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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
blue matt
I did a shop for my mum on Monday, pop to ASDA in Barry, all the " scan and shop " handhelds are either out, or no battery, no drama I thought, I'll shop the OG way, load the trolley up, 2 Checkouts are open, with a Queue of 6 on one, 7 on the other, waited maybe 15 mins to pay:angry:
Surprising I go in there regularly never really had to queue except if I want to use a staffed till which is rare. Asda you can use the app on your phone, scan and pack as you go and your out in minutes with one quick scan. Also there is a second section you can take your trolley and scan in the middle of the check outs if you wanted.
My annoyance with the self service is there maybe 10/15 self service open and only one person bouncing around them all (usually while other people stand around and chat) which is annoying if you need something authorised.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
splott parker
Are you serious? The way supermarkets are going within a few years they’ll have customers bringing goods out of the back warehouse and stacking the shelves. Self service checkouts are ok, I s’pose, for people who want them but shouldn’t be at the expense of the manned tills.
When I’m at the till queue looking over at the self checkouts there’s invariably some sort of problem that a member of staff has to sort out. Put that member of staff on a till.
Usually for ID, like I said above they usually have one person covering a load of self service tills, one person can easily cover 10/15 of them if not more.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Usually for ID, like I said above they usually have one person covering a load of self service tills, one person can easily cover 10/15 of them if not more.
I’d prefer 10/15 on the tills. What was the joke about the customer being asked to leave the staff canteen? Her reply was ‘Well, I’ve unpacked my trolley, scanned the items, refilled my trolley, put the cash in the machine, sorted my change out, obviously I work here now’.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Surprising I go in there regularly never really had to queue except if I want to use a staffed till which is rare. Asda you can use the app on your phone, scan and pack as you go and your out in minutes with one quick scan. Also there is a second section you can take your trolley and scan in the middle of the check outs if you wanted.
My annoyance with the self service is there maybe 10/15 self service open and only one person bouncing around them all (usually while other people stand around and chat) which is annoying if you need something authorised.
1st time its happened in about 6 months ( and I come up and do her shop weekly ) , normally just pick up a handset and away I go , I have the app installed, honestly didnt think of that :hehe: as I never use that
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
I’d prefer 10/15 on the tills. What was the joke about the customer being asked to leave the staff canteen? Her reply was ‘Well, I’ve unpacked my trolley, scanned the items, refilled my trolley, put the cash in the machine, sorted my change out, obviously I work here now’.
Yes sounds ideal but then I guess that’s 10/15 extra staff in each store, all costs, will only be added to the shopping in the end.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
blue matt
1st time its happened in about 6 months ( and I come up and do her shop weekly ) , normally just pick up a handset and away I go , I have the app installed, honestly didnt think of that :hehe: as I never use that
Tbh I have the app and never use it, always at a point where my battery is low-ish and just don’t want to risk the phone battery running out lol.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Yes sounds ideal but then I guess that’s 10/15 extra staff in each store, all costs, will only be added to the shopping in the end.
Yes, it was a wonderful period when they ditched nigh on all the till operatives, installed the self service checkouts and dropped all their prices due to them slashing overheads:hehe: Using that analogy they should drop Robert de Niro, Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Stewart, Graham Norton, Michael Buble etc etc from their television adverts and slash prices accordingly.
This everything online, automated services, press button 1, then press button 2 on your phone when all you want to do is speak to a competent advisor malarkey is going too far. People want to deal with other people not robots.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
Yes, it was a wonderful period when they ditched nigh on all the till operatives, installed the self service checkouts and dropped all their prices due to them slashing overheads:hehe: Using that analogy they should drop Robert de Niro, Samuel L Jackson, Patrick Stewart, Graham Norton, Michael Buble etc etc from their television adverts and slash prices accordingly.
This everything online, automated services, press button 1, then press button 2 on your phone when all you want to do is speak to a competent advisor malarkey is going too far. People want to deal with other people not robots.
No they probably scooped up the profit, if you don’t think adding 10/15 staff per store will increase prices then fair enough, we disagree.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
No they probably scooped up the profit, if you don’t think adding 10/15 staff per store will increase prices then fair enough, we disagree.
I agree, automation cuts costs and we have virtually 100% employment so there's no shortage of jobs. We need more automation to reduce costs and free up more leisure time for everyone
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
I agree, automation cuts costs and we have virtually 100% employment so there's no shortage of jobs. We need more automation to reduce costs and free up more leisure time for everyone
If they can fill the tills and keep prices down perfect. It’s not for me to tell them how to run their business.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
I agree, automation cuts costs and we have virtually 100% employment so there's no shortage of jobs. We need more automation to reduce costs and free up more leisure time for everyone
Automation reduces costs:hehe: yeah right!!!
