etiquette at the self-service till...

[mollypollly]

OK ladies, I know this is petty but bear with me...

I've just come back from waitrose where I bought a few bits and bobs at the self check-out (about 3 bags worth, plus a couple of bigger items I couldn't bag-up).

So once I'd paid I then started to load the stuff up onto/underneath the pushchair (I was not taking my time over this - in fact I was desperate to get out as DD was due a feed so I was on borrowed time). It's also worth noting that there wasn't really a queue (about 2 people queuing for 4 tills)

But before I could even lift the first bag off, the woman who was next in the queue came charging over, plonked her basket down and started trying to scan her stuff through - then huffed and puffed that a couple of my bits were still in the way.

AIBU to think she could have given me one minute just to sort myself out without getting in my way, slowing me down and stressing me out?! I know this is super petty but it really annoyed me...

My dh makes me giggle as he solemnly talks in his African/French to the disembodied voice at the automatic checkout. "Thank you Madame. Yes I will put my bank card in the machine now." "Yes Madame. I will be sure not to forget my receipt" etc. At the very end, he bows very courteously and says "Goodbye Madame. See you soon " People do stare a bit.

I was bested on speed limited by a cheating fucker who's timekeeper was from his own store

That made me laugh spiders

TSSDNCOP I instinctively knew that u wuz robbed

If you're the type to get wound up by people not moving fast enough at the checkout then the self-scan aisle is not for you.

Having said that, I mastered ours like a boss today.

What annoys me about the self service tills is that so many of them seem not to cope with you bringing your own bags. Even the ones that let you put your bags on then press a button for the till to recognise them seem to stop working as soon as you put something in the bag or move the bag slightly. As loads more people here (Scotland) are using their own bags because of the new bag charge, this means most self service tills have someone standing looking annoyed whilst the machine berates them, and a single flustered member of staff runs around. Or people who scan all their shopping, pay and then pack. I fear for the blood pressure of those behind them.

M&S seem to have the best self scan tills, which rarely throw a hissy fit. Asda tills seem to start sulking as soon as you use them.

I may go back to using tills with actual staff, especially as there is now less 'let me lick my fingers and offer you bags you don't want before I put your shopping through' although I do still have to endure the 'I have to have a conversation with you or I will get marked down, so I'm going to ask you bizarre questions about the stuff you are buying'.

How much is too much for the self service when slowly shops are having more and more self service and less cashier tills.

Be very careful at the Asda automatic checkouts if you're buying anything with a security tag. We got an iron there recently. I pressed for help as I knew the tag had to be removed or it would set off the theft alarms. The (grumpy) 'helper' came over and scornfully told us the thing automatically cancelled all security tags once you'd passed it through. At the main door,alarms going off at full pitch. People staring and tutting. Poor dh pooing his pants. Security man flying over and manoevering us back into the store.
Fumbling in bag for the bloody receipt. We got back to the car shaking all over. So humiliating...

Don't know if they still do it, but the Co-op self scanning machines used to announce out the price of each item, which was quite embarrassing.

Not a self service story, but the other week I was in a proper queue behind a elderly lady. Her shopping came to £10.57, so she dug around in her bag for her purse and found her points card. Assistant scanned it, handed it back and she put it back in her purse. Then she dig around in her bag and brought out another purse, and took out a £10 note. Assistant took and and said "and another 57p please". She went bag into her bag and brought out a third purse and counted out the change. Great, we all thought, next person. But no, the receipt had to be folded up exactly and stored in a fourth purse . Just, why??

Just out of interest what is the certai age you are all talking about? Just to see if I'm in it yet :)

OOaOML : you are so right about the machines berating!

"Unexpected Item in Bagging Area" Yes it's a sodding BAG!

I wish I had the sang-froid and manners of Hatespider's DH.

I was in England recently and revelled in the fresh plastic bags in the department stores!

People should have the courtesy to wait until you have left the till. I got extremely pissed off with a shopper who decided to start loading up the conveyor belt before I had finished unloading my trolley meaning there was no room left for me to finish putting my shopping on the conveyor!

Some people's brains are wired to only think of themselves and everyone else is an irritation.

Why are some people so convinced they are the busiest people in the world? Chill the fuck out, you're not nearly as important as you think you are, if you have time to shop you have time to wait you turn in the queue like everyone else.
We all know you're only rushing home for a bucket of wine and some more mumsnet, its not world peace on your agenda for all you haven't a second to spare.

"...I said I wanted to go back and get another. The checkout bloke looked at me like: 'Are you joking? It is bedlam in here and we will get lynched. And frankly, I don't get paid enough to take a bullet for you.'..."

That made me laugh, limitedperiod!

I think, if your supermarket has them, the little wotsits that bip your shopping as you go round, are the way to go. Our nearest big Tesco has just got them, and I made dh use them, when we did the big, weekly shop on Saturday. It was amazing - pick up of shelf, bip, bung in bag, move on. At the end, put bipper thing into holder at self checkout, and pay. We did have to have a random check, as it was our first time, but it was only 10 items, and took no time at all.

I thought it was a far more relaxing way to do the big shop - dh was not so sure, but he was in a grumpy mood, so I ignored his opinion. He did concede that it saved time because we didn't have to queue at the checkout, unload the trolley, pack it all into bags as it hurtles down the conveyor, and then reload the trolley.

have a cup of hot chocolate,
i think she was rude even if you were pushing the boundaries for the self service checkout.

I was once behind a young chap at a self checkout as he got increasingly frustrated with "unexpected item in bagging area". To the point where, at the final "thank you for using self checkout" he said in a defeated voice "smug bitch"

I'm going to shock Babysham here, but I'm "economically active" but I work for myself and from home, so I do my shopping whenever I please

Grockle you're a right cheery one aren't you? Always popping up on threads to spread the love. You really need to chill out yourself and stop taking so many threads so seriously...you're so aggressive.

I was in Tesco the other day, at a self checkout. I put my basket down and was opening a bag when a person comes behind me and starts scanning her items at my checkout. I turned around and looked at her in disbelief and she says "Are you using this?" wtf?

To me A certain age is usually about 10-15 years older than I am :o

I'm usually a self checkout avoider, apart from in M&S when it's busy and I just have a few things, so I'm normally in the proper queue. I have been known to ask bargers, who don't even let me get to the card reader because they're so impatient, if they would like to pay for my shopping.

Nothing aggressive about me, I'm a mouse. I as going for tongue in cheek there, apparently badly.

I think you need to add the odd for tongue in cheek...not just write things like "Chill the fuck out" "You're only rushing home for another bucket of wine"

Like that.

No offence meant...

Babysham, get over yourself turnip

We swear a lot where I live, its not seen as aggressive. We also drink a lot. Neither is seen as particularly rude

I do have a point though. Those people tapping their feet and huffing about someone in front taking 3 mins instead of 2, because they are oh so busy! They generally aren't, they are just self-important and impatient.