Self Service Checkouts Yay or Nay!

I like the traditional checkouts. I enjoy the chatter with the servers and any problems I have I can get sorted pretty fast with them!
There'll be no need for people soon, the way everything is going, just lonely robots helping each other!!

I remembered this thread as we queued for nearly 40 minutes in a French supermarket,( not a hypermarket).
There was 1 priority till for the disabled/pregnant women or other classification that I’m not sure about, and a small group of tills for self scanned items and a bank of about 20 tills.
The queues for every till except the group of self scan and one other went so far down the aisles that it was difficult to get to the items on the shelves.

I had a good time practising my French as we waited though.
The people around us in the queues were quite resigned and happy to chat. “It’s always like this unless you come at rope drop or near the end of the day,” said one. “Come at the end of the day and there’s nothing left,” said another.
“ It’s worse in the school holidays when I have to bring the children,” added another as her little girl appeared with yet another think and a plaintive, “Maman?”
I wish I’d investigated the self scan, though it would probably mean registering in some way and I really wished I’d had more euros because the only queue that was very short was the cash only till.

I couldn’t wait to get back to self scan in the UK.

It’s massively quicker to use a handset or app to scan your own shopping as you go round the store, packing it straight into your bag(s). To load a trolley, unload it onto the belt, and then pack it into bags means handling it three times, which makes no sense at all.

I worked on tills in Waitrose for a few years before retiring and you are not doing anyone out of a job by self-scanning. All staff are multi skilled and whilst all have different strengths and preferences, everyone in store is trained on tills and on stock replenishment (shelf filling). If there’s no queue at tills they’d often leave only one of 14 checkouts open and deploy the other cashiers around the shop floor or warehouse until a call went out for more hands at tills. The only person with unnecessary work to do is the customer handling their groceries three times (and dumping them on a belt that’s a lot dirtier than your bags, even if that particular cashier is one who takes pride in cleaning theirs).

I wish all stores had scan-as-you-shop. Around here it’s only Waitrose and Tesco that have handsets, released by scanning the loyalty card, my local Aldi doesn’t even have a self-service checkout - I agree they’re only really suitable for a small basket shop though.

Gizzy48 That made me laugh. An American friend talks about her personal shopper, who does brings her whatever she asks for just like shopkeepers of old. Of course she pays for the privilege.
I’d rather choose my own stuff thanks.

Hate them! Refuse to use one

Fleurpepper:
“ Nay- I am not employed or paid by the supermarket, so why should I do their work for them?”

Maybe you aren’t old enough to remember when buying groceries meant asking the shopkeeper for everything you wanted? You seem (like the rest of us) to be happy enough to do that job, by using a self-service shop aka supermarket (as I think all grocery shops are now, aren’t they?)

I would believe the abuse you get bikergran. I don’t suppose it’s changed much from when my DD did a holiday job, in the pre self service days. Especially your mention if the huge shop 5-10 minutes before closing!

You would not believe the abuse we get at our Supermarket when we do not have any manned checkouts open before a certain time. What I don't understand is it is the same people each week complaining, so they know what time the checkouts open. We are just mere staff that work the self service tills. We cannot just go along and open a checkout as that is the GM choice.

Believe me the worst ones are older people.

Oh but it is ok for people to come in the supermarket at 3.50 (when we close at 4.00pm on Sundays) and do a BIG shop and they think that is ok.

Hence we never get out before 4.15pm.On a Sunday.

Love them. Hate waiting in line longer than necessary. Times change. No sense in fighting it.

I'm with @Rosie51 all the way

Give me 'scan and go' any day!
I hate standing in queues

They are OK for a few items but invariably there is some problem. Also, there is very little person-to-person contact, which I think is a shame. I know some people don't like conveyor belt chat but I think it makes for a more friendly atmosphere.

Our Sainsbury's has got rid of nearly all the cash desks and most transactions have to go through the self service points.

I love self service -.it means I pack myself and I don't have to interact with people.

I love the smart scan in Tesco too

HeavenLeigh, I doubt you are in a minority!

Reasons against - reduction in staff; no face to face contact;
aged fingers; aged eyes; no where to place walking stick and they have a life of their own! and the check out person might be the only human I talk to in a week - I could go on.

As has been said, it is not just us old dears that dislike the machines. To be avoided. At all costs.

I hate them. They stress me out. I always ask an assistant to stay and guide me through in case I make a mistake. I am probably their worst nightmare.

Can’t use them. Local Morrisons close their ordinary check outs around 9pm and customers are expected to use those vile things until the shop closes at 11 pm.
There are more staff helping customers than would be used if checkouts were open Staff dislike them too and one young man told me there were in his experience. an average of 2 customers per evening who say Nope and leave whatever they were going to buy, behind. Helps there being a 24 hour Tesco within a short driving distance!

I hate them but have used them when the one and only manned checkout has a very long queue of very heavily laden trolleys! The frustrating thing I find is you have to place each item on the “out” section individually for it to register and then, when you have piled all your items there, you have to repack them into your shopping bag! If you place your bag there first and place the items in the bag from the trolley, that really confuses the poor old machine and it stalls all the time!

Artols, that’s why I support the idea that there should be both available, and in most supermarkets that’s still true.

I absolutely hate them and refuse to use them.

I don’t mind it for a small shop but for a big shop it can be a nightmare. The queues build up & things are always bleeping or going wrong and then you have to stand around and wait for an assistant to come with their magic key, they often seem flustered.
Last Christmas my youngest daughter went into her local Morrisons with her partner and they did a massive Christmas family food shop, the trolley was piled high. When they got to the checkout there was no one on there and they were directed by a manager to self service which was absolutely ridiculous with the amount of stuff they had. I told my daughter I would have walked out and left it all but as she pointed out she was working over the next few days so was unable & didn’t want to have do the whole darn shop again. After complaining and getting nowhere they reluctantly put it through. Really bad customer service not opening a till in that situation.
On the whole I prefer shop n scan in Sainsburys or better still, for a large shop a home delivery, Ocado are usually very good.
All very different to when I used to go to the local Coop as a child with a list for my mum, there would always be some old dears sat there on the chairs provided putting the world to rights while the assistants ran round and got all the items and packed it all. It was more of a social event for folk in those days. Not many people would have time for that nowadays though.

Jackiest

I avoid them. I prefer to interact with humans.

This. If I have to use them I usually need help anyway. At least that means someone has a job, so I don’t care!

The experience varies tremendously. At our local Asda they spot a hitch almost before you do yourself and sort it in seconds. Sainsburys? First try to attract the attention of the assistants chatting away there. Asda produce much superior as well.

I prefer them. I use self scanning machines for a few items and the self scan smart shop in Sainsbury’s for a big shop. I’ve used them since covid .it’s quicker as I pack as I go , it’s a pointless exercise loading your trolley only to have to unload it on the conveyor belt and then pack your stuff. and it’s only me touching my shopping. As for taking away jobs. The technology creates jobs. Plus online shopping creates jobs . Sometimes my local supermarket has more staff picking items than shoppers .

Delila

Yay! (Even though I had to have a random re-scan today).

I had one last week in Tesco. I suspect it was the amount of alcohol I had purchased. It wasn't for me, but for a friend.

Yay! (Even though I had to have a random re-scan today).

I find it annoying when there are no bags at the self service though I usually try and bring my own