Automated Tills

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 03-09-2019 12:51PM

FishOnABike wrote: »

They used to select self scan trolleys at random to have everything scanned at a standard checkout to keep people honest.

And why we stopped using the Superquinn self scan. They had a set number to check every day and because so few used them we were checked more than half the times we used it, thus defeating the purpose, as we had to pack the goods twice.

03-09-2019 12:52PM

weldoninhio wrote: »

Why would you need someone to do that? Should shops have someone to walk around with you and put the items in the trolley for you too??

Why bother doing anything then? Just pave your own driveway, for god's sake. Or walk into McDonald's and start making your own burger.

weldoninhio wrote: »

Sounds like someone has trouble using them. I've never had an issue with them. Searching for a bread roll is fairly handy. If you are constantly having issues, you are the common denominator. There should be one till for people like you, otherwise the queues of people that can actually use technology are being held up.

LOL......The only trouble I have is that it takes too long. I'm well able to use them, probably quicker than most, but it's still slower than someone who is doing that job years. Yes it's handy to find a bread roll, but how handy is it to have to find 5 different types of fruit, 3 of vegetables and 4 different bread/pastry items versus an employee who knows all of the PLU codes off by heart? Way to ignore practically everything else in the post, by the way.

The whole point is that the supermarkets have cut costs by doing this. The fact that it is slower for every single user (ignoring the queueing aspect) is just a byproduct they don't care about. They're not doing it because it's quicker, they're doing it because it's cheaper (for them).

seamus · 03-09-2019 12:53PM

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

In my homeland, 15 years ago, they introduced hand held scanners that you use when putting items into the trolley.

Glad to see Ireland finally getting somewhere near catching up....

Superquinn introduced these in the mid-90s.

Mickeroo · 03-09-2019 12:55PM

FishOnABike wrote: »

I remember Superquinn used to have those here, must be more than 20 years ago, but they never seem to have taken off in a big way.

It's still around, it's called Superscan now.

namloc1980 · 03-09-2019 12:55PM

A till operator in Lidl or Aldi would put any of those automated tills to shame with their speed and ability to sort out issues there and then. None of that "unexpected item in the bagging area" nonsense.

kneemos · 03-09-2019 12:55PM

FishOnABike wrote: »

They used to select self scan trolleys at random to have everything scanned at a standard checkout to keep people honest.

Might have a lawsuit on their hands these days.

Pretty sure they would be libeling folk.

Billgirlylegs · 03-09-2019 01:02PM

weldoninhio wrote: »

Why would you need someone to do that? Should shops have someone to walk around with you and put the items in the trolley for you too??

See what Shifty said #15

Handy for a couple of items but.........

And if shops want them why aren't they standard, ie basket on left, bagging area on right. If you use different automated tellers, they all have different formats and appearances.
Pain in the whole trying to figure it out.

FishOnABike · 03-09-2019 01:14PM

kneemos wrote: »

Might have a lawsuit on their hands these days.

Pretty sure they would be libeling folk.

No more than security, customs or immigration at an airport would when they select someone for more thorough checking.

Irish Guitarist · 03-09-2019 01:16PM

There's four of them in Tesco here. It seems to be mandatory that at least one of them either isn't working or will only take credit cards.

And there always seems to be some moron queuing behind me that starts trying to use the machine I'm using before I've finished. I once put a €20 note in the machine and turned around to put an item in my bag while I was waiting for my change. In the two or three seconds this took some gobshite came out of nowhere and started trying to scan his shopping. I had to ask him to move out of the way so I could get my change out of the machine.

kneemos · 03-09-2019 01:18PM

FishOnABike wrote: »

No more than security, customs or immigration at an airport would when they select someone for more thorough checking.

Not the same.

InTheShadows · 03-09-2019 01:23PM

Don't use them on principle alone. I don't care if they are quicker or more convenient I like to say hello and have a quick chat with the checkout operator

weldoninhio · 03-09-2019 01:24PM

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Why bother doing anything then? Just pave your own driveway, for god's sake. Or walk into McDonald's and start making your own burger.

LOL......The only trouble I have is that it takes too long. I'm well able to use them, probably quicker than most, but it's still slower than someone who is doing that job years. Yes it's handy to find a bread roll, but how handy is it to have to find 5 different types of fruit, 3 of vegetables and 4 different bread/pastry items versus an employee who knows all of the PLU codes off by heart? Way to ignore practically everything else in the post, by the way.