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
splott parker
Automation reduces costs:hehe: yeah right!!!
We have a very competitive supermarket sector. Compare our prices to those on the continent.
I really can't understand your objection to self scan. Automation definately does reduce costs, here's a question for you, would you un-invent the vacuum cleaner? It put a lot of cleaners out of work.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
We have a very competitive supermarket sector. Compare our prices to those on the continent.
I really can't understand your objection to self scan. Automation definately does reduce costs, here's a question for you, would you un-invent the vacuum cleaner? It put a lot of cleaners out of work.
Did it? There seems to be many cleaning companies in Cardiff with a good few staff. Anyway what’s vacuum cleaners got to do with supermarket checkouts:shrug:
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
Did it? There seems to be many cleaning companies in Cardiff with a good few staff. Anyway what’s vacuum cleaners got to do with supermarket checkouts:shrug:
The vacuum cleaner is an example of technology reducing costs & reducing man power required. Self scan check outs reduce man power & reduce overheads.
It takes one staff member to man 10 self scan check outs. What's not to like?
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
The vacuum cleaner is an example of technology reducing costs & reducing man power required. Self scan check outs reduce man power & reduce overheads.
It takes one staff member to man 10 self scan check outs. What's not to like?
Erm, why do we want manpower cut? As I said earlier, have shops dramatically dropped prices because of automation? Have they shite!
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
splott parker
Erm, why do we want manpower cut? As I said earlier, have shops dramatically dropped prices because of automation? Have they shite!
We want to cut man power because automation reduces costs, robots are cheaper and more reliable than human Labour. There's an endless list of jobs that need doing in society, we're wasting man power on checkouts, in factories etc.
What would be cheaper? A hand made jumper or one made in a factory with machine? Same with how cars are made.
As i've said, from my experience we have some of the cheapest supermarket prices in Europe. It's a very competitive sector. Prices wouldn't drop dramatically because we have so many variables like inflation. It's more likely that prices wouldn't increase as fast thanks to automation.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
We want to cut man power because automation reduces costs, robots are cheaper and more reliable than human Labour. There's an endless list of jobs that need doing in society, we're wasting man power on checkouts, in factories etc.
What would be cheaper? A hand made jumper or one made in a factory with machine? Same with how cars are made.
As i've said, from my experience we have some of the cheapest supermarket prices in Europe. It's a very competitive sector. Prices wouldn't drop dramatically because we have so many variables like inflation. It's more likely that prices wouldn't increase as fast thanks to automation.
Cost, cost, cost, prices, prices , prices. Some folk know the cost of everything but the value of nothing. It’s about human interaction, for some lonely bugger a chat with a check out operator may be the only interaction they get.
Have one or two self service checkouts for the rush, rush, rush brigade but it’s bloody awful seeing all those empty checkouts, while the ones that are manned have queues a mile long. Mainly because many shoppers hate the self service ones and are willing to wait.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
Cost, cost, cost, prices, prices , prices. Some folk know the cost of everything but the value of nothing. It’s about human interaction, for some lonely bugger a chat with a check out operator may be the only interaction they get.
Have one or two self service checkouts for the rush, rush, rush brigade but it’s bloody awful seeing all those empty checkouts, while the ones that are manned have queues a mile long. Mainly because many shoppers hate the self service ones and are willing to wait.
I've got to be honest and say that my experience is that queues for the self service checkouts are usually much longer than those for manned checkouts. There have been plenty of times where I've found a checkout with someone twiddling their thumbs by the till waiting for someone, and used them as a matter of speed.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
I've got to be honest and say that my experience is that queues for the self service checkouts are usually much longer than those for manned checkouts. There have been plenty of times where I've found a checkout with someone twiddling their thumbs by the till waiting for someone, and used them as a matter of speed.
Yup I used a “manned” one today, had the option of two empty manned tills. While the self service seemed busy. I don’t really care what I use, I just want the cheapest price and the quickest experience, it’s a waste of my Sunday, I should do online delivery but I like to look at the meats I choose especially in Morrisons as they have the butchers.
I do get that some people feel lonely and like the personal touch but that seems a bigger debate and not sure that’s on supermarkets to solve.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Yup I used a “manned” one today, had the option of two empty manned tills. While the self service seemed busy. I don’t really care what I use, I just want the cheapest price and the quickest experience, it’s a waste of my Sunday, I should do online delivery but I like to look at the meats I choose especially in Morrisons as they have the butchers.
