Self checkout machines

me_irl · 10-05-2017 11:42AM

Samsgirl wrote: »

One of my bestest discoveries waa that the annoying voice can be muted!! No more arguments in Tesco.

Not a nice way to talk about your other half!

HEEEEEEEEEEEEYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

*canned laughter*

mimimcmc · 10-05-2017 11:44AM

Glenster wrote: »

The article says that 93% of people prefer traditional checkouts.

And creates a scenario in which it can say that manned checkouts are faster.

Crazy right?

I would agree that manned checkouts are faster, two people doing the one job essentially, of course it's faster..

I'm not a huge fan of these, will use them when I have one or two items but anymore and I'd rather just go to someone and let them do the work. And I'm the type of person that HATES interaction at customer service but it's usually quicker and time is of the essence

van_beano · 10-05-2017 11:47AM

gramar wrote: »

"unexpected item in the bagging area" :pac:

"Please remove the item before continuing"

ScumLord · 10-05-2017 11:51AM

me_irl wrote: »

It *beeps* with an accent?

The ones in supervalu have a tone, it's almost like it's about to say "take your bags, and your change, and get the **** out", but it stops itself.

I still have a preference for the old tills, I like to have someone do it for me, it makes me feel important to see a professional scanner working for me. Plus, you can't make a machine feel awkward by saying things like "oh yeah, scan my vegetables baby".

Atlantic Dawn · 10-05-2017 12:02PM

The new contactless card terminals at self checkouts in Tesco are a pure pain in the hole if you have an old school PIN card, they are non adjustable in angle so if your tall you have to bend down like a tool to see the display, annoying.

jjbrien · 10-05-2017 12:07PM

I watched this a few monrths ago the random things we end up watching about self checkouts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0CtmrMtGu4

The person using the self checkout ended up being slower than the person who went to the human operated one. He also paid more. I do use them when I got a small number of items but I hate when they go un identified object or wait for assistance drives me nuts.

Parchment · 10-05-2017 12:10PM

I will use them for a few things but prefer to go to a cashier. More often that not the machine has some kind of fit about something and it will delay me longer than actually going to a cashier.

biko · 10-05-2017 12:12PM

In many stores, four human cashiers could be replaced by one worker who directs crowds to banks of self-service tills

This is the reason I still use the regular tills.
#keepthepeopleinjobs

Parchment · 10-05-2017 12:14PM

biko wrote: »

This is the reason I still use the regular tills.
#keepthepeopleinjobs

It already happened in the banks.

maudgonner · 10-05-2017 12:18PM

Parchment wrote: »

It already happened in the banks.

To be honest the 'customer service' I usually received from tellers in the bank was so bloody awful I'd opt for a machine any day. Their attitude ranged somewhere from abysmal to insulting.

elefant · 10-05-2017 12:19PM

I prefer them because of other people not preferring them. Even when the manned tills have long queues, the self-service stations seem to be nearly empty.

I love the self-service bag drop stations in airports for the same reason. I think a lot of people aren't confident in using them so they never have long queues.

me_irl · 10-05-2017 12:20PM

maudgonner wrote: »

To be honest the 'customer service' I usually received from tellers in the bank was so bloody awful I'd opt for a machine any day. Their attitude ranged somewhere from abysmal to insulting.

And mildly accusatory.

"I just want to lodge some money to my account... don't make a fcuking song and dance of it!"

Cienciano · 10-05-2017 12:21PM

jjbrien wrote: »

I watched this a few monrths ago the random things we end up watching about self checkouts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0CtmrMtGu4

The person using the self checkout ended up being slower than the person who went to the human operated one. He also paid more. I do use them when I got a small number of items but I hate when they go un identified object or wait for assistance drives me nuts.

Looks like they're buying a load of stuff that you have to input yourself like fruit and veg and loose bread. If you're buying 3 or 4 things with barcodes, self service will be better if there's no queue.

Ubbquittious · 10-05-2017 12:26PM

ScrubsfanChris wrote: »

You not encountered the Centra ones? Proper Irish lad voting those ones

Always use them if I have a few items. The most annoying thing though is paying by card, they don't have the "tap to pay" system and its just so slow going through the pin process on those things, much slower than a normal register for some reason.

I can't afford centra. Or super valu for that matter. I buy most of my stuff from an old man with glasses reading the paper in a small shop cluttered with wooden vegetable trays

me_irl · 10-05-2017 12:27PM

Cienciano wrote: »

Looks like they're buying a load of stuff that you have to input yourself like fruit and veg and loose bread. If you're buying 3 or 4 things with barcodes, self service will be better if there's no queue.

Like... rolls?

eviltimeban · 10-05-2017 12:27PM

Best option of all is the "Superscan" in Supervalu. Scan your items with a scanning gun as you shop, bag them yourself as you go along (so you can ensure things don't get crushed) and keep an eye on your budget as well.

