to be driven almost to the point of violence by self-serve machines in supermarkets?

[quesadilla]

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.

GerardButlerfan You have my deepest sympathy. Out of interest, though, presumably you and your colleagues feed back to the head office types the fact that your customers loathe and detest them and they make your work even harder.... what do they say to that?

I have been known to mutter 'fuck off' loudly quietly, at the self-serve machines.

YANBU - I avoid them where ever possible - the last time I tried using one I got to the end and it turned out is wasn't taking cash that day so I ended up ahving to go and queue anyway. They drive me up the all and I end up muttering and hissing at them and looing like a complete nutter.

I've never used them as I always buy wine, so always have to have an assistant anyway.

quesadilla we constantly tell managers they aren't popular with some customers but for all those that don't like them, there are people that love them too believe it or not!

We can only feed back what we are told we can't make them do anything about it.

Unfortunately it seems to be a big money saving exercise as it takes less staff, though if it means it saves the business going under like a lot of high street chains, then I would rather they have self service tills than lose my job.

YABU, I'm afraid. I use them all the time without problems, and generally only have to call the staff over for alcohol. They are quick and convenient and great for when I am feeling anti-social. When they first came in they were ridiculously sensitive and had apparently been designed by NASA to weigh space-dust. That got sorted out, now they're fine.

I am, however, regularly enraged by people who clearly don't like or understand them trying to use them and making a big cursing, flapping performance out of how difficult it all is. It's not bloody rocket science. Just scan your shopping and put it in the bagging area, and DON'T put any shopping, handbags, cardies, children, giraffes, small nuclear warheads etc there UNLESS you are scanning and buying them.

If for whatever reason you feel you are unable to meet these simple parameters, do not use the self-serve machines.

Yanbu. They are DREADFUL. I can't use them anymore, every time I did something would cock up. It was always that the item i'd placed in the bag was too heavy or it wouldn't scan.

YANBU. Please feel free to take a hammer to all of these machines. I'm sure that if you sold tickets for the spectacle you could dine free for the rest of your life.

What really angers me with the likes of Tesco, who have totally dominated our whole region over the last few years, is that their BIG claim when they applied to planning was all the jobs they would bring.

That was pushing belief a bit because obviously if everyone goes to Tesco the little local shops close. But having spun that yarn they now put in self service so they don't even employ many cash assistants.

Grrrrrrrrr.

Hate them . Hate them with a deep and abiding passion . DS actually refuses to stand next to me if I use one , because it invariably descends into a one sided row with me berating an inanimate object along the lines of ' fuck you and your unexpected item . Yes , I'm getting my money out , bloody well wait . Oh fuck off with your receipt . '. Chuntering madly with everyone looking at me like I'm not all there .

I think madnuslady would hate me . And if there was a choice, I wouldn't use them . But that's all our local sainsburys has open at 7am .

Oh yes. The worst thing is the endless "please".
I would rather they had a robot voice that didn't sound so relentlessly patronising.

Totally agree with MadBusLady - I don't find them at all difficult. But on the rare occasions that I go shopping with my DH and we use one he gets in a total rage and starts making a fuss and drawing attention to himself - if you don't like them, don't use them - I have also used the self service conveyor belts, quite like those .

yanbu, I hate them and only ever use them if I'm in a hurry and there are big queues at the proper checkouts. DH likes them though and will happily use them.

everyone looking at me like I'm not all there

Yup, sorry, that's me!

YANBU. I don't use them anymore because of how many times something crops up that you have to call someone to sort it out before you can carry on. Going through normal checkout is easier and quicker.

I am happy to use them and don't usually have a problem BUT this morning in m&s I threw a strop.
Big queue at the only manned checkout so went self service
First item scanned - machine said item weight had to be verified... Looked and looked no one around so abandoned the machine and then yelled over to a group of staff that I had done so.
Then 3 staff individually came over to me whilst I was in the queue for checkout apologising and one even offered to show me how to use it!!! FFS it's not me!!

I wiil only use them if the shop assistant does the whole thing for me in ASDA they have the cheek to call them the fast aisle!

Has anyone had the total embarrassment of your card being declined at one of them? The lady's voice goes all snotty and extra loud so the whole queue can hear - 'Card DECLINED!'... She really looks down her nose...in a automated computerised voice sort of way...

Cozietosie - surely if you had offered payment in legal tender, and that payment had been refused, you had the right to take the items?

I am with Madbuslady and would urge those of you who feel strongly anti them to use a checkout rather than use them and then be disgustingly rude to the staff when they inevitably play up

they mostly work for me and I was v glad of the anonymity when I did my pre-birth shop the other week - 4 packs of mahoosive maternity pads, big comfy pants, pile cream, nipple cream and moist loo paper. oh the glamour

You could, you know, just not use the.

Or shop in Waitrose * where the hand held scanners do a superb job and are 99.9% pain free.

• Or Tescos I think.

They are universally loathed, and I'm not sure they save labour as you need people to man the tills and others to sort the machines.

Ocassionally I use them but the Waitrose near us is terrible for having machines that arent working. Apparently its easy enough to go through, scan your goods, pack them and then NOT pay. This leaves the machine just hanging. A supervisor has to come over and reset etc etc.

What I do see as very popular especially with the old folk is the hand held scanners. Although again I think there are plenty of opps to 'forget' to scan certain items.....