Self Checkouts - Fair Comment?

[bricol]

To be fair I wouldn't have any interest in any job where I had to have any contact with the 'Great British Public'

Left it in 1995 . . . but I try to remember being the other side of the counter . . .

 

[cheb]

You get some odd looks once you've repeatedly been to the same checkout in a supermarket in under an hour. The joys of bulk shopping for family and friends.

The second time they might recognise you, the third they certainly do, and after the fourth you're on first name terms.

 

[—Tom—]

Walk around with the scanner, pay on your phone and walk out with zero human interaction- it’s the easiest shopping ever and everytime I do it I worry someone will stop me but they never have.

Why would you want to queue, unpack and repack?

The issues around work are for society to solve- we moved from hand hooks and manual threshers to combine harvesters. Do we still mourn the job loss from Industrial Revolution?

Till work is poo, why persist it?

Shelf, scan, trolley, car, home

is more efficient than

Shelf, trolley, conveyor, scan, bagging, trolley, car, home

The bit where you have to unpack to scan is the problem - but not necessary- the future is quicker

 

[BarrieJ]

It's truly a joyous thing thing that those who complain about old farts queuing in front of them, will never become old farts themselves, will never be in the position of living alone with zero human interaction until they next drag themselves to the local supermarket where they might enjoy a little interaction with a hopefully sympathetic member of the same species.
Old age doesn't come by itself and losing a life partner will tick a few emotional bereavement boxes that will surprise those who've not had the experience.
Have a little charity, you're time will come.

 

[Farside]

putting things like Avocado's through as potatoes

Have you seen the price of spuds recently?

 

[Farside]

think that the loss of someone else's job isn't at the top of the list . A lot of the older generation dislike and fear change especially when money and privacy are concerned.

Ten years ago I told the staff in the bank their jobs would be gone soon. They didn't believe me.
Ten years on, there's no branch left, at all.
The other bank in the small town is hanging on, and they've made it a policy to keep the humans inside, so have attracted a lot of custom from the first bank.
It's not the fear of change (not fear, just despise it for it's own sake), but I do get concerned when I see the relentless march of progress slashing the labour force.
But then again, I'm just an old grumpy socialist.

 

[Farside]

Apologies I thought this a thread about Dignitas.

There's the Self-Servie Exit. Door, 4rse, etc.
<spoken in a funereal way>

 

[Farside]

I had the rudest, slowest, and nastiest cashier today...

That’s the last time I use the self checkout lane!

I'd fire that one!

 

[Farside]

It's truly a joyous thing thing that those who complain about old farts queuing in front of them, will never become old farts themselves, will never be in the position of living alone with zero human interaction until they next drag themselves to the local supermarket where they might enjoy a little interaction with a hopefully sympathetic member of the same species.
Old age doesn't come by itself and losing a life partner will tick a few emotional bereavement boxes that will surprise those who've not had the experience.
Have a little charity, you're time will come.

Oi, that's me.
I don't mind - I enjoy shouting "Raus! Schnelll!" at the dodderies.
Then give them a blast of the Bavarian Peasant Warmers on the way out of the car park.
I really must stop going to the German supermarkets.

 

[Shedendman]

Can't beat a big bag of 99p onion rings for a quality feed

luxury,when i was a lad all we had................................................

 

[Shedendman]

If iam waiting at the normal checkouts and they ask me if I would like to use the self checkouts I always say " sorry I don't work here iam a customer "

Noted

 

[ajlelectronics]

But then again, I'm just an old grumpy socialist.

I'm just a grumpy old capitalist, but agree with you totally.

 

[Kram]

Used a self checkout yesterday, had to get the checkout watcher to do about 20 overrides and would have been quicker just on a normal checkout

 

[Keithmac]

Shut 20 tills, sack 20 staff..

I don't use self service if there are manned checkouts.

 

[mike os]

Shut 20 tills, sack 20 staff..

I don't use self service if there are manned checkouts.

You mean shut 20 tills sack at least 40 staff if it's a supermarket/ big store, and 60 staff if it's 24h ...

I loath self checkouts and flat out refuse to be tolerant or polite to staff on them when they are not working if I have been forced to use them

I have been known to leave full trolleys at them when the normal checkout closed while I was in store especially when it contains anything I know will require several items checking

 

[Dilkris]

A slight deviation, but sort of connected. Carparks. Most of the ones where I live have got rid of ticket machines that take cash, now it's "pay by App". As I don't want to use my phone to pay for things ( yes I know I'm living in the last century) They have probably saved on paying out the wages for the bods who collect the money but spent hundreds of thousands on the new systems.

I agree entirely - there is a café in my town where to order a coffee or anything, you first have to download their app () so as you can order and pay for what you want .... I mean does everyone in the UK now have a smart phone - let alone really understand how to use it????
I got up and left.....
This is utter madness me.
And on the subject of car park machines, why are they all different and why is everyone of them initially a bl**dy IQ test to understand how they work?

 

[Dilkris]

It's strange how we've almost gone full circle with shopping.

A few years ago (my grandparents time), it was common practice to send your shopping list to the grocer, butcher, etc and then your shopping would be delivered to the house by the young lad on his bike.

Here we are 100 years later and with home shopping we're almost back at the same place again except the lad on his bike has been swapped for a man in a van.

This is very true and as a lad I remember the system well - you did however miss out the part of the system whereby once a week (normally) the head of the family would go to the grocer/butcher and pay the bill in cash.....

 

[redlig]

It's truly a joyous thing thing that those who complain about old farts queuing in front of them, will never become old farts themselves, will never be in the position of living alone with zero human interaction until they next drag themselves to the local supermarket where they might enjoy a little interaction with a hopefully sympathetic member of the same species.
Old age doesn't come by itself and losing a life partner will tick a few emotional bereavement boxes that will surprise those who've not had the experience.
Have a little charity, you're time will come.

So true !! Perhaps while waiting and getting frustrated it might help if we take a good look at the "old fart " and try to imagine what the have been up to for the last however many years and try to get into a chat with them . We might all be surprised and might not consider the few seconds lost as being wasted. Do that and I guaranty you will get a smile .

 

[Seadog]

You mean shut 20 tills sack at least 40 staff if it's a supermarket/ big store, and 60 staff if it's 24h ...

I loath self checkouts and flat out refuse to be tolerant or polite to staff on them when they are not working if I have been forced to use them

I have been known to leave full trolleys at them when the normal checkout closed while I was in store especially when it contains anything I know will require several items checking

I did similar at ALDI last year. Two check outs out of eight open, massive queues. I ended up leaving prorably £80 worth of perishables sitting on the floor and walked out.

 

[bricol]

I've got a feeling some of you are going to go increasingly hungry in the future . . .