the expense of either:

a) employing a human to do the job
b) spending big money on a proper automated checkout based on RFID tags or somesuch.

ka-ching! Profits!

Those fúckking automated checkouts make me angry. The people who pander to the company greed so they can save a few minutes of their precious lives are also part of the problem.

Rant over.

AlmightyCushion

fly_agaric wrote:

b) spending big money on a proper automated checkout based on RFID tags or somesuch.

The reason rfid tags haven't been introduced is because they are still relatively expensive. If they put an rfid tag that costs 20 cent into a tin of tesco value beans that cost 30 cent now that would increase the cost to 50 cent. Not worth it. when the tags come down in price they will be implemented.

Tazdedub

The worse I have ever seen was in tesco, A guy with a trolley full of stuff at the self service basket checkout:mad: , was scanning stuff in but as he scanned it he was putting it back in the trolley, there were errors going off all over the place he was just standing there looking at the machine, needless to say someone from tesco came over to him and he couldnt tell her what he had scanned or what he hadn't scanned. I think he was there for about an hour and the mess that he was making as well. But what was even worse was that the person who had come over from tesco was helping him try scan the stuff, they should have just told him to go queue a checkout with a human and then cancel what was on the machine.

After that incident I am now very careful as to when I go to a self service checkout incase I end up behind someone like that.

2 stroke

Blush. It wasn't condoms but one of them vibrating **** rings. assistant attracted a lot of attention diving into my shopping and there were several snigers when she pulled out the ofending article.

Kur4mA

The ones in Tesco are a ****ing joke tbh with constant errors and the machines being very choosy over what they scan and dont scan.

I find the self service machines in Superquinn infinitely better and as a previous poster said, there's usually a member of staff actually doing their job and clearing any errors from the machines immediately so that the queues move a lot quicker.

sioda

The thing with the Superquinn tills is most SQ customers have been self scannin for years and are well used to it.

Glad to here chip and pin is being implemented coz it aint down here in Limerick yet and feel it is a big security hole.

Must admit to avoiding the self service during peak times plus find that the checkout furthest away from the self service often has no queue.

Blush_01

2 stroke wrote:

Blush. It wasn't condoms but one of them vibrating **** rings. assistant attracted a lot of attention diving into my shopping and there were several snigers when she pulled out the ofending article.

Hmm... didn't realise they sold those in Tesco - interesting!

If people sniggered, then that's their problem, isn't it? Do you really, really care that people queuing in Tesco laughed at your c0ck ring? Did it make you want it less, or return it? Sounds like it didn't. Surely you were alerted on the screen that further assistance was required - but you ploughed ahead, and now blame the supermarket?

She was doing her job - I doubt very much lunging at your shopping was high on her list of prospective thrills for the day. You acknowledge what the manager said - that otherwise they'd walk (or perhaps vibrate their way) out of the shop.

Nala

Have read this thread with great interest, I work at self service checkouts about 35 hours a week!

Where do I even start...

First of all, people scanning things and the machine tells them to place it on the belt. They stand with the item in their hand, gawping at the screen with their mouth wide open. After about 5 minutes they decide to ask me to help. I then have to go over and explain that "Place item on belt" means you have to place the item on the belt. Cue "It doesn't say what item!!!". I point at the screen which clearly says the name of the item along with "Please place the last item you scanned on the belt".

Next we have people with trolleys coming to the basket lanes. Usually when there are several people in each queue.I have to go over and explain that as our signs CLEARLY say, these lanes are only for baskets. Cue "That's ridiculous!!!" etc. I politely state that it is not fair to hold up the 10 people in the queue behind you who are only getting a couple of things. Cue "Well you have to let me go to the front of the queue at the trolley lane then". No I do not. Cue the usual throwing eyes to heaven.

Then we have people who come over saying "Can you put this stuff through for me, I'm in a rush". I politely explain that these are SELF SERVICE checkouts, I have 7 other checkouts to look after and it is not fair that everyone else is held up because you don't want to put your stuff through yourself. I am then asked "Is it not your job to assist me?", I then have to explain that yes it is my job to ASSIST you, not to do everything FOR you. At this stage said person will either do it themselves or walk out. Twice I have had complaints made about me, because Nala at the self service checkouts expects her customers to scan their items themselves.