I do get that some people feel lonely and like the personal touch but that seems a bigger debate and not sure that’s on supermarkets to solve.
I’m wary of the online delivery, as you say it is preferable to actually see the product before you buy. The cynic in me tells me that the substandard stuff would be chucked on the van. Also, not sure if it’s true, I’ve heard that if a requested item isn’t in stock something similar is delivered. I’m imagining Bird’s Custard being ordered and a budgie turning up :hehe:
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
I’m wary of the online delivery, as you say it is preferable to actually see the product before you buy. The cynic in me tells me that the substandard stuff would be chucked on the van. Also, not sure if it’s true, I’ve heard that if a requested item isn’t in stock something similar is delivered. I’m imagining Bird’s Custard being ordered and a budgie turning up :hehe:
Tbh during and after Covid we did a lot of click and collect with Asda and I’m not sure if it’s the same now but anything you queried, ie dates of food, or didn’t like the replacements they provided you could request a refund on the app, and it was instant (and you kept the item). Not that we took advantage but we had some decent freebies, meat we needed to freeze rather than keep because of the dates rather than in the fridge and a wine they swapped which wasn’t the best (but still drunk).
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
I’m wary of the online delivery, as you say it is preferable to actually see the product before you buy. The cynic in me tells me that the substandard stuff would be chucked on the van. Also, not sure if it’s true, I’ve heard that if a requested item isn’t in stock something similar is delivered. I’m imagining Bird’s Custard being ordered and a budgie turning up :hehe:
Years ago I used to work in a call centre for Tesco and part of my remit was calls and dealing with online grocery orders.
You couldn't be more wrong about substandard stuff being chucked on the van. Pickers would be in trouble if they didn't pick the best dates etc. Substituted items has always been a bit of an issue. 99% of the time it is done sensibly and at no extra cost (so if you picked a good coffee that was on promotional offer, it wasn't in stock, you'd get something better for the same price. Yes, there have been lots of humourous substitutions, but they're rare.
Online deliveries are a substantial part of supermarkets' business.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
2b2bdoo
Tbh during and after Covid we did a lot of click and collect with Asda and I’m not sure if it’s the same now but anything you queried, ie dates of food, or didn’t like the replacements they provided you could request a refund on the app, and it was instant (and you kept the item). Not that we took advantage but we had some decent freebies, meat we needed to freeze rather than keep because of the dates rather than in the fridge and a wine they swapped which wasn’t the best (but still drunk).
The surprising thing is that, if you went into store and bought the same items, you'd get no refunds at all. In the vast majority of cases, where stuff was short dated, it was because they were the only items available to pickers at the time.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
Cost, cost, cost, prices, prices , prices. Some folk know the cost of everything but the value of nothing. It’s about human interaction, for some lonely bugger a chat with a check out operator may be the only interaction they get.
Have one or two self service checkouts for the rush, rush, rush brigade but it’s bloody awful seeing all those empty checkouts, while the ones that are manned have queues a mile long. Mainly because many shoppers hate the self service ones and are willing to wait.
Social interaction is important i agree with you. But if people want social interaction they can go to the pub or join a club. Pubs are struggling so they'd welcome the trade.
Would you use a cement mixer or do it all manually?
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
I've got to be honest and say that my experience is that queues for the self service checkouts are usually much longer than those for manned checkouts. There have been plenty of times where I've found a checkout with someone twiddling their thumbs by the till waiting for someone, and used them as a matter of speed.
Bollox
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
Henry Hill
Bollox
Yes, that's about your usual standard of reply.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
Social interaction is important i agree with you. But if people want social interaction they can go to the pub or join a club. Pubs are struggling so they'd welcome the trade.
Would you use a cement mixer or do it all manually?
A lot of lonely people are elderly widows and widowers who wouldn’t consider a pub or club. They go shopping a few times a week for bits & bobs just to get out and about, talking to anyone is a bonus. Taking away choice is also not good. I’m not being a Luddite but the there will eventually be no give and take with automation. Banks disappearing, shops going by the wayside, it’s not good for society on the whole.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
A lot of lonely people are elderly widows and widowers who wouldn’t consider a pub or club. They go shopping a few times a week for bits & bobs just to get out and about, talking to anyone is a bonus. Taking away choice is also not good. I’m not being a Luddite but the there will eventually be no give and take with automation. Banks disappearing, shops going by the wayside, it’s not good for society on the whole.
Old age pensioners being lonely is not the Supermarkets cross to bear though is it
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
A lot of lonely people are elderly widows and widowers who wouldn’t consider a pub or club. They go shopping a few times a week for bits & bobs just to get out and about, talking to anyone is a bonus. Taking away choice is also not good. I’m not being a Luddite but the there will eventually be no give and take with automation. Banks disappearing, shops going by the wayside, it’s not good for society on the whole.
