Supermarket Self-Service Tills

[perry]

I think we are at either end of the spectrum . I suspect you are there a lot so expect a human service being a businessman whereas I almost never need to go to the bank so basically need someone to make sure I don't fook up ( look lady this is the situation , I have cash money in my hand , I need to buy something that can't take cash . Make it all work for me ) . It's really patronizing " would you like to use the machine " . I think to myself no , that's why I'm in the queue , if I wanted to use the machine I'd have used it and I'd be on my way by now but no I'm in the queue because that is how it worked last time I was here . You turn up and stand behind someone old with a bag of coins serpentining your way along the belt held by posts until you get to the one and only teller who will make things happen . It's what I have come to expect and it's what I intend to happen . It wasn't that many years ago I found that the bank lets you kinda go inside at night to do stuff with machines , never trusted it so always took a mate

I sound like I'm 80

 

[cyfa2809]

i will have to try that! i do sainsburys but they have only once been late :cry: i agree interaction is needed but so many people are incompetent these days its just less fuss :evil:

 

[dyna-ti]

Easier to shoplift

So i've heard :roll:

OK I forgot to put a bottle wine through and didn't realize till after I'd left.
But by then of course it was too late :twisted:



Those wishing to repeat my mistake for whatever reason should take note ,i was holding the bottle at the time

 

[mikee]

Easier to shoplift

So i've heard :roll:

OK I forgot to put a bottle wine through and didn't realize till after I'd left.
But by then of course it was too late :twisted:



Those wishing to repeat my mistake for whatever reason should take note ,i was DRINKING the bottle at the time

 

[ajm]

While we get meat / eggs / fish etc locally, I completely fail to see the point in driving at least 20 miles for the privilege of trudging round an awful supermarket, generally failing to find exactly what I want when for less than 5 quid someone else will do it for me and deliver the whole lot to the kitchen at a time of my choosing...

 

[Neil]

These things stink!

Before long all 'Supermarkets' will be fully automated with a security guard patroling the tills.

It's happening in banks too! Who needs to interact with another human being aye? And we wonder why the 'yoof' are fick and ignorant and that, innit!

al.

Ultimately, as a society, we get the services we deserve.

If, en-masse, our demand is for shopping at the cheapest prices, well supermarkets will look to make savings in every area they can. Same for banks.

If people are prepared (and in sufficient numbers) to pay a bit more, for the personal service, so to speak... then maybe there's a sustainable model for that as a niche.

But on the whole, the public want everything as cheap as they can get it - it's cause and effect - that and needing to stay competitive on overheads.

 

[ringo]

I spend 25-30% of my income on the weekly shop although obviously thats not all food, there seems to be a price increase every week on most of the things we buy

I hate shopping in most of its forms... but try Aldi.

Seriously, it is one great supermarket. Well enough stocked to get the entire weekly shop, but small enough to be in and out in twenty minutes for a big shop!

Honestly they are one of the best kept retail secrets. Notable bargains are -

Sirloin steak at £2.99 for a piece that is more than sufficient for a meal and far superior to our "quality" local butcher.

4 x 2 litre bottles of "Roller" Cola. 82p for 4! Yes, I may not have Harry Burgundys pallette, but I swear I can't tell the difference between this and Coke/Pepsi.

Fruit and veg is always on offer. Also lasts much longer than the stuff we used to get from the major players.

Cleaning stuff, loo rolls, beer... I could go on.

Seriously, if I won the lottery, I'd still go there for my groceries. In two years of shopping there, I've never had a product that didn't taste fantastic (apart from a bottle of floor polish when the cellar had run dry ).

Also no new fangled tills, just a checkout assistant that piles it all back in the trolley for you and you pack it separately at the back of the shop - so you need your own bags. I like this as (being slightly retentive) it gives me the option to pack the shopping carefully and in some sort of order.

My advice to anyone is give it a try. Hey, if you like it, you can put what you save in your retro bike fund...

 

[ringo]

and another thing - they always have some handy nick nacks, Hardware etc that are usually worth a look...

 

[Neil]

Also no new fangled tills, just a checkout assistant that piles it all back in the trolley for you and you pack it separately at the back of the shop - so you need your own bags. I like this as (being slightly retentive) it gives me the option to pack the shopping carefully and in some sort of order.

I'm all for this.

Checkout operators probably think they are being helpful, but I don't know whether they are mostly lacking in any kind of common sense, or have not been on a 5 day, residential course on packing shopping into carrier bags. It's one of my pet hates - if they ask if I want help packing, I mostly say no (especially if it's Friday-night-big-shop), because invariably if you've got any heavy items (say several pop bottles, or milk bottles / cartons) they insist on cramming the carrier bag until it's physically full.

There must be some disconnect, there, they either don't live in the real world, or don't care. Because it's completely pointless - whether they think they're saving the planet, or not - the subject carrier bag, so heavily crammed with stuff splits and fails either when you're moving it from the trolley to the boot of your car, or when you're carrying it in from the car to your house.

There, I feel better, now.

 

[cyfa2809]

only thing wih aldi is that they rush you through the till like theyre closing and want to go home :evil: so i take my time packing

they normally only have one or two people on the till
but, theyre german so efficency is their middle name right? and they can also offer good bargains because they dont try and stock every damn thing you could ever possibly need - like the others

i used a self service thing yesterday and it was shouting at me because i put my bag on the paid for bit thing (i take a rucksack to shopping)
my bag was there, put the milk in - 'unidentified object in packing area' - yes its my bag you s**g, pressed using my own bag. took bag off with milk in, 'please put back the scanned item', why i bloody scanned it lady, now its packed!!!

damn things