The whole point is that the supermarkets have cut costs by doing this. The fact that it is slower for every single user (ignoring the queueing aspect) is just a byproduct they don't care about. They're not doing it because it's quicker, they're doing it because it's cheaper (for them).

The fact that you think lining up a barcode with a scanner takes years of training shows us that it’s a user end problem.

pawrick · 03-09-2019 01:30PM

9 times out of 10 when i give in and use them beside the express tills in my local supervalue I end up having to get someone over as something doesn't register and i stand there like a spare pr*ck waiting for help with a flashing red light while the queue i tried to avoid skips past me.

Doing shopping in my local tesco with a trolley and no one on the manned tills as they are helping people at the automated ones who ran in to problems sucks also.

Spanish Eyes · 03-09-2019 01:31PM

Hate them with a passion. Always feel for the checkout operators that are no longer there anymore.

Anyway my local Lidl installed them, I have never entered that store since. Awful queues, and there is often just one regular cashier till open. Just not as efficient really.

Local Aldi has resisted so far... it is all cashiers there. So they get most of my business now.

SuperValu has two or three cashier tills open and a humungous queue for the automated ones. The cashier tills are often much quicker in the long run.

Anyway I am clumsy and get flustered, so I just don't use them. An incident in a supermarket in Italy last year finished me off. Bad enough not really liking the auto tills, but being barked at by a hulk in a language I was not fluent in was something else! No cashier tills open. I was red from head to foot. Aaagh.

Forty Seven · 03-09-2019 01:42PM

I get the odd problem using the self scan tills but never been held up as much as I have been by people chatting, people nipping off for things they forgot, people who only realise they have to pay when the cashier asks for the money who then start rummaging in the 20 litre handbag and cashiers chatting to the cashier in the next lane about their night out.

Most people are grand but there are a lot that helped create the npc meme.

riclad · 03-09-2019 01:46PM

I like them because i can buy 7 euro,s worth of item,s ,
and pay with a 50 euro not.
i have no interest in talking to a checkout employee for 1 minute .
What can you say to someone in 1 minute ?
sometimes its faster to use the cashier till,
When there,s 10 people waiting to use the auto checkout tills .
Many tesco,s have only 2 or 3 cashier tills .

Church on Tuesday · 03-09-2019 01:51PM

I just cant wait for the automated tills to become sentient, Terminator shtyle.

03-09-2019 01:57PM

weldoninhio wrote: »

The fact that you think lining up a barcode with a scanner takes years of training shows us that it’s a user end problem.

The fact that you aren't able to comprehend plain English indicates there's a problem alright, but it ain't mine. Where did I mention barcodes?

The problem is that the machine cannot keep up with anyone that is in any way efficient at scanning and packing their stuff. Here it is, as simply as I can put it:

Self-Checkout
Look up scones, wait, press button, wait, press "4", wait, place in bagging area, wait for machine to recognise its there, another wait, finished = 15 seconds. Repeat for bananas, onions, vienna rolls, ginger, loose mushrooms, peppers, apples and scallions = almost 3 minutes for 9 items. That's working at optimum efficiency, ignoring any errors that might occur...be they mechanical or human. Throw in 4 bottles of beer, including waiting for the attendant to let the machine know you're +18 and you're talking up to 5 minutes total. Then you have to pack it all up.

regular Checkout
Lady who has worked there 18 months knows the PLU code for scones. Hits "4" button, then types the code, then throws them into the packing area = 3 seconds. Multiply by 9 + the scanning of the beer = 30 seconds max. Plus, you're already packed and ready to rock.

Mickeroo · 03-09-2019 02:13PM

kneemos wrote: »

Might have a lawsuit on their hands these days.

Pretty sure they would be libeling folk.

No this isn't true.

kneemos · 03-09-2019 03:22PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

No this isn't true.

You could just refuse the search anyway.

Mickeroo · 03-09-2019 03:27PM

kneemos wrote: »

You could just refuse the search anyway.

There's no search, that's not how it works. You just get taken to another till and your shopping get's scanned.

kneemos · 03-09-2019 03:47PM

Mickeroo wrote: »

There's no search, that's not how it works. You just get taken to another till and your shopping get's scanned.

That's a search. You could just say no.

freshpopcorn · 03-09-2019 03:57PM

Mod NoteThread has being done before!

Automated Tills

Comments