One Third Of Shoppers Walk Away From Self Service Tills

[carolegif]

Your thoughts?

[Old_Geezer]

Amazed it is just a third. Maybe most of the other two thirds never approached them in the first place.

I can understand someone in a desperate hurry hoping to save time, but time was when a customer was valued and service given was unquestioned, now it's a case of "we don't give a damn, sort it yourself and be thankful we sometimes stock the shelves". Followed often by an implied, "Are you too think to use these, rather that wait for service, let me show you how".

[Old_Geezer]

"TOO THICK" LIKE I DAMN WELL TYPED !!!!!"!!!!!!!

[chrissa1]

Dammit. Pressed the wrong button.

Living on my own, I rarely do a big shop, therefore mostly use them all the time. I agree, Morrisons ones are useless but sainsburys at quick and efficient.

[sp1814]

There are a few variables which determine whether I will use one. If I only have a small number of items, I'm more likely to use a self service till.

However, if one or more of those items needs store verification (booze for example), I would rather go to a checkout, because I won't be saving any time using self service.

Also, different stores have different machine.

The one in Sainsburys are a joy to use. Dead simple.

The ones in our local Co-op are stunning in their complexity. I work in IT and am pretty good at dealing with technical things...but oh my sweet Lord. I was defeated by the self service in the Co-op.

It was more complicated than the film 'Memento'.

[mushroom25]

you get two thirds of the way through scanning, then the system says "Authorisation Required". So you stand there like a lemon for up to 5mn. when no-one arrives (which is common) what are you supposed to do? I've got a life, I haven't got time for Tesco to decide whether they're going to help me. Of course I walk.

[Booldawg]

I like to queue up and be served by the most impressionable looking checkout girl so I can 'entertain' her with a tirade of shopping related gags, whilst flashing quick grins at the person behind me to see if they're 'having it'.

[bazwillrun]

Suits me and the Minister for War and Finance..., means we get out of the store quicker.

[Gromit]

I am judging my comments on Morrisons.
I have been in a similar situation to mushroom. The machine flashes for an assistant and none are around. It is quicker to scoop up your purchases and go to a normal till. When you have done that several times, you start not bothering with the self service in the first place.

[jno]

I don't use them if I can't see staff around to help out (Waitrose's tills seem particularly keen on playing up); but there usually are.

[ToraToraTora]

They are my default, if I can possibly use them then I do, wonderful invention.

[ClaryS]

I must admit OH and I tried to walk away from the self-checkout (to go to a 'real' one) the other day as it was having a funny turn. We got chased back by the attendant who then sent a couple of minutes putting code numbers in, then we had some spirits which she needed to go take the security tops off, it would have been much quicker just to wait in the queue for a real person.

[boxtops]

my experience is like mushrooms - pain in the butt. I rarely only buy one or two things anyway, so going through the manned till is a preferable option (except in ASDA where it takes a year to get through the till :-(

[VHG]

>>>Fight back against the self scanners.

You wont stop technical progress.

Look up Luddite on the internet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luddite

[ToraToraTora]

I like them because i can buy my lunch without getting stuck behind some numpty with a check book or some idiot with cwt of change to buy something. I would not use them for my main shop because I do that on line then a man in van brings it round when it's convenient for me. I cannot fathom why people go to these places to walk round for hours to lug it all home when they offer a delivery service.

[jno]

you can see how many people are queuing for serviced tills and how many are queuing for the self-service ones. It's usually obvious that the self-service ones will be quicker, but not always. It's the same calculation as the old one about finding the shortest queue.

[ToraToraTora]

* cheque book!

[LazyGun]

I cannot remember the last time I saw anyone using a chequebook at a checkout - that would be irritating!

I use them if I only have a small number of items,otherwise I would use a standard checkout.

[sp1814]

There is one MASSIVE and brilliant feature of these checkouts though...

Throughout the week/month, I tend to chuck small change into a pocket in my laptop bag.

After a whilst this builds up....and a great way of getting rid of it is by buying it lunch in the Tesco near work and chucking all my small loose change into the self service machine.

Works a treat.

[Everhelpful]

I totally agree with joggerjayne,couldn't have put it better myself.

[vulcan42]

I don't mind them if there's a choice, B&Q only have self service and they are a pain in the butt, especially if you're buying items where age has to be verified.I have stood for more then five minutes waiting to prove I'm not a teenager which would be obvious to an assistant. Anyway the assistants in my local s'market are better then the self service, they can push things through quicker then I can reload the trolley. Also when queues start to form they don't suggest using self service, they open up more check outs because they know it's quicker.