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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Guy at Lidl trying to make me use self check out

139 replies

Earlynightthen · 27/10/2024 17:58

I don’t *Have to, do I?

Shopping in Lidl with dd, 6 (very active, all over the place type child)
We had a trolley full, there was one till that seemed to be sort of open..girl on till coming on and off it to do other bits.
The shop was quiet, few other people, with baskets at the self check out.
Guy who works there came over and in a friendly way said would I like to go to the self checkout, I replied politely, no thank you as I had a lot to unpack and trying to watch dd running around etc and continued to the normal check out to put my things on the conveyer belt thing. He continues to me that it was ok, he’d do it with me/show me how to do it. Again, I said it was ok I knew how to do it but it was easier for me to just unpack my things, he carried on and on, until i had to say ‘I dont have to, right?’ He kind of laughed, but looked at me like I was weird.
I managed to gently push past and put my things on and the girl came to pass them through

Was I being weird, or him?!

OP posts:
Mountainpika · 27/10/2024 18:49

We won't use self checkouts. Hate them. Prefer to have a real person.
A few days ago we were in a small Waitrose. Several self checkouts and two tills, only one of which was open. We had a small shop, the one in front, who was waiting for the previous customer, had a huge trolley load. A staff member appeared from somewhere and told us to go to the closed checkout and someone would be with us in a moment. And indeed, a delightful young woman (teenager, I reckon) came and opened the till. Now that's what should be happening.

HelloCheekyCat · 27/10/2024 18:52

My lidl direct people with trolleys to the manned till, away from the self check out misses point of thread

abracadabra1980 · 27/10/2024 19:05

Neither of you were being weird. He's just doing what he's been trained to do - and you (like me) preferred to use a manned checkout. I honestly think that it's men who are the ones pushing this money saving ridiculousness on shoppers as a whole. Do they have ANY idea what it's like to have to do a family shop with babies and toddlers in tow? Exhausting. Why on earth would you want to self checkout your whole shop in that scenario? Boils my piss and management are entirely to blame.

purplebeansprouts · 27/10/2024 19:07

Pandasnacks · 27/10/2024 17:59

He was just doing his job, and it's totally fine you didn't want to use the self service thing but he was trying to help and offering to assist. It's not weird, it's just him following instructions.

This. He's clearly been tasked to try to get people to use self service.

ThirdStorm · 27/10/2024 19:07

I had this. I said no thank you. He then said he didn’t have anyone on so my only option was the self check out. I explained I have a bad back and struggle to bend and stretch (I annoyed myself by disclosing that), he pouted and said I’d have to use the self check out. I did. I wish I’d waited as within 2 mins of starting a till was opened. Next time I’ll leave the trolley. I strained my back too. I hate this self check out nonsense.

purplebeansprouts · 27/10/2024 19:09

Earlynightthen · 27/10/2024 18:21

So doing his job was to make me feel uncomfortable? I have nothing against people having to do their job, he wasnt some poor guy, he was far too insistent and pushy

He's probably targeted and doesn't want to be doing it. He doesn't as a person give a shit what you do but his boss does.

purplebeansprouts · 27/10/2024 19:10

Earlynightthen · 27/10/2024 18:16

The girl was on and off the check out, back and to, but it was open (the only one) and I had a trolley full and a young child, by the time i’d unloaded all the stuff, she’d be back, even if not straightaway, i’m happy to wait a bit. I hate self check outs and never use them, this was far too insistent and really annoying

She's probably meant to be trying to stack shelves at the same time. They work their staff really hard there

purplebeansprouts · 27/10/2024 19:14

I had a job and I kid you not I had to upsell peas. No one wanted to buy a side of peas. But I had to ask and I hated it. Then my manager saw no one was buying peas so I had to ask them "are you sure I can't tempt you with some peas?" It was ridiculous

TomatoSandwiches · 27/10/2024 19:15

YANBU he should have stopped bothering you after the first no, I just ignore them now I'm not repeating myself again and again or entering a discussion about it.

kiwiane · 27/10/2024 19:17

I avoid the shop with self checkouts now after being forced to use it with a trolley - I’m lucky we have another Lidl which doesn’t have them.
When they wouldn’t open the till I had to pack my shopping as I went causing the buzzer to go for assistance constantly - I hope it annoyed them as much as they’d annoyed me!

