to think that a level of competency should be required before using the self-scanner for a whole trolley load?

[MardyBra]

Here are the rules:

• You do not need to look for the barcode on every product. If you just wave it at the scanner it will pick up the barcode in most cases. Please note that there is a horizontal and vertical scanning facility.

• When you have scanned your item you do not have to stare at the screen in wonder checking to see if it has picked up on the right product.

• It's OK to pick up more than one item at a time from your trolley and scan them in quick succession.

• Yes you do need to put each item on the belt. I know it's annoying but it won't work unless you do. Sometimes, it doesn't register properly and all you have to do is put the item back on again.

• When weighing loose produce, you do not have to wait until the machine says "Key in the item's code or look up alphabetically" (every time!) before searching for the product. It will not break the machine if you insert a figure before the machine finishes saying "Quantity needed?" The same applies to waiting for instructions for the payment facilities.

• When you've finished your fumbling payment process, there is a dividing bar which can be placed between your shopping and mine to allow me to start procressing my shopping (more efficiently than you do). Please use it!

• Until you have mastered at least a few of these instructions, please practise on the hand basket facilities.

(And breathe).

I have never seen trolley ones.

But i did see in 24hour asda this evening at lady comin g with a full big trolley of shop to the self service basket scanners (no real people on after misnight ish) bet that took ages! Its the weight thing that annoys me. Otehrwise am happy to do it myself, as I used to work in tesco and so am quite good at knowing where barcodes are and not scared of computer etc. But when the machines winge at me for doing nothing wrong I swear at them

YABVU. Unwanted item in the bagging area......(grin).

They need to sort out that crap with the belt not realising when I place something very light on it....I buy a lot of light things and then an assistant has to come and fanny about with the screen.

they'r crap espcially since I end up barking at my toddler not to pick stuff up.

They are crud because the queues at the real-person checkouts are now hideously long so you feel compelled to use the self-service, no matter how terribly incompetent you know yourself to be with it.

We had the trolley scanners at our Safeway - then Morrisons took it over. Now the shop is staffed by people who look like extras from Night of the Living Dead, and the self checkout has an incredibly loud bossy voice that shouts "PUT THE ITEM IN THE BAG" at you with every item. Truly hellish.

Until the prices drop remarkably I refuse to pay for the wages of staff to sit on their arses and tell me where to do my scanning. I'm not a paid shop worker, and therefore I shan't scan my own shopping.

"However, it wasn't me in Asda - it's Sainsbury's or Waitrose all the way for me, but that's another thread wink."

Your OP was bad enough but this...

Seriously - have you listened to yourself? I'm quite glad I don't know anyone like you in real life, you sound a complete pill.

LMAO at EmmaBemma's complete lack of humour. Do you not have the subtlety to realise when someone is having an ironic rant?

See.... I've worked in Supermarkets on the checkouts at least three times in my life and my scan rate is quite high.

These machines irritate me as they don't go quick enough for me weighing each item as it comes through so I can scan the next. Plus you can't key multiples and then just scan one, you have to scan every bloomin' item!

Make them faster!!!

Yes am not sure where morrisons get their staff (some are lovely) but MANY are zombies who open 10000 bags before starting. I ONLY HAVE 2 ITEM JUST SCAN THEM FFS. And Morrisons self service is the worst. Sainsbos is good, and dont mind asda.

DON'T USE SELF SERVICE TILLS!

they are putting people out of work to save a few quid, and are they passing the savings of not paying peoples wages onto you, by reducing the prices of the products accordingly? are they fuck.

IMHO all those who use self service tills are idiots, might as well put a fat cat jar in the shops for you to throw all your change in to donate to the catering at the stockholders meetings while they are it.

Glitterknickaz You rock! It will be my privilege to queue behind you next time I shop.

giraffes I totally agree about the weird bag opening thing. Just scan the bloody shopping. I usually bring Bags for Life anyway, but if I've forgotten, I can manage to open a bag thank you.

Ryoko It's about customer choice. If the queues at the normal tills are too long then I prefer to self scan thank you (as you have probably gathered, I am a little impatient). If the queues are too long generally I will shop elsewhere.

Which is what they want you to do, shut half the tills so the few that are open have long lines forcing you to the self serve, in time they will close more and more tills until there are none left.

thats over half the staff unemployed and a massive saving that will not be passed on to the customers.

Ryoko I'm with you in principle, but it's a vicious circle - our Morrisons actually shuts all the staffed checkouts at certain times of the day, and all the self-checkouts are baskets only. Mad, I tell you - you end up queuing behind someone putting an entire trolley full through one of their pathetic scanners.

I much prefer my local Sainsbos and make a beeline for Nice Asian Man - in his 60s and always chats nicely about what you're buying as he scans it through ("planning on cooking a curry tonight?" or "mmmm donuts!")

I don't know about Morrisons but the Sainsbury in Chiswick is the worst, I avoid it and go ASDA or Tesco.

No Basket only in the Sainsbury anymore, half the over all number of tills are now self service, over half the tills are never open anyway, the ones at the far end of the shop are all ways closed (probably because they are a long way from the self serve so the customer can not consider going there instead?).

In the small Tesco Metro it's the security guard that mans the self service tills, two jobs in one, if I was him I'd tell em to fuck off, he didn't get a background check and one of them cards I can't remember the name of that security guards need, to be a till operator and no doubt he'd get in shit when stuff gets nicked as well.

My 9 yr old ds taught me how to use the self scanner

If the self scanner has the shortest queue I'll use it regardless of the size of my trolley. The supermarket should supply an adequate number of checkout assistants if they want to ration who uses self scanners or put up 10 items or fewer signs.

They don't want you buy less they want to buy more have you not noticed how we are going all bulk buy like America.

You can't just buy 3 GS apples it's more money then buying the pre packed bag of 6-8 etc, it's all madness to make us all fat and wasteful.

Ryoko If you are so concerned about staff, you shouldn't be shopping at ASDA. I also don't think eating an extra couple of granny smith apples in a week is going to make you fat and to stop being wasteful, just eat the damn things and put down the bag of crisps.

Scan and pack my own shopping!!!!!??

I don't get paid to do it, isn't it the job of the checkout operator...?

How odd.

I hate the ruddy self-scanners but sadly ds loves them and often manages to nag me into using them. EVERY fricking time I am treated to the joys of 'unattended item in the bagging area' or ordered to put stuff in the bag when I already have. Grrrrrrr. Agree with Ryoko, they are just a device to cut jobs and make customer service even worse. But we are being forced to use them because there are fewer tills open...

YABU. They should make the machines easier to use and with better instructions. It's not the customers' fault.

I only use them if I'm running in quick for two to three items. Anything more than that and I'm at the till. The only place that has them around here though doesn't pack your stuff anyhow, but rush your groceries through at such a speed that I can only imagine that there must be some competition with the tellers on how many people they get through in an hour based on number of products, but I always make sure my stuff is packed before I worry about paying.