To think that people shopping in Aldi shouldn’t insist on packing bags at checkout

[Shell4429]

Just, this. I was shopping tonight and two customers in front of me did this and I was really annoyed. While waiting I thought that Aldi should charge a fee for people who do this. It’s not fair on customers who do it the correct way. A surcharge would work, like it did with carrier bags. If everyone insisted on doing this surely it would drive prices up.

Isn't that slower than putting it straight from the conveyor belt into your bags

It clears the tills faster.
Staff are timed and monitored on thier speed and how many customers they get through the till. It can affect thier job if they arent fast enough.
Its always been this way at aldi.

So what happens when your elderly father shops there? does he chuck it in the trolley at speed also

Didn't till staff at Aldi have to remember all the prices when they first opened over here?

I think they did have to learn them all, it was a bit like Kwiksave if anyone remembers them

Btw I agree about the issue of having to pack at speed OR dumping stuff in the trolley if you are elderly or having some disability (that can be hidden too!!)
That’s the reason why I never go to my local Aldi store. I’ve seen too many older people have their stuff just pushed into the trolley wo a care just to be a little bit quicker.
I’ve also seen someone been told off because they hadn’t out the trolley just where the cashier wanted (so they can just push things in) even though it was easier for them.
I’ve seen anything been pushed, incl bananas, tomatoes, cans etc.. with no care. Cue for bruised/squashed bananas, fruit and vegs etc...

And now, instead of having people having a bit of compassion for those who struggle (remember that I’d you do struggle to pack th8ngs in, youbare also likely to struggle to put everything on the bench to then put them back in a bag), we have people who feel entitled to speed and not having to wait two mins more.

Tbh, if speed is such an issue for you, don’t sho at Aldi. Go to a supermarket with self scanning tills. You won’t wait then.

That must have slowed things up a bit. But I don't think their product range was huge initially.

A see this is where having the right preparation comes in.

1. Place everything on the belt in the order you want it to come off.
2. When all items are on the conveyor belt, Get 3 of their large 38p bags, propped up in your trolley ready and one on the end on the hook. (Have these in advance and reuse, hook bag is for bread items at the end)
3. Get your card out your purse and next to the card reading machine as soon as you get there.
4. Line up trolley to the end of the conveyor belt
5. Throw everything in bags and stand there tapping foot with card ready to insert and a smug smile to all those in the queue behind you.

Aldi brings out the competitive side in me!

Ultimately, it affects the staff working there. They get assessed on speed.

I've worked out a decent compromise system that means I keep up with the checkout and semi pack.

I put all the heavy and solid stuff at the front. That goes into bags at bottom of trolley. These items like tins and pasta can be packed without too much care.

The all the bread, fruit, veg, etc just goes on top and is packed at the bench with more care. Takes me only a minute or two and I clear the checkout really quickly and don't get squished bread or broken eggs.

It's all in the ordering on the conveyor belt.

I pack at the till too. I have 3 big bags and I just chuck stuff in as I would do if they weren't there - repacking seems like a fool's job. Rules smules!

On a different note anyone else getting bored with the overuse of the word "entitled" on MN? Surpassed only by the word "snowflake".

Aldi, and Lidl, made the mistake of having an area by the till to pack, in Germany a trolley fitted into that space, goods were swiped into the trolley then the shopper could take as much time as they wanted packing. The used trolley then replaced it, worked really well, those who had a different bag for particular items didn't hold up the rest of the q.

Another check-out thing that bugs me, if someone decides halfway through they've forgotten something their stuff should be checked through, paid for then they go and find the item and q again, not hold up everyone and return with a stupid 'Sorry' smirk.

Yes if speed is important to you go to a supermarket where you scan and pack as you go round the shop and quickly pay at the end. No double handling of your groceries.

