Shopping in LIDL

dark crystal

iguana wrote: »

Then surely what would make it easiest is to do it with the maximum speed. Get in and out as fast as is possible and not be delayed by people making false niceties with each other.

In Tesco, I always get a hand packing my bags, so that's just as quick for me. Also, their trollies have harnesses, so it's easier with my toddler while I'm packing.

Also, what you see as false niceties, I see as just old fashioned politeness and friendliness. It costs nothing to be pleasant to your customers.

Ronan|Raven

Then go shop in Tesco or stop being so sensitive

surime

mikemac1 wrote: »

Any chance of some music in Lidl? It's like shopping in some depressing communist place from decades ago.

I am from "depressing communist place" and even that I was only few years old when the shops were "depressing" and empty I 100times more would prefere this then usual supermarket chaos and every minute "STAFF CALL, blabalabalabla and crap Christmas songs in September!

RichieC

I hate LIDL. The atmosphere is dreadful. they are understaffed and the staff do be quite rude.

Id rather supervalu or dunnes any day.

iguana

dark crystal wrote: »

In Tesco, I always get a hand packing my bags, so that's just as quick for me. Also, their trollies have harnesses, so it's easier with my toddler while I'm packing.

Of course it's not as quick if you are in a queue. When the staff have to help you pack it doubles their time with you. That means that each queue takes twice the amount of time to get through. It's not just about the time spent with you, it's about the time spent with the people ahead of you. Which means that there are double the checkouts needed, which is a cost added to your shopping.

dark crystal wrote: »

Also, what you see as false niceties, I see as just old fashioned politeness and friendliness.

I see it as false because if someone is paid to talk to me then it's not genuine. The person could be going through a break up, have a stinking hangover, their dog might have just died. But they have to make cheery, pleasant chit chat with a customer as part of their minimum wage job conditions. Sure on occasion there may be a genuine exchange between staff and customer but 95% of the time the sales assistant wants you to just piss off so they can either have a moment to themselves or get on with the next customer in order to reduce their queue. I see it as false because it is false the vast majority of the time.

dark crystal wrote: »

It costs nothing to be pleasant to your customers.

Actually it does. Quite a lot as it happens. In business, time is money. For every fake chat, the sales assistant is slowed down, meaning extra staff are needed. Their wages cost money. And an awful lot of customers prefer dealing with staff who aren't forced to exchange mindless pleasantries and to not pay for those chats in their grocery bill. It's why traditional supermarkets are losing market share and Aldi/Lidl are some of the very few businesses expanding in Ireland at present.

hidinginthebush

I always think that in Aldi and Lidl it's like shopping before a hurricane or storm warning because there's always pallets of tinned hotdogs or other swill lying around haphazardly, like it's the only food left.

cian68

RichieC wrote: »

I hate LIDL. The atmosphere is dreadful. they are understaffed and the staff do be quite rude.

Id rather supervalu or dunnes any day.

Yeah I know hate it there.... understaffed you say?

RichieC

cian68 wrote: »

RichieC wrote: »

I hate LIDL. The atmosphere is dreadful. they are understaffed and the staff do be quite rude.

Id rather supervalu or dunnes any day.

Yeah I know hate it there.... understaffed you say?

Every time im there they have one till open and a huge que.

tinkerbell

I haven't read the whole thread, but seriously OP - you just stormed off in a huff and left all your shopping there? That is so rude, and just as childish as the women in the queue tut-tuting you.

I like shopping there its small easy to navigate not full of masses of crap and the fruit and veg are yummy
plus their brie is superb
and at my lidl they dont mind if you pack if your quick

surime

Cassidy Delicious Self-destruction wrote: »

I like shopping there its small easy to navigate not full of masses of crap and the fruit and veg are yummy
plus their brie is superb
and at my lidl they dont mind if you pack if your quick

-and there are no stupid (sorry I just hate them-very annoying and every time I let them pack my trolley they make a big mess and put all heavy staff on fragile) charity collectors!

_AVALANCHE_

FearDark wrote: »

LIDL attracts a lower class citizen.

Stupid post like this is worthy of a :rolleyes:

muckisluck

dark crystal wrote: »

You're absolutely spot on there.

