to think it's about time they sorted out those fecking self service checkouts?

[upsylazy]

I know that you expect teething problems with any new technology but they're not really that new anymore are they? I was in Morrisons today in a real rush, put my basket down and pressed the screen to start. Machine then said "Please remove the last item form the bag" WHAT fucking item? I haven't scanned anything yet.I then had a 5 minute yo-yo session of "please remove the last item from the bag" immediately followed by "please put the item back in the bag" interspersed with a few "Unexpected item in bagging area" and telling me that the item was the wrong weight. I know it's trivial in the general scheme of things but SORT IT OUT FFS.

Our local tesco have it sorted. Our local co-op is shit and they always have crashed tills. The sales person ends up putting your groceries through nearly everytime. Kind if defies the point of SELF SERVICE.

They are nonsense. I don't think that they're really a time saver at all... except from maybe in Ikea or similar.

Our local tesco express doesn't usually have anybody manning the till, just a bank of scanners so if you're buying a few things it takes FOREVER.

Waste of time/money/technology imho.

You aren't kidding.

I KNOW how to use them and I could be in and out quicker than the SAS on one of those things IF ONLY the machine would sort it's shit out.

I do everything right yet am met with a volley of "unexpected item in bagging area" "waiting for assitance" "validating your bag" (WTAF?) "unable to skip bagging on this item, waiting for the assistant to slowly walk over and void item. They will be here in ten minutes" To the people in the queue behind, it looks like I am one of those inept dodderers who can't get along with modern technology and I am not!

Fucking things!

Oh golly yes!
Especially when it's an item of negligible weight, like a birthday card, that the machine refuses to believe you've put in the bag
They make me want to slice of a pound of flesh and shout 'ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?!'.
I won't. But I want to.

I've discovered they have volume control which makes the process slightly less painful. At least they aren't yelling at me now.

"Unauthorised item in bagging area" Yes its my shopping bag you know the one I bought and paid for over a year ago. I never use those useless machines anymore.

Did someone call

Oops, sorry, misheard slightly...

Morrison's use a different type of self scanner to the ones in Sainsbury's, Asda and Tesco.

The Morrison's ones are particularly shit. The bag holders are in the wrong place, so you have to lean right over to put things into the bags rather than placing things to the side. They are so over sensitive and shouty - the poor lad who mans them looks constantly stressed because people are calling him over all the time to reset them.

They are the ones I have most problems with and as our Morrison's is so woefully understaffed in terms of checkouts (queues half way to the back of the shop are the norm on a Sunday) I've just stopped going in there.

I once saw a women screaming at the manager about the lack of till staff in there - truly awful place.

Where's the 'smug' emoticon??
I used one this morning AND IT WORKED!
Really, scnned all my items, accepted them all in the bagging area, didn't need to weigh my newspaper or anything

I dont use them on princple. They are a way of cut staff ! Also for a lot people shopping is the only way they see any one to speak to most days.

Morrisons ones are definitely the worst of the lot - opening up a carrier bag confuses it into thinking you're putting things into the bag, buying birthday cards blows their computey mind and sends them into a loop along the lines of 'put item in' 'but there's no item here!' 'Put the item into the bag' 'where's the card gone?'

I've never had any problems with them. There is always a member of staff on hand to help if you need them.

I don't like the ones in our local Waitrose though because they don't take cash. So you still have to queue behind all the trolleys if you don't want to use your card to pay for a pint of milk.

The ones in Asda are the best. They do cashback and everything.

I think sainsburys have now programmed theirs to understand that birthday cards and packets of seeds don't weigh anything. This may have been after I shouted rather loudly "it's in the ducking bagging area you stupid twat"...

We like them because they're a good way of getting rid of loads of loose change.

dh bags up loads of 1ps and 2ps, then just empties them into the machine

I usually end up arguing with them though

My iPhone is censoring me again...

Our tesco selfservice is ok.

What is totally shite is the new 'scan as you go' that they got in last week. I tried it, I was selected for a random check. Had to wait ages for someone to come over. They said it wouldnt happen for a while.

So I tried again. 3 items, again I was selected for a random check ffs. No staff to be seen. Ages later one turns up, serves the two other customers waiting before me, then me. Takes fucking ages.

Scan as you go. Three items. Surely that should be the quickest option?

I'll never do it again.

I've given up with them. Morrisons ones make me so cross. You can't even look at the packing area without it telling you off.

The nadir of my self scanning career was when I got an "Authorisation needed" command for a packet of PLASTIC KNIVES. I know there are issues with knife violence among some young people but plastic knives??!

It takes me 5 minutes to get the bag open before I have even started.

The ones in WHSmith are funny, they give you the option to buy the bargainous chocolate at the end.

upsy I had to be authorized for tea spoons in sainsbury's..... they are extra safe.

The one in our local Morrisons is utter crap, it never works properly. You only have to look at it funny and it refuses to work

The one in our local Sainsbury's is fab though (unless you're buying alcohol or DVDs), and I always use it if I only have a few bits

Lola I had to be authorized for plastic cutlery. As if those knives can actually cut anything.

Sainsburys are better than they used to be for using your own bag, but not if your bag already has things in from another shop. And why is the packing bit so low compared to the basket shelf, they are very bad ergonomically speaking, although I am prepared to believe it is easier for wheelchair users. I'd be surprised if the screen and basket bit wasn't too high though. Also there needs to be a place to put your handbag, mine falls off my shoulder every time I lean down to put something in the bag.

I haven't been in Tesco Express for a while, last time I went there was a newly installed one next to 3 manned tills, there was a lengthy queue but no one wanted to use it.

Sorry upsy, we had the same experience.

I bought Ibuprofen yesterday and that wasn't queried. Does that mean anyone can buy that?

I always end up yelling at them!