"Self Service" Tills

[karriecreamer]

In a supermarket this morning, buying a few small items at a self service till and it flagged up a call for staff. No one came, so I had a look around to see their staff member basically doing a "one to one" with an old woman and a full shopping basket, who clearly hadn't a clue how to work the self service till. The guy was basically doing it for her. I went over to ask him to come and clear my till call, and he basically told me to wait. So a few minutes later, he was still faffing around with her, and most of the other tills were flashing red and being ignored too, so I just got fed up and walked out leaving the shopping. Surely, if customers aren't capable, they should be using the "manned" tills and not holding up everyone else, and if staff are having to help for so long, they should at least attend to other calls too and come back to the problem customer after they've cleared the calls.

Our nearest stores refuse to offer service at a till anymore. You only have the option of self service and I'm one of the annoying buggers who can't do it themselves (disability) and the staff must help. It takes forever and it's really embarrassing. I've had it in a store with both as well - sent to self service because of the queue despite me saying I can't manage and told it's fine staff will do it that's what they're for.

I do know it's unfair and have made my feelings known. I can hear the tutting from others (and I'm going deaf so it's obviously quite loud!), but it's never my choice to use it - aside from the damn thing never working properly!

Love self scan, when I want to pop in and out of the shops it’s great! My only annoyance is parents getting their kids to scan the whole bloody shop which takes twice as long

Do you know what's more annoying than people who expect the assistant to scan all their shopping at self service, it's those that, when using manned tills, take forever to clear the packing area, and then fumble slowly in their bag for their purse with a puzzled look on their face that they've been asked for money, then take forever to get the money out..... I bet it's the same people.

butter that can be too, but in my case puzzled look is actually pain. I know I'm the customer everyone hates to be behind, but I do my best even if it doesn't look like it.

I never use them, even if the manned tills have long queues, really detest them and the words; UNEXPECTED ITEM IN BAGGING AREA!
No matter how few items I have there always was an issue.

I do try to be patient becca, I know not all can help it.well saying that, I am patient.

He should have pushed her to the floor and stepped over t come to you, clearly!

You were the most important person in the supermarket; how dare he not know that!

OP is entitled because she wants the assistant to prioritise her needs over someone else's, based on nothing but her own ego. .. and her age - don't forget her age! This was an "old woman" who was inconveniencing her.

I never understand why people who can't use the self service tills insist on using them I can't understand how you find out you can't use them if you've never tried to use them.

So many people use self scan inappropriately.

People putting a whole trolley full through (particularly annoying at lunchtimes, as they hold up an entire queue, each with just a sandwich and a drink).

People who scan their shop onto the bagging scales, pay and THEN pack (as opposed to packing as you go)

People who insist on using them despite not having a clue how to (and when there's a manned till open).

I live self scan - I hate some of the people who use them.

The only time our local store is allowed to turn customers away and send them to a manned checkout is if they have a trolley groaning with items that wouldn't fit in the bagging area. Otherwise, they are not allowed to do so, and are usually inundated with people who ask "Could you put that through for us?". So what can they do? They won't be putting any more staff on to help, so it is just the one lone soul, dealing with it all - till prompts, taking the bottle tags off, refilling till printer paper, spillages, price checks, etc. And they are monitored for good customer service.

I think you could have been a bit more patient - that elderly person may well be you one day, grappling with new technology. You were rude to interrupt him - perhaps the "old" customer was in need of his full attention; did you not think he knew what was going on with the rest of the tills? There are quite a few customers in our local store who are in varying stages of dementia and are on their own. What would you suggest happens to them when they go to the self service?

Thank God there are some people in this world who still treasure and treat the older generation with respect. YABVU

It's like everything in life, some people are better at things than others.

I don't think you can feel more entitled to use the self scanners because you're quicker?