Then there's the people who seem to think that self service machines are toys for their kids to climb all over. They scan an item and their child decides it would be a great idea to start leaning on the scales or even better, get up on the machine and stand on it. The weight of the item is not quite the same as the weight of the item plus your child so the machine says "Unexpected item". Cue Mammy or Daddy turning around and barking at me "Excuse me what is the problem here". I then explain that the problem is the weight of the child. Mammy or Daddy then tells the child off, 2 seconds later the child is doing it again but hey, let's wait til the assistant comes over to say the same thing again...

Then there are people who seem to think self scanners are price check points. They queue up especially to scan something and then walk off. Every time this happens I have to go over and cancel the item, this holds up everyone else. There are 3 price checkpoints in our store. Use them.

As for people with 6 cans of beer asking why is there no multiply button. That would be OK with 6 cans of say Bud, they are all identical. But then we would have people buying 6 cans of dog food of different flavours. Different flavours have different barcodes, if you have 4 beef and 2 chicken and put them through as 6 chicken we will be short 4 beef dog foods at our next stock take. Same as yoghurts etc.

Not being arrogant but I am one of the best at self scan in our store, any errors e.g. "Unexpected item" are fixed within seconds, but some things cannot be helped. Machines can and do freeze at any time, I can't do anything about this. Sometimes we have people taking all their shopping off the scales, the machine says "Item removed". The customer then decides to only put half the stuff back on, and get "Please wait for assistance"...

AlmightyCushion

Nala wrote:

Have read this thread with great interest, I work at self service checkouts about 35 hours a week!

Where do you work nala? I had to do the self service the odd time when I worked in tesco. When it was quietit was the handiest job there was. When it was busy it was a nightmare. We only had the four so I do not know how you could cope with the seven on your own when it is busy.

projectmayhem

i love these things. tesco are great for having loads of them, and my local superquinn just got 4 of them installed... but in superquinn, the old grannies still manage to take forever, having a chat etc. leaving me standing there with 4 items for 10mins waiting for a free checkout...

seamus

But then we would have people buying 6 cans of dog food of different flavours. Different flavours have different barcodes, if you have 4 beef and 2 chicken and put them through as 6 chicken we will be short 4 beef dog foods at our next stock take. Same as yoghurts etc.

Ah yes. This is something I should know (I won't explain why)
Maybe it would be a good idea to have six packs in boxes with their own barcodes. Then you could have loose cans for people who don't want six cans

Stark

Think of all the people ripping individual cans out of boxes and then walking up to the counters and trying to scan them

Conor108

Oh my friend was trying to buy a six pack of fanta and got so confused when scanning it he ended up buying the same thing 5 times! Someone had to go and help him...twat

flo8s967qjh0nd

Nala, well done: A very well thought out post.

IMO, the staff in charge are generally doing their best to handle 4 or 5 self service checkouts at the same time and usually do a good job.

The system is also as foolproof as it can be. I presume the multiple scanning button has been disabled, along with many other useful functions, so that the system is as user friendly as possible.
Nobody can suggest that it is a difficult system to master and used correctly I rarely get any problem.

Frankly, people who can't use these machines should not be allowed out on their own in the first place. They're clearly a danger to themselves and others. Tesco staff should have the legal right to immediately remove these people from the self service lane and take all their products from them!

On the other hand, I can see the argument for not using them at all, given the chances of being stuck behind one of these morons and just the simple fact that you're paying the store to do it for you anyway.

