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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Self service tills rant

24 replies

Grillamo · 08/06/2012 10:39

Ok so this is silly really, but it is just so annoying when you just want a loaf of bread in the shop and you go to the self service tills to pay and leg off and there are people scanning thru a whole weeks shop. Fair enough if its one of them massive ones that has a conveyer belt and a huge baggagae space, but not on the tiny ones. They have a bloody great sign above them with a basket on! Not only does it hold you up but you end up with some smart sod trying to bugger you with a trolly!

AIBU or just grouchy in me old age?

OP posts:

Scholes34 · 08/06/2012 10:50

Know what you mean, but I once went to the self-service tills when I'd done a small, quick shop and was appalled at how much stuff I had.

nymets · 08/06/2012 10:52

it makes me laugh when people do their entire shopping in the small basket self service area. how they get all that stuff on the bagging area without causing a meltdown is beyond me.

manicbmc · 08/06/2012 10:54

I do not like self service tills and refuse to use them. They are shit.

HecateTrivia · 08/06/2012 10:54

ooh, I do that If I've got one of the small trollies and the queues are massive, it's quicker to just do it myself. I didn't realise there was an item limit etiquette (There's no basket above the self service tills or signs saying they're for X number of items or fewer.)

So what's the maximum number of items it's reasonable to have before you risk pissing off the people behind you?

VodkaJelly · 08/06/2012 10:55

I hate those tills with a passion, especially the Tesco ones, there is always something that wont scan or it can't find or doesnt register that you put the bread in the bags. Every bloody time.

Willyoudothefandango · 08/06/2012 11:38

In my local one we get a lot of people pulling a fast one and asking the self service till staff to scan their trolley full of stuff through the self service for them so they don't have to queue. In the manner of "Oh I can't work these bloody things, while you're here could you just scan the rest of my £200 shop for me dear?" Crafty!

twofurryones · 08/06/2012 11:42

It's the relentless shouting of instructions that does my head in, I know that I have to put it in the bagging area, you told me that 3 seconds ago when I scanned the last item

CheeseandPickledOnion · 08/06/2012 11:45

I think a small trolley full is fine, if you can fit it all in the baggage area.

Ours in Tesco don't state basket only, nor a maximum number of items, so why shouldn't I?

lunamoon · 08/06/2012 11:50

I have only seen people with baskets use them.
I always have a problem with them.
Either it won't scan.
Or it keeps telling me to put the item in the bagging area, then do you not want to bag this item?
I once put my handbag down whilst I searched for my purse to pay and the machine went absolutely mental, screaming "Unexpected item in the bagging area!" over and over again.

UnexpectedItemInShaggingArea · 08/06/2012 11:57

Lunamoon did you call?

FaceForRadio · 08/06/2012 12:02

I do this when I have a small trolley. I think the limit is 20 items. (a few more won't make a difference) When I do a big shop I order online.

I'd rather do my own scanning at my own pace a) because I'm shit at packing b) because I feel intimidated by the person behind me judging my packing and c) because I fucking want to :)

BiddyPop · 08/06/2012 14:13

I had a small trolley but a trolley of shopping last Friday morning (we were going away for the weekend so I just bought what we'd need). The sodding SM only had a couple of basket checkouts and the self-service ones open. After me standing for 5 minutes like a plank waiting to GET to use a SS one (others in front with large basket loads, and the proper basket tills are utterly unsuited to trollies) - as I get to be able to go, an assistant decided that she WOULD open a main till (none open) for me (only) - and then had to go get cash drawer etc. So what should have been relatively quick, turned into a 20 minute till experience when I was rushing in to work.

AKE2012 · 08/06/2012 14:36

I will only use them when i hav a few items or i dont feel like speaking to anyone. Jus want to get in and get out and get on with my day.

what gets me is those who queue for a self service when theres tills with staff on n no one there.

BarredfromhavingStella · 08/06/2012 15:24

SS tills are the work of Satan & I hate them with a passion-find them even more irritating when I have my 2 year old diva with me as she feels the need to add or take things out of the bagging area which as we all know causes the bloody thing to go into complete meltdown!!

TandB · 08/06/2012 15:31

Place item in bagging area.

Unexpected item in bagging area. Remove item from bagging area.

Item removed from bagging area. Replace item in bagging area.

pause

Unexpected item in bagging area.

[sound of exploding panda echoes round supermarket]

LucieMay · 08/06/2012 15:31

Lol @ barred! My six yo very helpfully tried to bag things for me after I scanned them and it did not like him one bit!

halcyondays · 08/06/2012 16:40

I hate the bloody things. I only use them if I'm in a hurry and I've only it a couple of things and all the other tills have long queues. The machines don't seem to like me and I nearly always have to ask for help.

Itsjustafleshwound · 08/06/2012 16:45

I just wish that there was some kind of conformity to them - every shop I go to seems to have a different configuration and I spend ages trying to find the right slots for the cash ....

We have a laughingly called 'fast track' where you scan your groceries and only hand over the scanner and pay. It is never fast and usually requires a rescan when you are desperate to make a quick getaway ...

Supermarket shopping just sucks ...

Ishoes · 08/06/2012 16:55

I hate them and refuse to use them unless absolutely nessacary. The ones in local shops usely have about 3 helpers hanging about them in case you have difficulties-meanwhile their is a huge queue at the one manned checkout

Having someone there to be a helper defeats the purpose of self service-just bloody pay people to mann the checkouts!!

halcyondays · 08/06/2012 17:03

Yes, I always fumble around like a fool trying to find where I'm supposed to put my money in. And call me old-fashioned, but I'd rather go to a proper checkout with an actual human being at it , than be talked to by a machine.

CaliforniaLeaving · 09/06/2012 00:28

I do not like self service tills and refuse to use them. They are shit.

I completely agree I refuse to use them. Hire more workers and we won't need them at all.

Selks · 09/06/2012 00:38

They are hideous. They always malfunction, leaving me silently fuming each and every time.

oshuk · 09/06/2012 01:11

I hate them with a passion, plus what's the point, there's always a flunky standing nearby in case you make an error or try to pinch something, so they might as well be on the till, serving you!

sashh · 09/06/2012 08:44

My worst experience was being behind a couple in love. They had a basket. She would take an item and look longingly in to the eyes of her partner, as she handed him an item they eould either kiss or have a few tender words, before he scanned the item and then they had another look before she took the next item out of the basket.

They were totally oblivious to the gathering croud behind them.

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