Self serve Tills - Love 'em or hate 'em?

Salu · 04-11-2005, 16:23

What do you think about self serve tills? You know, the ones where you scan things yourself and then swipe your card and leave. Ususally clumped in groups of 4 or more.

Personally I think that they are a good concept but fail due to other's inconsideration sometimes.

For example, on the 15 or so times I have used them unless there is no queue behind you then trouble will ensue. Like....

All of these have happened to me......

The person behind;

1) ...starts scanning things on your bill when you are down at the other end packing your bags because you deliberately didn't finish the transaction so that they wouldn't.
2) ...starts scanning things and they land on your shopping as you are trying to pack it up.
3) ...attempts to cancel your transaction assuming that something MUST have gone wrong with the system.
4)....starts to process their order slamming things into you no matter HOW fast you pack. There is a huge pressure on you to leave once you have swiped and paid.

Other things....

1) The damn thing will NOT scan certain objects no matter which way you put them and you end up looking dumb. Meanwhile the checkout staff do this blindfolded whilst chatting about astrophysics to their mates across the checkouts...
2) The computer voice is SO loud it make you want to answer it back.
3) The amount of "item incorrectly placed" is waay to many for my liking.
4) Why won't it allow me to swipe one of my cards but it will another? Why does it take a member of staff to come and spit on it, wipe it on her skirt, wrap it in a plastic bag and do a rain dance before it'll work?

This is where you really need someone packing at the other end, if not for your sanity. They should also have a gateway similar to soccer ground where you can't get through until the other person has finished. People are just too caught up in their own little worlds that they do not realise what is happening ahead of them. "AAARRGGGGGGHHHH, I AM NOT FINISHED, WAIT!!!"

gazzae · 04-11-2005, 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salu

All of these have happened to me......

The person behind;

2) ...starts scanning things and they land on your shopping as you are trying to pack it up.
4)....starts to process their order slamming things into you no matter HOW fast you pack. There is a huge pressure on you to leave once you have swiped and paid.

Just look out for anything nice and accidently pack it into your bags.

04-11-2005, 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salu

What do you think about self serve tills? You know, the ones where you scan things yourself and then swipe your card and leave.

I quite like them - queue is usually short and it's quite quick - if you don't have too much shopping.

Downsides: it's not very tolerant of the way you put stuff in the bag. Lighter items don't always register.

The systems are a bit slow - and don't keep up well if you're any good at scanning.

Never had problems with people following on messing up my transactions.

But my MAJOR gripe is that it only requires a card swipe to part me from my money. I'd say that these tills are perfect for card fraudsters.

Hom3r · 04-11-2005, 16:37

Only or Tesco Metro has this appart froma few items that can cause grief, and toughing the bag to adjust contents can be a pain and require assistance.

The only downside is that they have four self service tills that requires one person on hand when thing go wrong. That means 3 less jobs

handyman · 04-11-2005, 16:39

They will be better when they introduce RFID on things.

That way there is a rf field round the rim of the trolly that adds things up as you put them in. If you take the item out it removes it from your bill. When you get to the checkout its all totalled up ready for you top swipe your card then proceed to a packing area. There will be alarms that go off if you try to steal anything because it will know if its been paid for.

**Chris T** · 04-11-2005, 16:39

Never even heard of them! Where do you use these?

**Rob** · 04-11-2005, 16:41

They are fine if you only have a few things. You can swipe and pack at the compact tills yourself.

They are absolutely useless if you have loads of items and are by yourself. You can't swipe and pack yourself - you just end up in a mess. then it's much easier to use a standard till, let the cashier swipe, you pack. If you have two people one can swpie, one can pack, so it would be OK then.

On the other hand, who is making the money - is it cheaper for the store, and they can get away with less staff. Does that mean the price of my shopping is going down a bit - I doubt it, so I'm making more profit for the store

Gareth · 04-11-2005, 16:48

Seen 'em, but not used 'em yet. Was in Tesco in Southampton earlier this week, and was watching people struggle to use 'em whilst I waited in the 'normal' queue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

Never even heard of them! Where do you use these?

erm... in supermarkets, mate

**Chris T** · 04-11-2005, 16:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gareth

erm... in supermarkets, mate

No **** Sherlock ...

which ones?

SMHarman · 04-11-2005, 16:53

Why is it in the US that checkout staff scan and pack yet they are not capable of doing that over here. Even the JS ones only do the first bag and then with whatever comes off the belt, eggs, crate of beer, well eggs in the bag, then the beer obviously.

printerman · 04-11-2005, 16:58

I'm refusing to use them..i've stood in a queue in tescos (newmarket) and some manager has said "theres a free self service you know".....i said "i don't want to use it thankyou"

....i'm not doing people out of jobs. I don't think its any faster infact i bet its slower..You'd have to train EVERYONE using them(ie the public) to be any good at it...i'm not saying its rocket science but there is alway "that knack" isn't there!

punky · 04-11-2005, 17:18

Never seen/used a self serve till in a UK supermarket. I have seen a few in the US, and my experience has always good. I'll leave it at that

The only exception to this is I have used a Tesco pay@pump once, where you don't get those problems. The trouble is I only used it once, it is always out of action since, which is a shame, because I love those. That was one thing I would love to see here more. Every petrol station has them in the US and they make stopping for petrol so quick and efficient. Plus you don't end up wasting money stuff between the pump and the counter

EDIT: I am suprised they exist, I bet that not 100% of people pay for everything they actually take out the supermarket.

Chimaera · 04-11-2005, 17:50

I always use the Tesco Pay at Pump things - much easier and the person behind always looks surprised when you are finished and out of there so much quicker than they are! I've even taught my Mum how to use it, she was resistant until I pointed out it's just like a bank ATM.
Never used the self serve till in Tesco though - well suffice it to say they used to have them in one of our four local Tesco megastores - and since it's been re-developed they have not put them back, and on the store Q & A board it says they have no plans to re-instate them in the future. I think too much stuff went unscanned, from the times I've seen them used.

ian@huth · 04-11-2005, 18:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris T

Never even heard of them! Where do you use these?

The first ones I saw were in Safeways near Lakeside in Essex back in the last century.

Hom3r · 04-11-2005, 18:18

I did see on a science and Technology show that a a supermarket testing a system that you scanned food as you packed it in your trolley and if you had say 3 bottles of wine and scanned only 1 and put in three, it knew that you had put in 3 because all the items have a little ID tag, and you would be charged for all 3