Am I a Dinosaur ?

[Dewi9]

All our local large supermarkets are changing - for the worse as far as I am concerned.

Each one, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Tesco et al, are introducing 'self service' tills to 'improve customer satisfaction and reduce times waiting at the tills' . Ha! That is the Company Line.

Of course the real reason is to maintain profits, and that elusive 'Competitive Edge', whereby they can sell you a 'Standard basket' of produce 30p Cheaper (less than 1%) than their competitors.

As for myself, I have a real dislike to the idea that I must sort my own shopping, thus depriving someone of gainful employment,

I reckon that if this creeping 'd-i-y' eventually means that there are NO till operators in the supermarkets then we, the customers, should get something back for our efforts. Maybe a 3% to 5% reduction on our bills ?

Anyone got any better ideas ?

David

[Zuiko]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

I quite like the self service tills in our Tesco, at least in principle, because I can go at my own pace instead of being overwhelmed by the sheer speed of a checkout operator as I struggle to bag the produce.

What I do dislike is the failure of the auto till to recognize my own bags, even when I've selected the option of using my own bags and actually have Tesco bags. The "Unexpected Item" warning usually comes up just after the attendant has wandered off and is nowhere to be seen. Sometimes when this has happened I've just abandoned that check out and moved to another, leaving the original to woefully repeat "Do you wish to continue?"

Recently I found the answer is to pile all my shopping loose in the bagging area, then bag it once I've paid. As you can guess, it's fun to be behind me in the queue!

[Ralph Harwood]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

Hi everyone!

I don't think you are a dinosaur, I think everyone should embrace change for the better, but when it is change for the worse we should resist!

My local ASDA has replaced almost half it's tills with self service ones - that's fine by me if they worked, but they don't. The built in scales (which weigh your goods to make sure you're only putting in what you've paid for) are so badly set-up that when I move my bags further down the scales to start loading another bag, it ALWAYS comes up with "unexpected item in the bagging area". After a while I asked the attendant just to stand next to me while i finished my bagging. To her credit she did, but if anyone else had been having the same problems she wouldn't have been able to.

My solution? I either wait at an attended till (it's still far quicker even if someone is there in front of you) or avoid the shop altogether (my preferred option) and go to the store 7 miles away that happens to be on my way to and from work, where you have plenty of staffed tills with staff who will happily pass the time of day with you.

The local store may eventually get its self service tills fixed - I will probably never know, as I tend to stick to what I am happy with (I haven't shopped at the local tesco for years because they decided to totally rearrange the store when I had just got used to the layout) and whilst I have the option, I will shop where I can do so efficiently and enjoy the company of other human beings.

Maybe I am a dinosaur, but if so I've turned into one at 38!

Cheers,

Ralph.

[Imageryone]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

My answer is also not to use them, the attitude of the staff puts my hackles up. To have a 14 year old look at you as though you are stupid when you don't use self service is bad enough, but to have the supervisor come to a queue to TELL you to use them is even worse.
I just shop elsewhere, where customers are actually valued

[pdk42]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

I recently bought a few things in W H Smiths. The store was quiet and I decided to use a regular, staffed checkout rather than the self-checkout. Wish I hadn't - the woman on the till was as miserable as sin. At least the computer doesn't have an attitude (or talk to its mate on the till next door, ignoring me in the process).

[Zuiko]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

I recently bought a few things in W H Smiths. The store was quiet and I decided to use a regular, staffed checkout rather than the self-checkout. Wish I hadn't - the woman on the till was as miserable as sin. At least the computer doesn't have an attitude (or talk to its mate on the till next door, ignoring me in the process).

The self service till in W H doesn't try to sell you cheap chocolate either!

[Guest]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

Here, our checkers are generally very polite, even convivial, though sometimes they're forced to make inane inquiries. I very much enjoy having a conversation with them, and go out of my way to avoid any sort of self-service "service." Generally, any time I'm pressured to use a self-serve option, that vendor quickly loses my business. I won't even use an ATM money robot thingee, love going into the bank (credit union, i.e., non-profit) and chatting with the tellers. They're beautiful!

