To wonder why people hate the self check outs at supermarkets

[Mumto123monkeys]

It’s driving me a bit mad....people moaning.
I don’t get what’s wrong with them, I’ve heard ‘why would I use them, I don’t work hear’. But surely it shortens the que...

Also ‘I like to speak to people, not a machine’ ok....it’s not difficult to strike up a convo in most places...
and loads of others! Personally, I can’t see the issue! I use both, I prefer self serve-scan as you shop too, if it’s available! It’s much quicker, and the kids love it so helps keep them happy!
I know they can be glitchy, but some shops have got them really good!

Oh yes and the other thing that I like about self service tills is that it is a convenient way to get rid of lots of small change. Yes I could go to the cashier and stand there taking all the clinker out of my purse and counting it in to her hand, but I find it easier to do that to a machine.

I pour all of my loose change into it too, very handy.

The ASDA ones require each coin put in one at a time with a few seconds between each one. It takes ages to put a lot of change in.

I do use them for smaller quantities of groceries but they do frustratingly spam out for no good reason sometimes and then you have to wait for a member of staff to come along and clear it.

Last time I got a 'please put item in the bag' (i had) or similar and the staff member asked me what was the last item I had scanned and then checked my bag to ensure it was in there. Felt a bit criminalised.

They hardly ever work correctly.

Enough said.

They recently introduced them in my local supermarket and I tried it for the first the time week (I usually do a week's worth of shopping at once so def not going to use them for that!) and it was nowhere near as bad as I feared. There's no bagging area on these ones (and I couldn't figure out where to input that I took a bag so I got a bag free, oops) so no 'unexpected item in the bagging area' and it didn't glitch. On the other hand, you can't buy anything age restricted or reduced on these ones.

But I still prefer going to the till, I'd only use it if I only have a couple of items and there are long queues

I like them and think they're a great invention, the only time they annoy me is when every other item needs assistance and you're waiting for the person.. I don't mean underage items like alcohol but if the bag moves slightly or it doesn't scan an item properly etc.

@Kazzyhoward

'Were you concerned when thousands of small shops closed down when the supermarkets first opened? Or for the guys who filled your car with petrol before self-service petrol stations?'

I've just talked to my Dad about this.

I was born in the early 70s & grew up in a small village that never had a village store/post office of its own anyway. You had to drive for 4 miles to the nearest town where you went to either the butchers/grocers/bakers (all of which are still open) or the supermarket.
The local petrol stations were always self-service when my family moved there in 1970 - 2 years before I was born!

Because it takes ages to get through as youre constantly waiting for someone to fix the unexpected items.

I love them. I hate being hassled by checkout assistants who put my stuff through too fast so it is difficult to pack in the order I want; thump my fruit down, turn cakes, etc nearly upside down, so spoiling them - and the many other things that routinely happen at manned checkouts. Also I do not like to be engaged in conversation - just put my stuff through please!

I hate them. They never fucking work properly for me.

I find that the people who say "they never work properly" just don't use them properly.

OK, please elaborate - what are we doing "wrong"?

Passport readers are completely different - firstly the UK passport agency and UK border force aren't businesses, so it's nothing to do with being profit driven.
No, but it's everything to do with Civil Servants and politicians being sold snake oil technical "solutions" that don't work properly, and the profits going to overseas teach companies.

What's it to you what other people do? Why do you care? I don't give a fuck about 'using them properly'? I think they're shit so I don't use them.