AIBU?
to be driven almost to the point of violence by self-serve machines in supermarkets?
quesadilla · 14/05/2013 16:25
They've been around long enough now that you'd think the manufacturers could have ironed out some of the teething problems. But they just seem to be so pedantic about stuff that really doesn't matter.
Why the frick does it matter if there's an unexpected item in the bagging area? Its not a security risk? Why can't I, once I've scanned the fecker, just put my newspaper and my croissant into my own bag without having to put it the sodding bagging area without the entire thing melting down? Why do I need authorization to buy a single can of lager when I'm old enough to be the grandmother of most of the employees in the shop?
These supermarkets bleat on about a) customer services and b) cutting operating costs. And yet these things make life infinitely more complicated and drive people like me to the point where I have to be restrained from taking a hammer to them.
gaggiagirl · 14/05/2013 16:31
YANBU they drive me mental! I avoid them like the plague. In sainsbos they encourage shoppers to the self serve tills they seek you out from the human operated checkout queues and try to lead you to self serve. I politely decline and wait longer to be served by a human then go nuts in the car park that they dared to ask me to use satans till.
quesadilla · 14/05/2013 16:31
Matchsticks YES... this is it. I go to a particular branch of Sainsburys almost every morning before work on the mornings I go into an office to buy a couple of bits and pieces and I can't remember the last time I didn't have to wait for someone to sort out the fact that my newspaper wasn't placed at the correct angle or something.
I don't mind efficiencies which save money and time if they actually save money and time. But these things seemed designed to enable large corporations to put even more staff out of work and then ironically the staff are rushed off their feet moving the unexpected items out of the bagging areas......
give me strength....
ChewingOnLifesGristle · 14/05/2013 16:33
Oh YES I am so with you on this quesadilla.
Our Asda has just installed even more of the damn things. I've not used one yet without it seizing up and me standing about wasting my time whilst the poor soul on duty darts about apologisinig and keying in stuff to get it going again.
Unexpected item in bagging area? Ah yes, that'd be my boot
cozietoesie · 14/05/2013 16:34
I went into a very large DIY store a few weekends ago - about 10.30 in the morning so I guess most of the potential customers were otherwise engaged.
All they had working was one self service (card only) till and I had two low value items. Two store staff were hanging around and I said brightly
'I want to pay by cash'. They immediately went into fits of the vapours and said 'Oh you can't! You can only use that.' (Gesturing.)
I grudgingly dug out a card from somewhere and used it. With great difficulty because the items had the bar code on the bottom and you had to hold them up sideywise to be scanned by the beam. And the till didn't work properly either once that was done.
Not a happy punter.
delboysfileofax · 14/05/2013 16:35
Having just have to use these piles of shite yanbu.
Thing is the supermarkets don't give two fucks if they're slow/inconvenient to you. you're still buying the sane amount of shopping and spending the same amount of money and they don't have to pay staff. Utter utter bastards 
gaggiagirl · 14/05/2013 16:37
I asked for the manager in a new marksys food store cos not even the duty staff could get the self serve to take my money so they sent me to join the mile long normal queue so it had taken me 20 odd minutes to buy a tin of corned bastard beef and I went fucking mental.
quesadilla · 14/05/2013 16:37
and while we're on the subject... The voice-over woman for the Sainsburys ones has the most annoying voice I've ever heard. When she says: "Have you swiped your Nectar card" her voice is dripping with joy over the fact that if you swipe your card, in about a year you will have earned enough points to swap them for a second class postage stamp. I always shove my card in the slot to shut her up as that seems to do the trick.
I have never had any trouble with the ones in Boots.LittleMissGerardButlerfan · 14/05/2013 16:40
Please feel sorry for the staff that have to man them, it's not our fault the machines are a pita and its not our fault that they are so annoying! I get some right abuse when I work on them!
Imagine having to stand for ages having to hear 'please place the item in the bagging area' etc endlessly 
And trying to cope with 4 machines going crazy at once!
I'm surprised I have any hair left!
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