So, in summary, only use the self service checkout if:
(a) You want to
(b) You are sure you know what you're doing

flo8s967qjh0nd

Post was so good, I posted it twice

bolliwoodi

MooseJam wrote:

self service is a license to steal, scan every second item

wont work- happened a woman in our local tesco- tried to get away with out paying for something and tried to put it down the line without scanning but if ya throw something down without scanning it it says "Unexpected item on the belt" real loud its f****n embarassing i tell ya

AlmightyCushion

Wynter Quiet Rooftop wrote:

Frankly, people who can't use these machines should not be allowed out on their own in the first place. They're clearly a danger to themselves and others. Tesco staff should have the legal right to immediately remove these people from the self service lane and take all their products from them!

On the other hand, I can see the argument for not using them at all, given the chances of being stuck behind one of these morons and just the simple fact that you're paying the store to do it for you anyway.

So, in summary, only use the self service checkout if:
(a) You want to
(b) You are sure you know what you're doing

Why weren't people like you in charge when I worked in tesco. It would have made my life a damn bit easier.

Nala

Since being moved to self scan after the good oul days of checkouts my role as self scan assistant has made me come up with two theories:

1. The vast majority of my customers have the intelligence of a plank.

2. All self service assistants go to heaven.


As far as people not knowing how to use the machines- I would much rather the person who openly admits "I haven't a clue how to use these things, could you show me?" because it is easier to show them how to do it properly the first time than let them try and do it themselves and do it wrong. The people I hate are the ones who haven't a clue but either blame the machine or me, and try to tell me how to do my job. Especially the ones who think I'm some sort of skivvy.

Oh yeah, and I really wish we had signs up for "English speaking customers only", because I have enough of a problem translating "Place item on belt" to Irish people, let alone the ones who look at me blankly and say "I no speak English". I'm not racist like but if you can't understand me what hope do you have with a machine???

2 stroke

Blush.

Hmm... didn't realise they sold those in Tesco - interesting!

If people sniggered, then that's their problem, isn't it? Do you really, really care that people queuing in Tesco laughed at your c0ck ring?

Theese are sold beside the condoms at my local store and are durex branded.
I suspect you live in dublin where you can shop relativly anominously. Try buying one of these in a shop where everyone knows you. I had bought it as an impulse buy (for myself and wife) while buying condoms for my son and thought that if I used the self service I wouldn't attract attention to myself.

AlmightyCushion

Nala wrote:

Since being moved to self scan after the good oul days of checkouts my role as self scan assistant has made me come up with two theories:

1. The vast majority of my customers have the intelligence of a plank.

2. All self service assistants go to heaven.


As far as people not knowing how to use the machines- I would much rather the person who openly admits "I haven't a clue how to use these things, could you show me?" because it is easier to show them how to do it properly the first time than let them try and do it themselves and do it wrong. The people I hate are the ones who haven't a clue but either blame the machine or me, and try to tell me how to do my job. Especially the ones who think I'm some sort of skivvy.

And to think we are told that the customer is always right. My fúcking hole they're right.

Gran Hermano

Nala wrote:

Since being moved to self scan after the good oul days of checkouts my role as self scan assistant has made me come up with two theories:

1. The vast majority of my customers have the intelligence of a plank.

If only I was intelligent enough to work in a supermarket and earn
minimum wage

AlmightyCushion

Gran Hermano wrote:

If only I was intelligent enough to work in a supermarket and earn
minimum wage

Just because you are on minimum wage doesn't mean you are a simpleton. The self service tills are very user friendly and are basically a glorified calculator. They are not that hard to use.

bonkey

AlmightyCushion wrote:

And to think we are told that the customer is always right.

I think you may have misunderstood the message.

arybvtcw0eolkf

First off, I'm one of those fooker's who clog up the service.

I dread using those machine's, can't figure 'em or haven't the patience to try.

But last Christmas I was trying to scan in aload of DVD's and CD's for pressies when one of the girls working there told me she had to take off the security box thing.

Grand, she takes the lot, take's them out of the box and hands them back.

Phew, that was easy I was thinking and walked out.

Half way home the penny drop's!. I never scanned them, she took them straight to the end of the belt, done her business, gave them back and off Mairt goes!.

Happy day's.

Was that stealing?.

markpb

Mairt wrote:

First off, I'm one of those fooker's who clog up the service. I dread using those machine's, can't figure 'em or haven't the patience to try.

