to hate self service tills

[thewooster]

I know they have their uses and sometimes I have used them when desperate but I'm so clumsy and useless with the damn things.

Today I went to Poundland and they have removed the manned tills apart from one and replaced with self service. One grumpy assistant (and I dont blame her for being grumpy) was sorting out the same old problem with customers and I pondered whether to wait in the massive queue at the manned till or go self service.

I opted for self service because I needed to get the bus quickly and oh my god I messed it up by scanning my item twice and then I put my quids in and it wouldn't accept one. Grumpy assistant had to come over twice to help me.

I got really stressed out and it's happened to me in Sainsburys too where I keep putting unexplained items in the bagging area - is it me?

I know self service is the future but can't they keep a few more manned tills for people like me? I suppose it saves money but I actually put some items back on the shelf in WH Smith because of their self service till.

Hate them with a passion, I always get 'unexpected item in the bagging area' but what riles me more is when I put something light on the bagging area and it doesn't register, so it assumes it's not there.

Evil evil invention

Agree wholeheartedly with pp who said they put people out of jobs. I don't use them unless forced for that reason, quite happy to wait in line and demonstrate that customers value PEOPLE working in shops. Horrible invention.

I love self service tills - means I don't have to make annoying small talk with some random and can just get on with what I'm doing. Also if I have second thoughts about something I can leave it in the basket.

Also re putting people out of jobs - this is unfortunate but also it is the world we live in now in terms of technology so people will need to adapt because there isn't an alternative for them if self-service can do it better.

The ones I hate are WH Smith at airports, where you also have to scan your boarding card, creating even more havoc and confusion, especially as (obviously) many of the customers won't be English speakers. At Bristol the other day, our plane was delayed so I thought I'd get a magazine to pass the time. There were over 20 people in the queue in Smiths, no manned till, one assistant helping at the 5 or so self-service tills. Nearly everyone just had a magazine, bottle of water or bar of chocolate. Needless to say I put my magazine down and left - I wasn't that desperate!

Unless I am doing the big weekly shop then I always use them. Much quicker I find.

I think they have improved over time as I rarely get a problem now. The occasion "surprising item in bagging area" at Morrisons, which makes me laugh, but generally no issues. I regularly use them at Morrisons, Sainsburys, Tescos and M&S with no problem at all.

All our local libraries have also had self service for ages now.

Agree wholeheartedly with pp who said they put people out of jobs. I don't use them unless forced for that reason

So let me guess - when you want cash do you wait until the banks are open and then queue up to see a cashier so that you can withdraw money from your account? Or do you just use an ATM? Same difference.

I regularly have a disagreement with the one at our local shops! I find myself shouting at it! Ive not put anything in the bloody bagging area that I haven't scanned ! You arse of a machine lol

@5foot5 no i dont, but youre right, it is another example of automation killing jobs. Its so hard to avoid contributing to it, but we will be sorry when all these jobs dont exist anymore

Love them. So quick and get rid of all my coppers.

Yes that too. Every so often when I realize I have loads of clinker in my purse I will stand there feeding small change in to the till until I get to the right amount. I know I could in theory do that to a person but it is easier to do it to the machine.

Also for the reverse. I used to need to make sure that on Saturday morning I had several lots of cash at the right amount e.g. £14 for one person's music lesson, £12 for a different music lesson, £12.50 for something else I forget what. Life was so much easier if everyone had the right money to hand over. So regularly on Friday I would go to the ATM to get cash - which always came back in £20 notes. Then it was a case of going in to Tesco for 2 or 3 small value items and paying for each one individually at the self service checkout to make sure I ended up with the right combination of £10 and £1. More awkward to do that at a manned checkout I imagine.

if self-service can do it better

It's a big if. So far the evidence for me is that the self service tills are fucking useless.

@wasonthelist - it has always been better for me. The odd blip but don't have any problem whatsoever with self-serve. Quicker, more convenient, less faffing around with a stranger handing me my shopping. Rather do it myself thanks

it is another example of automation killing jobs. Its so hard to avoid contributing to it, but we will be sorry when all these jobs dont exist anymore

But will we? Or will we forget because by then the people who did those jobs will have moved on to other things that maybe don't even exist now?

When I first started work there was a large department called data prep which involved taking coding sheets from the programmers and then typing that in to the main frame. That seems so archaic now you would think it was a different century (oh, wait - it was! ) And also think of the large typing pools that used to exist in offices. Presumably all gone now. Yet I am sure those people or today's equivalent fill other roles now.

Short term it might cause people a bit of job disruption but things move on.

I hadn't realised they're set up differently in the US. I never have problems using them here and couldn't work out why my UK friends hate them so much. Now I know.

I love them, our Lidl has some now and it makes it so much easier for me doing the shop.

I hate them. The bloody B&Q ones are the worst and they only ever have one till open! Endlessly frustrating and I have to confess I've walked off halfway through at the B&Q ones before because I just can't take it any more!

I love it. Scan scan scan scan. Scan Clubcard/nectar card. Scan contactless debit card. Throw everything under the buggy and go. I've usually paid and out before others have even put their stuff on the normal manned checkouts.

it has always been better for me. The odd blip but don't have any problem whatsoever with self-serve. Quicker, more convenient, less faffing around with a stranger handing me my shopping. Rather do it myself thanks

Fair enough - maybe it's something I an doing wrong that means I always seem to have to wait for ages for a "stranger" to sort out the confused self service till. One in Asda told me our local one deliberately rejects some items so they can cast an eye over what you have. I prefer "a stranger" doing that immediately than having to wait ages

How are they putting people out of jobs? You are imagining it

@wasonthelist don't hate the machine - it's just doing its job

I’m supervisor for tills

I’m responsible for both manned and self service

My staff costs budget has remained the same. I’ve not had to reduce hours or employ less people in 5 years

Not yet anyway

But then don’t you think shopping online for home delivery and using click and collect would reduce the need for I store staff?

I always end up in an argument with them or telling them off

Much like Cleese when he batters that Mini in Fawlty Towers

I despise them as they never work properly, and they absolutely mean fewer working hours- of course they do! I wouldn't mind so much if they gave me a discount for doing their bloody work for them, but no. Just extra profits for Mr Shareholder. Boo.

I like the self-service tills.
My folks refuse to use them on argument they steal jobs.
When they work they're great b/c they're fast.
When they fail, I get to use a staff member's time, so they stay employed. Win Win.

My experience is that No Customer in USA uses them, and there is no staff member around, which is painful if you do have any problems you're in for a long wait for someone to come help. Otherwise, great place to get rid of $5 in pennies.

With home delivery and click and collect you still need pickers and drivers. It may not have impacted staffing levels yet, but it's inevitable. If a store used to have 20 manned checkouts and now they have 1 and a couple of staff manning the self service, of course they'll cut staffing eventually.