Out of the available 5 checkouts in he store, only two were operating. I've noticed this whenever I've been in there - they always seem really understaffed for a busy supermarket.

I thought you only went the once and left mid-shopping.

entropi

OP: you should have told them to get fucked. They decided to wait behind you, their problem.

xclw

i find the staff in Lidl fairly rude too, and to be honest it's no cheaper than tesco, dunnes or supervalue really

surime

xclw wrote: »

i find the staff in Lidl fairly rude too, and to be honest it's no cheaper than tesco, dunnes or supervalue really

check the price of goats cheese

Arpa

Staff are grand I find. Granted they don't say much, but I always give the cute Latvian girls a little smile and they seem to be nice enough. Better than Jacinta and Jezabel, in Dunnes, plastered with make-up and having a conversation across me.

Nothing wrong with Lidl...for certain things. OP if you got all flustered and ran out in a huff because people were complaining then you're just a pansy. Your story sounds a little suspect anyway. If it is true however; you should have done what everyone else does in that situation...and not give a sh*t. Go slower packing, take your time. Cause a fuss.

Confrontation in supermarkets is great fun, because you know it will give you a little adrenaline rush and has no impact whatsoever on the rest of your day. I love going into Dunnes, asking for a paper bag and when they say they only do plastic, I kick up a fuss. It's a little fun, maybe I'm a pr*ck for it, but who is it harming? Only highlighting the issue that they should have paper bags at the check-outs. Then after a little verbal spat, it's all smiles and on my way. Try it, it's great craic. We don't complain enough in this country. More complaining and we'd get what we want.

Stand up for yourself OP. It's a big bad world out there.

Alessandra

I wish I'd a lidl near me here! Who needs friendly check out staff.. If the price is right I don't care.. Lidl offers excellent value on many things. The staff work to a system where the must scan a certain quota of products per hour hence the speed.
The people behind you were just ignorant and maybe you weren't too familiar with the need for speed in loading the conveyor belt?

toexpress

You see I started a thread about both LIDL and Aldi and I believe they are as bad as each other. It's full of people like this they are a disgusting blight on the Irish retail sector along with Tescos and they should be removed from the Landscape using weapons of mass destruction if required preferably while full of their worst and scummiest customers in there for the cheap booze.

There does seem to be a culture of old dears who seem to think they have some god given rights to abuse people and get special treatment. I often thread a fine line where I nearly ask them things like "seriously is todays episode of Loose Women that important that you can't queue like the rest of us?" or alternatively saying "look life has ticked away for you so far at this late stage I doubt rushing in the post office/chemist/dry cleaners/bank/supermarket/petrol station (delete as required) is going to save you any significant time and given that hair colour and outfit I suggest you return to waiting for death ... go on make the world a better place"

But then I've had a long hard day today tomorrow will be better :-)

Jesus Shaves

:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

twirlagig

I used to shop in Lidl a lot, but have since moved and there's only a Aldi near me now - which I love! Anyway, I liked Lidl, and when it first opened in our town (many years ago now), it was a new shopping experience alright! There is no time for chit-chat and, no, the check-out girl won't notice your new hair-do, or coo-coo your kids, but that's just the way it is, you get used to it! I do think the biddies behind you should've kept their gobs shut though, but I also think you shouldn't have walked out - feck them!
OP, give it another chance sometime. The value is brilliant in Lidl and Aldi and don't let one incident put you off. Just get your bits, let her scan them, load up your trolley and pack at your leisure at the back. Give it a go again!

toexpress

twirlagig wrote: »

I used to shop in Lidl a lot, but have since moved and there's only a Aldi near me now - which I love! Anyway, I liked Lidl, and when it first opened in our town (many years ago now), it was a new shopping experience alright! There is no time for chit-chat and, no, the check-out girl won't notice your new hair-do, or coo-coo your kids, but that's just the way it is, you get used to it! I do think the biddies behind you should've kept their gobs shut though, but I also think you shouldn't have walked out - feck them!
OP, give it another chance sometime. The value is brilliant in Lidl and Aldi and don't let one incident put you off. Just get your bits, let her scan them, load up your trolley and pack at your leisure at the back. Give it a go again!

