To think self checkouts in clothes shops is a step too far

[Comedycook]

Went shopping to get my dd some new clothes today. Noticed H and M had self service checkouts... tills were open too though. Then I went to M&S and tills were only for returns or exchanges and to pay you had to use self service. I tolerate self checkouts in supermarkets but when I am buying clothes, I expect some sort of service. What struck me is that in my local M and S they sell Jaeger...a blouse was £125. I assume their coats would be at least a couple of hundred quid. It really irks me and no way would I spend hundreds of pounds on an item of clothing and have to ring it up a the checkout myself. I think it's really crappy to be honest... anyone else agree?

Not all self checkouts are made equal. The self scans at Uniqlo are fab, I hate queuing. The self scans at supermarkets are a PITA.

But why is a person scanning things at a till customer service? I would like people on the shopfloor to ask questions, help me find things. At the point of paying my shopping is finished, i can scan a tag and my card myself. That’s the one point in shopping where I really don’t need a human. And stuck behind a register that human is completely useless for actual customer service.

still at least you wouldn't have had to, heaven forbid, speak to another human being.

I'm disabled, so you can fuck off with that snide shite.

I'd just feel like a total mug scanning a £400 coat myself at the tills then sticking it in my Sainsburys bag for life...feel like they're taking the absolute piss out of me

I don't understand?

Totally agree. It’s fine in certain shops but in M&S it just seems so wrong. Not meaning any disrespect here but the self checkouts in my local store often have people of a certain age looking completely flummoxed and stressed whilst trying to work out the system. agree with what a pp said, it’s a real shame they don’t get the human interaction and care that they used to get as part of the experience. Very off putting for a lot of people.

Im sure there are shops available for you to get some gratitude for shopping there Just might have to pay a bit more for your blouse to get it.

Is it because you want to flaunt your wealth or something? Who cares about the make of a top?

I'm not in the least bit wealthy and it would be incredibly rare for me to spend that amount on myself. I don't know why you thought otherwise.

And yes, I do think if you're buying something in a shop, a human being saying thank you when they take your money is a reasonable expectation.

Oh this is excellent! I used them in H&M in France last month and loved them, they had the security tag removers on too.
So much easier. Hope this comes to my local H&M rather than the usual 20 deep queue.

Im sure there are shops available for you to get some gratitude for shopping

If your dc was running a stall at their school fete, would you not tell them to say thank you when someone hands the money over?

I don't understand?

I know. That's the problem.

You made a snide comment about people having to 'heaven forbid, speak to a human' - I mentioned upthread about how I don't (actually often can't) speak to a human. I have a disability that makes my life, interacting with others in particular, fucking difficult.

So before you go acting like people are being ridiculous for choosing self scan as an alternative to human contact take your head out your arse and think about why that might be for some.

But likewise there will also be disabled people who will actually need a person to serve them. In the nicest possible way, how did you shop before self check outs?

And I can assure you shops did not bring in self check outs to help disabled people.

But likewise there will also be disabled people who will actually need a person to serve them.

I'm not saying they should all be self check outs, I'm saying don't look down on someone who avoids human contact.

In the nicest possible way, how did you shop before self check outs?

I didn't go alone.

Erm, I'm not suggesting they did. I'm saying they suit me so keep your 'heaven forbid' comment about speaking to other humans to yourself and understand that we are not all the same.

I’m used to Uniqlo, etc with self service tills. Not an issue. But I went to one clothes shop in London recently , no till that I could see, or a sales assistant. I rang the bell by the “pay point” with no till and a staff person came down the stairs from the first floor. (I could have walked out with everything easily). I asked her where the till was and she said you pay on the app. I don’t have the bloody app! She sighed and took me upstairs where there was a till.

When its made obvious that can work really well.
Disneyland in California has that system in the village shops. You can scan what you buy in the store on your phone then checkout and scan a QR code as you leave.
There are signs everywhere explaining the system though, but in a store thats generally heaving it's a great idea. Not so much in an empty Uniqlo though.

Sorry "empty Uniqlo" does not compute.

Yes it's awful but they can't do it unless we let them.

Collectively People can have alot of power. Don't use them and they will have to change.

I'm happy with self serve tills. I don't require 'being served' no matter how much I've spent. I don't miss small talk at a till, though I love actual social interaction and conversation.

And yes, to take one of the examples on here, I'd be very happy to pour my own drink at a bar. In fact the idea is brilliant. No more having to get jostled at the bar while someone deliberates over what flavour crisps they want. I'll just pick an unattended tap and pour my own pint.

I love it because it cuts down queuing massively and I also hate interaction. So it works for me.

What's with the heaven forbid? Some people find it really hard to talk to another human being. Nothing worse when I'm having a really shit day than a cashier trying to jolly me up when all I want is a coffee and a sandwhich

The machine can say thank you.

You seem to think that if you buy something expensive you are owed a human pretending to be happy to see you.

The only place I’ve done this so far is M&S and Zara. It’s a bit of a pain but at least you’re spared the unsmiling Zara till staff.

Well when you’re partly paying that human’s wages by buying stuff in their shop you’d think the least they could do is be happy to see you.