Then hand over to the cashier at the till, pay, and off you go. Plus there's often no one queuing at the Superscan only till so it's much quicker.

doolox · 10-05-2017 12:31PM

Most jobs in this category will eventually go. If a particular supermarket tries to keep more jobs than necessary it will lose out to the competition and go bankrupt.

Eventually as older checkout operators retire, younger operators will take over and be more inclined to adopt to the new technology. Less numbers of operators will be required and more shelf packers, warehouse operators etc will be employed. Most workers prefer to have a distance between themselves and the often unpredictable and troublesome public so that jobs that offer that privacy and distance from the public are preferred to public facing jobs.

I find that a lot of retail outlets have minimal numbers of shop assistants in the retail area in comparison to 10 yrs ago. I have been told that a lot of retail activity, restocking, cleaning, repricing sales notices etc. are now done while the shops are closed to the public to prevent members of the public engaging staff members and impacting on productivity. The days of personal engagement, soliciting extra sales etc are numbered for a lot of retailers.

Womens beauty products, where a lot of personal engagement recommendations etc still goes on seems to be the exception to this trend.

xabi · 10-05-2017 12:33PM

...and dont forget to take a blue token, ahhhhhh

my3cents · 10-05-2017 12:42PM

I just hate the way the Dunnes ones give you back your change in really small denominations and thats after they have taken ages counting any change you use.

Because the machine was so slow last week I overpaid by one 20cents coin, no big deal but I got four 5 cents coins as change and I didn't even put any copper in the bl00dy thing.

maudgonner · 10-05-2017 12:43PM

me_irl wrote: »

Like... rolls?

Presumably. I don't know if the shops sell slutty bread. Unless...bagels maybe?

(Hope someone is having a bagel for lunch and reading this

)

me_irl · 10-05-2017 12:44PM

maudgonner wrote: »

Presumably. I don't know if the shops sell slutty bread. Unless...bagels maybe?

(Hope someone is having a bagel for lunch and reading this )

*slowly lowers poppy seeded, mayonnaise filled faux donut*

Glenster · 10-05-2017 12:46PM

me_irl wrote: »

*slowly lowers poppy seeded, mayonnaise filled faux donut*

fauxnut

edit: That made me so happy

me_irl · 10-05-2017 12:46PM

Glenster wrote: »

fauxnut

Van Damnit! :pac:

maudgonner · 10-05-2017 12:47PM

me_irl wrote: »

*slowly lowers poppy seeded, mayonnaise filled faux donut*

I'd also have suggested baguettes, but they wouldn't be slutty, they'd just be studs

me_irl · 10-05-2017 12:49PM

maudgonner wrote: »

I'd also have suggested baguettes, but they wouldn't be slutty, they'd just be studs

"Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar."

Anyways...

Never fully trusted myself with one of those self-scanning guns. It's almost like the "shopper doth protest too much" levels of second-guessing.

Honestly, I DID scan all items in the trolley correctly while approaching the checkouts with cold sweat running down my back.

my3cents · 10-05-2017 12:55PM

Mr.S wrote: »

Jesus can't imagine shopping without them, except for those people who have 40 items and don't put down a bag first and then pack it while scanning, where's the logic in that :rolleyes:

Now all we need to do is take it one step further and follow the rest of Europe with having your own scanner while you walk around the shop so you just need to pay when leaving.

How do you put down a bag first without the ubiquitous "unexpected item in the bagging area".

Gravelly · 10-05-2017 12:56PM

my3cents wrote: »

How do you put down a bag first without the ubiquitous "unexpected item in the bagging area".

All the ones I've used ask if you have a bag with you so it knows.

my3cents · 10-05-2017 12:59PM

Mr.S wrote: »

There's an option for brought your own bag before you start usually.

Plus bags are light enough to not get picked up by the scales!

Well local dunnes ones must be hypersensitive because any carrier bag (unless its one you've bought and scanned) triggers the msg and then it carries on even after you have pressed the "have own bag" dialog box on the screen.

I suspect its that dunnes don't trust their customers.

PARlance · 10-05-2017 12:59PM

Mr.S wrote: »

Now all we need to do is take it one step further and follow the rest of Europe with having your own scanner while you walk around the shop so you just need to pay when leaving. (I think only Supervalu has this atm)

Superquinn had them for a few years before being taken over by SuperValu. Still available in ex Superquinn SuperValu's afaik.

They never really caught on, it was rare enough to see them being used ime.

Glenster · 10-05-2017 01:04PM

my3cents wrote: »

How do you put down a bag first without the ubiquitous "unexpected item in the bagging area".

You hang the bag on the arms.

Self checkout machines

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