One Third Of Shoppers Walk Away From Self Service Tills

[carolegif]

Your thoughts?

[EcclesCake]

I loathe the things. I bought a sandwich in M&S, scanned it and shoved it in my handbag and then tried to pay. The system wouldn't let me pay until I had removed the sandwich from my bag and placed it in the bagging area, only then could I pay for it and then shove it back in my bag. I stick to the manned tills.

[anotheoldgit]

I haven't read all the posts but i think these tills should be boycotted, they are a threat to jobs, thus making larger profits for the supermarkets, soon there will be no more till assistants, and the customer will have to serve themselves, just like we now do at filling stations.

Yes gone are the days when the customer sat on a chair by the shop counter while the shop assistant moved along the stock shelves gathering all the shopper's list of goods.

And those days when no matter how bad the weather one could remain seated in one's vehicle while the petrol pump attendant filled one's petrol tank, and then checked the oil and radiator levels and finally wiped one's windscreen clean, ah those fantastic days when customer service really meant customer service and not a counter where one complained about the lack of service..

[boxtops]

carole they've just introduced scan as you shop at our Tesco - don't go there often, but I might give it a bash :-)

[baza]

went into a large DIY type shop and an old feller ( even older than me) suggested I use the self service till, I was not keen and would rather not. He was really helpful and insisted it would be quicker. He was right and I was loading my car in no time.
In ASDA last week tried self service till , no problem, although I would still prefer a human being on the till. Sometimes it's quicker.

[anotheoldgit]

/// I stick to the manned tills. ///

Are we still aloud to use this term, in these days of political correctness? :0)

[LazyGun]

"Yes gone are the days when the customer sat on a chair by the shop counter while the shop assistant moved along the stock shelves gathering all the shopper's list of goods."

Aye, they have gone - to be replaced by sitting in your armchair, sipping away at your favourite beverage, whilst perusing the shelves of your favoured supermarket, indicating which products you want, instructing the pickers the condition of the bananas, and then sitting back waiting for everything to be delivered to your door. Ahh, the good old days! :)

[anotheoldgit]

Ups, Allowed

[jno]

you may use womanned tills if you wish, aog

[anotheoldgit]

LazyGun

Yes you have a point there, not sure i get the point about the condition of the bananas though..

[EcclesCake]

AOG, my local Sainsbury has 18 fuel pumps and 9/10 times when I go they are all in use with cars waiting to fill up. The cost to the consumer would be astronomical if each of those pumps was manned, I'll stick to self service in this instance!

[LazyGun]

@AoG The reference to the bananas was that you can, at least with Tescos ( cannot comment on other supermarkets online shopping arrangements) dictate the condition you want the product delivered in.For instance, I like my bananas very green, so I can instruct the pickers to pack only very green bananas. I can also inform them that if they do not have any Twinings Breakfast Tea, I do not want them to offer me what they consider to be an equal alternative.

[anotheoldgit]

jno

/// you may use womanned tills if you wish, aog ///

Not sure that is a word, better to say "a person operated till" so as to cause no offence.

[China Doll]

If just for a small basket then self service tils are my preference - I don't like staff helping me pack particularly and I'd rather not have small talk so for me they're brilliant. I'm aware I need to work on my social skills.

[jno]

perhaps "gender-neutral tills" is the phrase I'm looking for.

[jno]

packing is a social skill, CD.

[anotheoldgit]

LazyGun

Ah see what you mean, can you also state that you do not want other meats posing as beef in certain meat products?

[China Doll]

Packing is just a bloody skill jno.... And apparently a dying one at that.

[LazyGun]

@AoG That's where the system falls down, unfortunately. No DNA screening test available as of this time. Which is why I buy all my meat from the local butcher, who still uses a local slaughterhouse, the meat from animals in local herds.

[jno]

I can pack a Sainsbury's bag and wiggle my nose at the same time; goes down well at parties.