self sevice checkouts..what the ****?

giftgrub

ok its too much for me, i was in tesco's today and used the self service checkout

Computer voice :"Unexpected item in the bagging area..."

THAT WOULD BE MY ****ING BAG!!!!!!!

I bought 4 croissants, it didnt believe me the guy came over and looked at me like i shot JR

I hate self service............................

tallus

Never used it myself but was tempted to do it today as I had a small amount of groceries, but think I might give it a miss in the future after hearing that

andrew163

Theyre great if you're buying just one or two items (like your lunch), and if there's no queue at them - otherwise avoid them though. People seem to spend forever trying to figure them out - then they figure one item out, and completely forget it by the time they come around to processing the second item... read the screen ffs, it usually tells you what to do next.. (not aimed at the OP but a few other people I've seen using them)

The bag weight thing is a bit stupid though. It's difficult to see how it actually helps security - if you were going to try stealing something you wouldn't put it on the register in the first place.

singingstranger

They're grand! The only awkward thing is actually having to place your groceries onto the metal plate thing after you scan them, because often if you're at the self-service you only have one thing to buy. Say you nip in to grab a newspaper, and go to self-service.

Scan the newspaper
Place the newspaper on the metal tray
Press "finish and pay"
Insert cash.

It's a frustrating measure but it's needed to deter theft or underpricing. C'est la vie. I think they're a good thing. Like the computerised check-in at an airport: wave of the future.

andrew163 wrote:

The bag weight thing is a bit stupid though. It's difficult to see how it actually helps security - if you were going to try stealing something you wouldn't put it on the register in the first place.

Take a bag of tomatos that you can't sneak out while the attendant is standing there. The machine will know if you've gotten a barcoded label for a bag of tomatos and then stuck another couple into it before sealing it. A little bit draconian, yes, but I can understand Tesco's point of view.

tk123

I use them all the time cos there's never a queue for them at my Tescos - i think people are afraid of them!!!- I use the conveyor belt type ones thou not the plate thing...

iFight

I used them at Tesco once, couldnt figure the thing out, kept on telling me that I was lying or something. I eventually had to key in all the barcodes manually. The hastle i tell you:D

The_Minister

Luddites!
I love them. They make the queue's go so much faster and they let you get in and out much quicker. Also, they rarely count the change wrong. They are idiot simple to use and are truely a great invention.

fletch

andrew163 wrote:

The bag weight thing is a bit stupid though. It's difficult to see how it actually helps security - if you were going to try stealing something you wouldn't put it on the register in the first place.

The system knows the weight of each item so suppose you were buying a load of bread rolls and it asked for the quantity...well if you type in 1 it's going to know that you are lieing

astrofool

They're far from perfect, but then then the human cashiers always tend to make errors as well. If you're reasonably technological (i.e. you don't think it works by magic), then its easy to pick up how it works, and how to do it, and solve any silly things like it asking for an item to be put on conveyor when its already on, then you're fine.

Unfortunately it seems that a lot of people think that things work by magic and that hitting them is the equivalent of Abra-cadabra

Dave!

yeah, I hate convenience!

slipss

I never seen one of these because I never go into tescos, are they just checkouts with no checkout girl? If so whats to stop people scanning a couple of items through and stealing 20 others? I'm just curious, how deos that work?

Ruu_Old

I remember when they had them out at first, never had any problems with them

Larianne

giftgrub wrote:

Computer voice :"Unexpected item in the bagging area..."

............................

Ha! Reminds me of my time in Chicago, in the local Jewel store. Jesus,first time we tried to work it out people behind us had to show us what to do. Was like something from another world. Got the hang of it though.:)

There's also a button whether you can by-pass stuff... can't remember it now. Dam!

Slutmonkey57b

I love the self-checkouts, but they do tend to get a bit confused by bags all right.

Basq

I feckin' love the things... so handy instead of waiting for women ahead of you in the queue to get the right change outta their pocket etc.

Oh wait.. didn't we have this rant last week?!

Rb

Never had a problem with them, think they're great except for those inconsiderate pr1cks who decide to bring a whole trolley full of items to them and then can't even figure the things out.

Ruu_Old

rb_ie wrote:

Never had a problem with them, think they're great except for those inconsiderate pr1cks who decide to bring a whole trolley full of items to them and then can't even figure the things out.