Why use them then? It's no reflection on you if you can't and it must be faster to use the other aisles?

arybvtcw0eolkf

markpb wrote:

Why use them then? It's no reflection on you if you can't and it must be faster to use the other aisles?

If one is free (checkout not the DVD's) and there's Q's at the other's I'll try it one more time.

Sometime's people behind me scan my item's for me, its gas!.

Nala

Gran Hermano wrote:

If only I was intelligent enough to work in a supermarket and earn
minimum wage

If only I was intelligent enough to have a Biology degree... oh wait I already do.

phasers

Nala wrote:

If only I was intelligent enough to have a Biology degree... oh wait I already do.

that's not something you often see in tesco, usually it's old ladies or p*ssed off looking teenagers

maybe that's just my local one them

AlmightyCushion

bonkey wrote:

I think you may have misunderstood the message.

nala wrote:

The people I hate are the ones who haven't a clue but either blame the machine or me, and try to tell me how to do my job. Especially the ones who think I'm some sort of skivvy.

Maybe I quoted a bit too much of the post the first time around but I don't think I misunderstood the message.

jjbrien

GreeBo wrote:

Seriously, why not use SuperScan?
Its infinitely quicker.

Iused to use superscan myself until i lost my superclub card. I just got a new one and when I go to superquinn the scanning machine tells me to contact customer service every time. They tell me that i just need to buy something in the store then I can use superscan again. I told them many times i have like i did on Monday. It really bothers me.

Was in Superquinn in Sutton on Monday and decided to use the fast lane as i had about 7 items. The muppet in from of me scanned his item held it in is hand the machine told him put it in the bagging area, intread the muppet put it back in the trolly. He looked at the maahine for about 60 seconds until an empoyee came and put the item on the bagging area. There always seem to be muppets like this i both tesco and superquin:(

folkface

MooseJam wrote:

self service is a license to steal, scan every second item

Yeah you see i think it registers every item by weight.

What i do is buy loads of Sticky pastries (you know the ones with almonds)
put them loose into a light plastic bag (from the bakery)then as you're checking out because there is no barcode you have to enter them manually.:D

So lets just say Recently i've been buying a lot of 35cent bread rolls.
The boss in work thinks i'm really trying to butter him up for something, arriving in everyday with pastries. :cool:

6ix

I might as well weigh in with my own problem with these machines. Before you begin to scan your items, I feel it would be handy to leave a bag in the "Bagging area", into which you could place the items directly after you've scanned them.

However, the bagging area is super sensitive, and won't let you place anything there until it is scanned. As a result, you have to place all of your items in the area loosely, and then pack them after you've completed all your scanning and paid.

I'm not sure if this issue can be resolved, but I think it would make the queues pass a lot quicker, rather than having everyone spend an extra 1-2 mins packing their stuff.

seamus

6ix wrote:

However, the bagging area is super sensitive, and won't let you place anything there until it is scanned. As a result, you have to place all of your items in the area loosely, and then pack them after you've completed all your scanning and paid.

In Superquinn anyway, you stick your bags on the rack provided for loading your bags, and hit the start button. The thing tells you "Unexpected item in bagging area", you hit the "Bag/Box" button, and the guy/girl watching the tills confirms it and lets you proceed. Works flawlessly for me every time.

Nala

seamus wrote:

In Superquinn anyway, you stick your bags on the rack provided for loading your bags, and hit the start button. The thing tells you "Unexpected item in bagging area", you hit the "Bag/Box" button, and the guy/girl watching the tills confirms it and lets you proceed. Works flawlessly for me every time.

Yep, I usually have it done before the machine even tells the customer there's an unexpected item. Although you do get people who after I clear it, remove the bag and then put it back down again, then it says "Unexpected item" again, and they lift it up again, and so on.

snickerpuss

I hate the ones in tesco but I love the ones in Superquinn, I'm always using them in Superquinn, Northside and all the old grannies seem to be frightened of them so theres never anyone using them. Lovely!