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AIBU?

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Original poster

Getting in a rage in a Poundland!

37 replies

RaspberryRipple1963 · 07/12/2018 18:00

Sorry,I just need to vent really,not expecting any solution to my problem!
Ever since the Poundland in my local town installed self service tills,it seems to me that a hell of a lot of people's manners have just gone down the plug hole. When it was only cashiers serving,everyone used to wait in line until it was their turn to be served. Now though,it seems to be a free-for-all (for the able bodied and those quick enough off the mark that is). Numerous times over the last couple of months I have been at the front of the queue or second in line,waiting for either a cashier to shout 'next please' or the staff member patrolling the self service tills to call out 'Anyone for self-service',but for some reason people behind me in the queue think it's fine to barge to the front of the queue.
I don't quite understand their logic behind this,surely the cashier or staff member saying a self-service till is free,means the person who is at the FRONT of the queue,not someone who is behind 10 other customers?! I got into an argument last week when a woman elbowed her way in front of me,probably because I'd hesitated for a nano second,waiting for someone to move out of my way. When I politely told her that I was actually next,and that there was a queue,she accused me of being rude and aggressive! Believe me,I wasn't!
Why is it that nowadays,especially in the run up to Christmas, a good proportion of the population think they're entitled to queue jump in front of disabled/not-so-quick-off-the-mark people?! Angry

OP posts:
Valasca · 07/12/2018 18:03

Because there’s always people at front of the queue that want to wait for a cashier, refuse to use self serve, and won’t move out of the way for those who do use self serve.

Also, you don’t wait for an employee to announce it Confused. You pay attention which is open next. They announce when customers don’t move/pay attention/hold up the queue.

Theweasleytwins · 07/12/2018 18:08

Generally two queues in our poundland- self serve and not

Thought this would be about the stupid voices of the self serve- elvis and now santaHmm

Original poster
RaspberryRipple1963 · 07/12/2018 18:09

But I do keep an eye out for the next available cashier. That said,I am slightly wary of dashing over to one just because they've finished serving someone. I did that once and she just walked away from the till,leaving me standing there like a twit. When I tried to go back to the head of the queue,I was met with nasty remarks about queue jumping! Confused

OP posts:
overnightangel · 07/12/2018 18:12

The day I get annoyed about how long it takes me to buy the everyday tat a i need from Poundland is the day I’ll realised I have fuck all to actually moan about and I’ll go home and give myself a good shake .
Get a hobby

Original poster
RaspberryRipple1963 · 07/12/2018 18:12

Oh god,those self service till 'voices'! Thought the Elvis one was bad enough! Instructing us to 'put our presents under the tree'. What,a packet of toilet rolls and 2 bottles of Vimto?! Grin

OP posts:
Valasca · 07/12/2018 18:13

No for cashiers you wait til called. For self serve you watch and go over as soon as someone starts to grab their stuff off. Ours has both and the employee tells you to go to a certain self serve as soon as the current customer has made the payment. That’s irritating when you need another half a minute to put stuff away and gather up your items.

Original poster
RaspberryRipple1963 · 07/12/2018 18:14

overnightangel There's no need to be so nasty. The reason I was moaning was because I have quite bad mobility issues,and find standing in line for ages painful. This was meant to be a semi light hearted rant. And I DO have a hobby,thanks very much.

OP posts:
rslsys · 07/12/2018 19:54

I’m afraid if I wanted to operate a till in any shop, I would have applied for a job there.
How long before all shops do away with operated tills? (B&Q before 9:00am - I’m looking at you).

3WildOnes · 07/12/2018 20:03

In ours there are always people in the front of the queue who don’t want to use the self service and are waiting for the cashier. If you are waiting to be called over they probably just think that you’re waiting for the cashier. Just move when you see a free till don’t wait.

SnuggyBuggy · 07/12/2018 20:07

It sounds like they need 2 separate queues, this set up sounds awkward.

KnightlyMyMan · 07/12/2018 21:01

🤔 OP I think you’re misunderstanding how 99% of shops work now a days.

You’re either in the till queue OR you’re in the self service queue. I live in a city centre and shop daily, I’ve yet to find a store where the two queues are combined.

I honestly think this is you misunderstanding the system not others being rude!

YABU

Valasca · 10/12/2018 18:40

Knightly, lots of stores still have one queue because they can’t adapt the floor space to accommodate two separate queues. Our particular Poundland gets huge cues at the weekend and they’d lose too much floor space (and therefore sell less stuff) if they reworked the layout in a way to accommodates two queues. They’d need to move the existing tills and instead, they just added the self serves opposite the existing tills, making 2 queues impossible.

SnuggyBuggy · 10/12/2018 18:47

I think I'd find that stressful

PickAChew · 10/12/2018 18:50

The two queues are combined in our store.

SnuggyBuggy · 10/12/2018 18:52

It must be really awkward trying to work out who is queuing for what though

halcyondays · 10/12/2018 18:55

If you're at the front and don't move forward when a self service till becomes free, people will probably just think you're waiting to use the normal tills.

MiddlingMum · 10/12/2018 18:57

I find Poundland easy to deal with.

I pick up things I want. Take them to the paying area. If there's a cashier, all well and good, I'm happy to queue. If there's only self-service with one person "supervising" them, I hand my potential purchases to her/him, say "I only use human cashiers", smile sweetly and walk out calmly.

Never found this a problem.

HildaZelda · 10/12/2018 18:59

The two queues are combined in my local Poundland too. The layout means there's not room for two separate queues.
There are some incredibly rude people who will literally push others out of their way, but the store security guard seems to supervise the tills a lot. Have to say I bloody love him. He's the only security guard I've ever seen who takes no shit. He's incredibly firm, but still polite.

Puddington · 10/12/2018 19:00

MiddlingMum hope that's an exaggeration for comic effect Shock

malmi · 10/12/2018 19:07

In my local Tesco there is a separate queue for the self service. People get to the front and just stand there gormlessly despite there being multiple machines available. I just walk past them now and let them figure it out for themselves.

malmi · 10/12/2018 19:10

MiddlingMum, why not check the till situation before you take items off the shelves? That would prevent you wasting your (everyone's) time.

HildaZelda · 10/12/2018 19:11

@Puddington, same here. If not, then how rude Hmm

RebootYourEngine · 10/12/2018 19:17

It is not just poundland. Last week i was in the Post Office. The queue was long. Probably about 12-15 people. The PO is the size of a shoe box and the way the shop is laid out you have to queue passed the door. Some people come in, look at the queue and just join it at the door rather than at the end of the queue.

SnuggyBuggy · 10/12/2018 19:19

Thing is there is always going to be that gormless person at the front who just stands there until you overtake and then starts moaning that they were there first. I'd just shop elsewhere

KurriKurri · 10/12/2018 19:24

We have two separate queues - but it doesn't stop people pushing and shoving.

I have to admit I really liked self service Elvis, but self service Santa is creepy as all get out. I have to keep hearing him telling me to put my presents under the tree and hohohoing, because I have an addiction to Poundland liqueur chocolates and have to keep buying more and more boxes.