Too right, 10 items or less (I think) me arshe

Rag week 2006,in tesco on headford road in galway, no id on me,notice there is no one watching the self service check out,grab my bottle of Hennesssy,over to self service, scan it go over to controller machine to verify it as none of those lazy workers were around.Walk out the door proudly!Down to the spanish arch and drink the bottle with a friend!

Then headed to Central Park where loaded on Brandy i manage to do a strip down to my boxers before getting kicked out!

I owe it all to that self service machine!:)

Tar.Aldarion

They are confusing when drunk, as I found out at 3am last night. Luckily one of my brothers randomly came along.

monkeyfudge

no no no.... I don't like them at all...

I tried it once and it shouted wildly 'BAGGING ALERT! BAGGING ALERT!' at me... I half expected it to go on to say 'Warning Will Robinson, Dr. Smith has left the space craft!'

super_furry

The only dodgy thing about them is the fact that you can pay with any credit card without needing to enter your pin number or even sign the reciept.

whiskeyman

super_furry wrote:

The only dodgy thing about them is the fact that you can pay with any credit card without needing to enter your pin number or even sign the reciept.

yeah, that a bit dodgy alright.
Is there a limit set on CC transactions that it then requires a signature / PIN check (from getting an assistant called)?

I dont have any probs with the self service meself... expect for families with kids who gather round and make sure all the kids have a go with a trolley load of shopping...

Ste.phen

whiskeyman wrote:

yeah, that a bit dodgy alright.
Is there a limit set on CC transactions that it then requires a signature / PIN check (from getting an assistant called)?

I dont have any probs with the self service meself... expect for families with kids who gather round and make sure all the kids have a go with a trolley load of shopping...

I believe this is the case.
There's all sorts of situations that require someone to come over and babysit the damn thing.
In *theory* its faster overall to have 1 cashier manning 4 self service chechouts than 4 cashiers on 4 normal checkouts, but some people take so long to get through them it snarls up the whole system

Red Alert

Superquinn's Super Scan is faster. You get a barcode reader to carry around with you as you shop so all you have to do is go to an express human checkout lane, hand in your scanner and your payment and off you go.

It uses periodic rescans to catch dodgers, and the better you perform with it when it does ask you to rescan, the less likely you'll be rescanned.

CuLT

Oh man, why do all the old people go for the god damn self service checkouts.

That damn metal tray shít is irritating, but I've only had to use the machines the one time, and figured it out pretty quickly. The geriatrics in front and behind me actually voluntarily put themselves through the torture of looking like absolute half-baked morons while holding up the entire queue.

Kolodny

I find them quite handy. Definitely quicker but that might be because not many people are willing to chance using them yet. They seem to cause a bit of confusion though.

I was in Tesco recently and saw an elderly guy looking very puzzled after paying for his stuff and then wandering off. I realised why when the 5/6 year old kid with his mum who was next in the queue reached into the tray near the bottom, where the change in notes comes out and pulled out a ten and a five note (mum didn't notice and started scanning her items).

The old guy came back with one of the staff who checked the tray for his change, while the kid looked on nervously. As soon as their backs were turned he dropped the notes on the floor beside the checkout. Eventually the staff saw it and handed it back to the old guy saying "oh look, you must have dropped it". I know I'm very mean for saying this but the look of panic on the kids face was hilarious!

APM

Red Alert wrote:

Superquinn's Super Scan is faster. You get a barcode reader to carry around with you as you shop so all you have to do is go to an express human checkout lane, hand in your scanner and your payment and off you go.

This system is the best self service one I've seen so far and they seem to be putting it in all the stores now. Handy indeed

Ruu_Old

Igy wrote:

I believe this is the case.
There's all sorts of situations that require someone to come over and babysit the damn thing.
In *theory* its faster overall to have 1 cashier manning 4 self service chechouts than 4 cashiers on 4 normal checkouts, but some people take so long to get through them it snarls up the whole system

Where I live in the US in the local supermarket, they have about 6 self service checkouts, 3 at the top end of the store and 3 at the bottom end with normal and "express" checkouts in between them. 2 people look after the 6 of them. When I was last in Tesco (in Navan) there was 2 people looking after the one checkout maybe they have more checkouts and people are a bit more used to them at this stage

bspoke

The superquinn one is the best. Scan and bag all your stuff as you are going around and spend a grand totla of 60 seconds at the till while all the other tills have queues half way up the aisles.

I have not been rescanned in about a year at this stage. Used to get hit every second week at the start. Im just waiting for a rescan the next time I go shopping

The Real B-man

There mad things they rob my change after Drunken nights out must be a "Hes Drunk he wont notice mode"