to get really irritated by Aldi opening and closing tills?

[flitwit99]

I was only in 15 minutes and they must have opened and closed till number 5 about 4 times. Then they opened till number 6. But then closed it again once it has served one person. Drives me insane.

Who on earth are all these checkout assistants "lobbing" stuff at people?

Their whole setup is usually that an item can be slid from belt to little shelf area without having to lift it up once - that's why the barcodes are so prominent.

It couldn't possibly be pp making up bullshit to prove some weird non-point? Same as those who are apparently "forced" to buy all the rotten fruit and veg nobody else has to?

If you don't like it, don't go there. It's not bloody mandatory.
But if you do, play the same fucking game as everyone and either pack as you go or use the damn bench. Thousands of people manage to do those things every day without problem, so maybe look closer to home for the source of your ire.

I really don’t understand the fuss with packing at the checkout. It takes as long to place the item in the trolley as it does into an open bag placed in said trolley. And staff have never commented on why I am packing into bags rather than straight into the trolley and repacking later. Bonkers! In fact this is how most people do it, I’ve never really seen anyone repacking at the side.

DH hates shopping anywhere else now, he loves the speed of aldi checkouts

All of the Lidl branches I have been to in Edinburgh have self checkout tills, none of the Aldi ones do.

Packing at the shelf is one of the reasons I love Aldi. I have a weird thing about the order that items go on the belt and how they are packed afterwards and the whole self thing means I can pack them exactly the way I want them packed without holding up a checkout queue. DH thinks I am bonkers but admits it's less stress for us all when I get to do it the way I want and don't mutter about things being in THE WRONG BAG.

So the pay ain't hat good then. And why would I take London stores into account, I don't live in London- it's not the only place in the world you know. I disagree, there are other ways to provide cheap food without treating staff and customers like shite.

I took London stores into account as that's simply how the stats are broken down in terms of the pay in the retail - based sources that I have read them. Stats including and excluding London - many salaries are referenced that way. I am also aware it's not the only place in the world - I have never lived anywhere remotely close to London!!

I'd say the second best (or best!) pay in the sector isn't that bad either.

i dont get the pack on the bench thing, i put my 3/4 bags in the trolley and throw the stuff straight in the bags.

i dont get the pack on the bench thing

One practical reason: I only use one of the small trolleys, so the bags I have can't all be opened up in the trolley to pack directly.

But I have no problem with packing at the bench in my own time.

I had experienced the weird till opening and closing at Aldi earlier today. Large queue forms at 6 so they close it, saying they are opening till 2. Queue forms at 2 waiting for a member of staff to attend. Meanwhile till 6 empties. Then they almost immediately close 2 and reopen 6 again. Why? Same number of staff, same size queue. It just pisses people off.

I have always wondered as to why Lidl are opening & closing tills. It is HIGHLY FRUSTRATING & EVEN CONFUSING!!!!😠😠😠😠😡😡😡😡 I personally don't see the need to open & close tills all day long every day. It's bloody stupid!!!! just because the que on one till has eased it doesn't mean it will stay that way. It could get really busy again within a minute or two or even a few seconds. The store's staff head staff( managers) really should pull their finger out & do things that can make not only the shops profit. But, to make it's customers more happy ( which is number 1) As for Aldi i really can't say as it's been a long time since i was in one of their stores & don't know about their till system.

I also find it rather aggrevating when Lidl suddenly shuts down a till & opens up another & then a few mins later they re- open the one they just closed. WHY such messing about. It is very confusing for many customers. Why doesn't the head staff pull their finger out & make their customers happy. Not bloody confused & miserable. I don't think other business like Lidl & Aldi are so confusing to their customers when it comes to till hopping. 👎😠😠😠😠😠😡😡😡

There's always a bloody queue and noone on the tills at my local aldi. It's rare that you can just pop in quickly for something as although getting the shopping through is quick it takes forever to get to the till in the first place

Same in lidl and mine doesn't have self service tills

I have no issues, go at off peak times too

@Oysterbabe

Our new Lidl has a self checkout and it makes me so happy, especially as it feels like I'm the only fucker who uses it and most people will join a queue rather than use it.

I love Lidl self checkout as well. It is funny how people queue up when the self service is empty. The only thing that annoys me is you have to pay by card, well you do at the branch I use, sometimes if I'm only buying a few bits I'd rather use cash but that is a small issue.

@SKARO

I have always wondered as to why Lidl are opening & closing tills. It is HIGHLY FRUSTRATING & EVEN CONFUSING!!!!😠😠😠😠😡😡😡😡 I personally don't see the need to open & close tills all day long every day. It's bloody stupid!!!! just because the que on one till has eased it doesn't mean it will stay that way. It could get really busy again within a minute or two or even a few seconds. The store's staff head staff( managers) really should pull their finger out & do things that can make not only the shops profit. But, to make it's customers more happy ( which is number 1) As for Aldi i really can't say as it's been a long time since i was in one of their stores & don't know about their till system.

So you opened a zombie to complain about something that's covered further up

I've shopped everywhere; ALDI, LIDL, Tesco, Sainsburys, ASDA and now Waitrose is my supermarket of choice.

You can either scan your own shopping or go through a till where your shopping isn't chucked at you at a million miles an hour.

@ideasofmarch

I've got so used to the light-speed checkout in Aldi that anywhere else seems painfully slow now!

This! I couldn't believe how long I queued in Tesco one day, after shopping at only Aldi and Lidl for a very long time. Honestly it took about 15 minutes and that was just ONE shopper. Now I try to shop and scan if I go to other supermarkets. Love the speed at Aldi!

A Zombie Aldi thread. Great.

Scan as You Shop all the way.

It bothers me when they push my food on the floor because I can't shove it in the trolley quick enough, and I do bloody try! But nope, fragile and squishy things chucked on the dirty floor

Ah in Wales we get another layer of fun. They announce till open/closeing in Welsh first so if you speak Welsh you can be smug and get to that till first! Always fun to play race the checkout person too and beat them at packing speed...I clearly have had a very boring covid couple of years....

Same in Lidl, either open one and keep it open fir busy times or don’t open it.

This doesn’t annoy me but having my weekly shop lobbed at me at 500 items per second does.

This and the tills thing are two reasons why I shop all the offers and good value basics at another supermarket and avoid Aldi
& Lidl. I like their products and prices, but find this too stressful.

Some Lidls are also very unhygienic I find. But not all. Not sure about Aldi, not enough experience.

@Showpan that's all very well and good except that it's potentially ageist and ableist. What 80-year-old or person with a disability wants their shopping lobbed at them / on the floor? Even if it's fine for the younger and abler among us. (Clue: it really isn't.)

We went to Lidl today for the weekly shop, only to find ALL the fridges closed. Every single one.