I have 4 big bags for life open in my trolley, load stuff on the conveyer belt in the order I want them (ie, all the heavy stuff goes first), then just chuck stuff in bags as they go through the till

It takes no longer than just chucking it straight in the trolley

Everyone else seems to do exactly the same. The packing bench is covered in leaflets and all sorts of junk. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use it

Shell another way to look at it.
Just no customer was accepting to be treated like shit, having to rush like mad, hav8ng their stuff damaged in the process, regardless of whether they have a disability or not, then Aldi won’t be able to carry ion imposing that system to people.

So maybe your answer instead should be that you shouldn’t accept that attitude in Aldi thinking about your child and father and all the people similarity affected.

Fwiw when our Aldi opened, a friend of mine took her father there. You could t move the card machine to pay. He was in wheelchair and couldn’t access said card machine.
That tells you exactly how much Aldi care about people with disability/elderly/just ill that day.

In which case, why are you shopping with them???

Not packing but still aldi related,when they talk to each other on their headsets many a time I've said pardon and they've been talking to someone else At least they are on the ball I've since realised that they are telling each other who has the lowest queue etc to be more efficient

At Kwiksave stuff used to be just swiped into another trolley by the cashier there was no counter, just a packing shelf.

I hate Aldi for this one reason.

I only buy a few things from there via a basket and its so hard to even gather a few items in a bag with the speed the launch things through and before you've even paid they are scanning the next persons items. its completely unrealistic for the customer.

@AmI- Get your card out your purse and next to the card reading machine as soon as you get there.

THIS!!! It gives me the rage when people wait in the queue then faff around getting card, money etc after their stuff has gone through!! It's almost as if it's a surprise that payment is required. Blokes are worse as don't have a bag/purse - all that tapping of pockets to work out which one their card/wallet is in. Get payment out and ready whilst you are waiting people! Rant over, as you were.

Sorry I'm one of those people who packs at the till. I always have ds with me who's 2 and by the time we get to the tills he's screaming and kicking off so much, I can't be doing with putting all shopping back in the trolley to then unload and pack it back in bags. I Just want to get out as quickly as possible. I will apologise now to everyone who's annoyed with me holding them up and a further apology for the screaming child.

AmIAWeed
I do that.
It's fine packing if you've got a basket so its a few items jnto a bag.
It's fine if your bags lined up and it is as quick as putting it in your trolley.

It's not ok if people wait for bags to go through, have shopping in the wrong order on the belt so then insist on juggling and repositioning items in the bags because they don't want to have to use the packing shelf. (no minorly irritable emoji)

To be fair, the Lidl/Aldi business model is fewer staff / speed of checking out - they are cheaper tgan say sainsburys / waitrose for a reason. The queues in mine are often huge so I only go at certain times (ie not after schools or church is out) or if I'm desperate.

I always pack at the packing bench. I thought that was the whole point.

I do wish Aldi had a basket til though, the queues are always awful and I can’t be bothered to queue for one or two items. Love self scanning at Tesco’s too, it makes shopping so easy. Do other supermarkets do self scanning?

OP, If your life is that busy and that stressful and your feet hurt surely it would be easier to pay a little more and get a home delivery from somewhere like Tesco, you must be spending on car usage and petrol to drive to Aldi anyway.

I always pack at the till in the Aldi I go to, but I just chuck it in the bag and then, if necessary, repack at the packing bench.
To be fair, though, I'm very used to the speed in Aldi in Germany, and that makes the cashiers at the one I use here look extremely slow.

Only Aldi? Before I started to use self scan in Asda, always customers in my queue packing at check out. Didn't bother me. Most filled their bags as quick as cashier scanned them anyway. But gotta laugh if I only had a few items and cashier said need any help packing?

Been using self scan long time now, and its so much quicker.

Anyone who doesn’t conform thinks they are more important than the people who do

No, I simply take no more time putting my items into bags in a trolley than someone would to put items straight into a trolley.

Items are sorted on the conveyor belt.
Large bags in trolley that don't need holding open.
Card in pocket ready to pay.
Pack at same speed as cashier putting items through.

I never keep cashiers waiting to pay so it's daft to add extra time to my day!