[Simon Bee]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

Good on you Stewart !

I'm in your camp too I plainly refuse to use "self service" options, they are "de-humanizing" society. It seems that life today is all about speed when in reality what most of us "need" to do is "slow down, breathe not gasp, visually take in our surroundings and start properly interacting with one another again and not some bloody machine"

Perhaps it's because I run my family traditional hardware store and the fact that we've been retailing since 1876 that I feel this way. There is no substitute for good old fashioned proper "face to face service with a smile" and I bend over backwards to help and accommodate my customers .... when did a machine last do that ?

Oh and I don't own a mobile phone either...... hate the bloody things, it is quite common for a customer to ask me for advice and whilst I start to help them their phone rings and instead of turning it off they say to "ME" ..... 'just a moment' and then proceed to engage in the call ......height of rudeness IMO

Anyway rant over, it's 2.30am and I better go to bed otherwise I will not be up to open my store on time

Regards

Simon

Here, our checkers are generally very polite, even convivial, though sometimes they're forced to make inane inquiries. I very much enjoy having a conversation with them, and go out of my way to avoid any sort of self-service "service." Generally, any time I'm pressured to use a self-serve option, that vendor quickly loses my business. I won't even use an ATM money robot thingee, love going into the bank (credit union, i.e., non-profit) and chatting with the tellers. They're beautiful!

[sponner]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

I love the self service option, there is nothing good for the soul about standing in a queue for a checkout.

[Grumpy Hec]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

Each to his own.

I like the self service checkouts and rarely have problems now that I've sorted the baggage area quirks.

WH Smith and the chocolate pushers. Arrggghhh. If I want chocolate I'll put it in my selection thank you very much. I don't need anyones help to further expand my waist line.

ATMs. Very rarely go into a bank. ATM and or online except for paying in cheques.

Hec

[StephenL]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

The self service till in W H doesn't try to sell you cheap chocolate either!

[snaarman]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

The self service till in W H doesn't try to sell you cheap chocolate either!

Yes it does. I used one last week and it did indeed offer me cheap chocolate.

BTW, that is a weird marketing thing isn't is.

"Is that all sir?"
"Yes, just the bottle of Aspirin"
"Can I interest you in a Lawnmower sir?"

[David Morison]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

I recently bought a few things in W H Smiths. The store was quiet and I decided to use a regular, staffed checkout rather than the self-checkout. Wish I hadn't - the woman on the till was as miserable as sin. At least the computer doesn't have an attitude (or talk to its mate on the till next door, ignoring me in the process).

I agree, there is nothing more annoying than a till attendant talking to a customer who he/she knows which seriously slows down the checking and bagging. Should I bite my lip or be labelled as a grumpy old man? I think the latter, as I am a GOM and proud of it!

David

[StephenL]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

What I hate is being in a check-out queue and when the woman in front has to pay (and it's invariably a woman!) acts surprised that PAYMENT is required, looks for her purse, which by this time is at the bottom of her shopping bag, and slowly counts out the exact amount in pennies, farthings and groats. Men always have their money ready to hand over immediately!

[Naughty Nigel]

Re: Am I a Dinosaur ?

I agree, there is nothing more annoying than a till attendant talking to a customer who he/she knows which seriously slows down the checking and bagging. Should I bite my lip or be labelled as a grumpy old man? I think the latter, as I am a GOM and proud of it!

David

I prefer to use our local Co-Op as the checkout staff are friendly, and why do I need to be in a tearing hurry anyway. Being a checkout operator must be a brain numbing job so I don't' resent talking to the staff at all.

Our children seem to like the self service tills, but I am sure it is a novelty thing. We have told them they can always get a job working on the tills if they enjoy scanning barcodes so much!

I personally find the self service tills frustrating and dehumanising. We usually buy at least one item containing alcohol, so we have to wait for an attendant to 'OK' it. Oh, and then there's a tube of superglue, or a tin of metal polish that also needs authorisation.

Perhaps they should install a face recognition system to identify wrinkles so I don't need to wait for permission to buy a bottle of Merlot or some cans of Guinness. There again, it might try to sell me some anti-wrinkle cream.