My wife's elderly aunt still pays for things like TV license on a weekly basis in the local shop or post office using cash. It's not that she couldn't set up direct debits for everything, it gives her a reason to get out of the house to meet people. She's rarely at home in the mornings.
She does tend to use the self service checkouts, which may seem a bit odd, but she can spend 2 hours in Tesco chatting to people she knows, so the social aspect of having a brief chat with a checkout operator isn't important.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
My wife's elderly aunt still pays for things like TV license on a weekly basis in the local shop or post office using cash. It's not that she couldn't set up direct debits for everything, it gives her a reason to get out of the house to meet people. She's rarely at home in the mornings.
She does tend to use the self service checkouts, which may seem a bit odd, but she can spend 2 hours in Tesco chatting to people she knows, so the social aspect of having a brief chat with a checkout operator isn't important.
Anyone remember Under The Splottlight’s post a few years back about self service tills? He had a chat with them, eventually telling it to f*ck off as it kept buggering up his order:hehe:
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Eric the Half a Bee
Years ago I used to work in a call centre for Tesco and part of my remit was calls and dealing with online grocery orders.
You couldn't be more wrong about substandard stuff being chucked on the van. Pickers would be in trouble if they didn't pick the best dates etc. Substituted items has always been a bit of an issue. 99% of the time it is done sensibly and at no extra cost (so if you picked a good coffee that was on promotional offer, it wasn't in stock, you'd get something better for the same price. Yes, there have been lots of humourous substitutions, but they're rare.
Online deliveries are a substantial part of supermarkets' business.
Maybe this will change to warehouse businesses in the future?
Build a purpose-built Tesco/Asda Warehouse Unit in a cheap area and just do deliveries, leaving the shops to be shops only, wouldn't that be cheaper, due to scale and logistics?
They could probably close a few less viable stores to fund it and, offer to deliver free instead, or does this already happen?
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
I love self service tills. Quicker easier and I'm out of the shop early. They're here to stay better get used to them.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
I try to avoid self checkouts , and wait for a human , bloody job killers
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Originally Posted by
life on mars
I try to avoid self checkouts , and wait for a human , bloody job killers
Me too.
Always something won't scan, alcohol involved etc anyway.
The only reason they exist is to increase profit. "Customer experience" is irrelevant.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
I very much appreciate more often than not a swift purchase and exit when I have minimal items.
It's ok to have both, I wouldn't want to see no cashiers but those machines have saved me hours upon hours.
Only reason stores would be considering the scaling back of this is if ultimately it's eating too much into their bottom line. It's not the two fingers defiance to technology the Guardian article suggests.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
NinianOpinion1927
We have a very competitive supermarket sector. Compare our prices to those on the continent.
I really can't understand your objection to self scan. Automation definately does reduce costs, here's a question for you, would you un-invent the vacuum cleaner? It put a lot of cleaners out of work.
Nature abhors a vacuum cleaner. They suck.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Trigger
I very much appreciate more often than not a swift purchase and exit when I have minimal items.
It's ok to have both, I wouldn't want to see no cashiers but those machines have saved me hours upon hours.
Only reason stores would be considering the scaling back of this is if ultimately it's eating too much into their bottom line. It's not the two fingers defiance to technology the Guardian article suggests.
Yes it's the amount of theft, they are becoming uneconomical.
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BLUETIT
in Orlando, self service tills are really a new thing , our local ( to where I stay ) Walmart didnt have any last Aug, this Oct they had 12, but that really doesnt paint the whole picture as they had 56 Tills ( and peak times most are open ) for store size comparison its about the size of the Tesco's near the heath hospital ( western ave is that ? ? )
They have built a new Target close by and that does have more self service tills, its not a big store though
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Re: O/T Supermarket Tills
Quote:
Originally Posted by
splott parker
I’m wary of the online delivery, as you say it is preferable to actually see the product before you buy. The cynic in me tells me that the substandard stuff would be chucked on the van. Also, not sure if it’s true, I’ve heard that if a requested item isn’t in stock something similar is delivered. I’m imagining Bird’s Custard being ordered and a budgie turning up :hehe:
I've used Tesco's on-line ordering and it is very good. I never buy fresh meat on it but anything dried like flour or prewrapped like cucumber or potatoes is fine. When you order you can select whether you will accept an alternative if your choice is not available, or just have it struck from the order. Even if you do choose to accept an alternative the driver will tell you what alternative has been given and if its not acceptable he will take it back.
No problem