Do not go back there!!! Support Irish buy at your local Super Valu or Superquinn to hell with those German shops Frau Merkel has screwed us enough the wagon!

twirlagig

toexpress wrote: »

Super Valu

Valu??? I do have a Supervalu near me, and, while it's a beautiful store, I am not loaded so of course I'm going to go to my Aldi....

Duck's hoop

toexpress wrote: »

Support Irish buy at your local Super Valu or Superquinn!

You can carry what 50 quid buys in either of those stores out in your hands.

In Aldi it feeds you for a week.

toexpress

twirlagig wrote: »

Valu??? I do have a Supervalu near me, and, while it's a beautiful store, I am not loaded so of course I'm going to go to my Aldi....

I have a food business and I actually buy some of our supplies in my local one. Butter at €2.05 is the cheapest you will find not alone is it the cheapest but if you compare it in quality to Tesco own brand or just about any brand it's the best quality

I use a lot of wine in cooking, all comes from Super Valu.

And as for meat, it is just second to none. Again all of my meat comes from there.

Over Christmas my Turkey and ham came from Super Valu (I had a half price turkey voucher) it was all €20.83 fed 16 people with a bit left over. Two days before Christmas Eve I had a party, all the meat I bought was €35 and fed 40 people.

Aside from the supporting Irish thing there is also a quality thing. Now I admit I don't do the whole fish fingers and frozen chips thing so I guess if that's your bag then LIDL or Aldi doesn't make a difference on quality.

When it comes to cleaning stuff I know they are a lot cheaper but the stuff is pure rubbish. My mother bought a version of Cif cream there once, left an awful scum behind it.

Also consider that Super Valu do a lot of offers regularly. A few weeks ago I got one of the big (cash and carry commercial size) boxes of washing powder for €5 because I was spending €20 on other stuff. Those washing powders are €20+ Vat in the cash and carry.

twirlagig

Duck's hoop wrote: »

In Aldi it feeds you for a week.

Exactly!

Fighting Irish

lol @ all the people who prefer tesco dunnes supervalu etc just because it's a nice atmosphere and it looks slightly nicer

toexpress

Fighting Irish wrote: »

lol @ all the people who prefer tesco dunnes supervalu etc just because it's a nice atmosphere and it looks slightly nicer

Where is the nice atmosphere in Tescos? They are rude arrogant and ignorant I hate Tescos just as much as I hate LIDL and Aldi

Dunnes is OK

Frank Black

There's a lot of 'First World Problems' on this thread.

dark crystal

iguana wrote: »

Of course it's not as quick if you are in a queue. When the staff have to help you pack it doubles their time with you. That means that each queue takes twice the amount of time to get through. It's not just about the time spent with you, it's about the time spent with the people ahead of you. Which means that there are double the checkouts needed, which is a cost added to your shopping.

The extra time it takes to help pack the shopping is balanced out by the extra tills they bother their arses opening. I'll happily pay the extra tenner it costs me for the convienience. In all honesty, LIDL prices weren't a huge deal cheaper than Tesco own brand products as far as I could see and were in fact, in the case of some products, even dearer.

I see it as false because if someone is paid to talk to me then it's not genuine. The person could be going through a break up, have a stinking hangover, their dog might have just died. But they have to make cheery, pleasant chit chat with a customer as part of their minimum wage job conditions. Sure on occasion there may be a genuine exchange between staff and customer but 95% of the time the sales assistant wants you to just piss off so they can either have a moment to themselves or get on with the next customer in order to reduce their queue. I see it as false because it is false the vast majority of the time.

Same as in LIDL then?
I'll take some fake cheeriness and smalltalk over a mute, po-faced drone any day. But that's just my preference. In most retail sectors, good customer relations are a pretty important part of the job.

Actually it does. Quite a lot as it happens. In business, time is money. For every fake chat, the sales assistant is slowed down, meaning extra staff are needed. Their wages cost money. And an awful lot of customers prefer dealing with staff who aren't forced to exchange mindless pleasantries and to not pay for those chats in their grocery bill. It's why traditional supermarkets are losing market share and Aldi/Lidl are some of the very few businesses expanding in Ireland at present.

Good for them. They're clearly the target market LIDL are aiming for, it just so happens I'm not part of that target market.

As for extra staff - well, more jobs can only be a good thing in this financial climate,right? Also, more staff = less queues for customers.