IncessantNameChanger · 27/10/2024 19:18

Scanning an entire trolley of shopping is my idea of hell. I'm sure most of the time it saves neither costumer or store time.

Good job he didn't insist. If he had and I was you I'd walk off. If I want to self scan I do it at Sainsbury's who are set up to scan as you shop. Thank god ours doesn't have self serve tills. Yet.

Original poster
Earlynightthen · 27/10/2024 19:25

@Rudicoolcat 👏

OP posts:
Original poster
Earlynightthen · 27/10/2024 19:27

Where we are, the Ikea is now purely all self check out, not even one till, its a pita, you see some people getting all flustered, staff have to be called, there are numerous security there. What is the point, it’s ridiculous

OP posts:
Mum2jenny · 27/10/2024 19:33

Unless there is a serviced till, I will walk out. I do not do self service tills unless I have only 1/2 items neither of which require adult approval.
The only times I’ve done the self service option I’ve been with my dd, and we’ve always had to go through another till to check we weren’t stealing anything.
So I just go through the normal checkouts as I can’t be arsed with the supposed options.

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 27/10/2024 19:52

YANBU @Earlynightthen I think the odd self service checkout here and there has its place, but I deeply resent the fact that some supermarkets are trying to have the self checkouts outnumber the manned ones. (And some are succeeding.) Bloody Morrisons in my local town annoy me. 8 normal tills (was 20 when I moved here over a decade ago!) and 16 bloody self service ones. So they have twice the amount of self service ones. Also, they often only have 2-3 manned checkouts with someone at them.

Obviously trying to encourage people to use the self service. WHY? That's what I'd like to know. There's no advantage for me/the customer, as three quarters of the time, a shop assistant has to come and put a code in for something that won't go through. Either because it's an 'over 25' item, or it's too light and isn't registering on the scale! OR the barcode is damaged, obscured, or has a crease in it.

So yeah, there is NO advantage to me. And I can't see how it gives any advantage to the normal, minimum-pay shop staff. It's a foregone conclusion that many will end up losing their jobs if self service checkouts become 'the norm.'

DH refuses point blank to use the self service checkouts, and says 'I pay for a service, I want it!' Also, it's ridiculous that they want people to go through a self service checkout with a trolley full of stuff!

SunQueen24 · 27/10/2024 20:03

He was just explaining to you how he’d address your concerns when you rebutted him. He probably would have helped you pack etc.

Bruisername · 27/10/2024 20:10

my local Aldi doesn’t have manned tills. It’s great though. They now have 25 self service instead of 4 manned tills and they have 6 employees to help. If someone clearly can’t do it themselves they scan and pack for people.

much better than my local Waitrose where the people helping self scan are nowhere to be found

Thepurplecar · 27/10/2024 20:25

He looked at you weirdly because he's unable to comprehend the fact that you're juggling several different responsibilities ie your child and your shopping. All he sees is the fact that self service might be quicker - for all he knows you might also have a disability which makes self service difficult. Or you might be a recently reformed shop lifter determined to stay on the straight and narrow and unable to trust yourself with self service. He presumably doesn't have any of these issues so you shouldn't either. If you'd only allow him to explain how easy things are.

Original poster
Earlynightthen · 27/10/2024 20:48

Decathlon also has only self check out.

With a large trolley of food it would take forever though

OP posts:
Biffbaff · 27/10/2024 20:56

Can we PLEASE use the word "staffed" rather than "manned".

LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 27/10/2024 23:37

Bruisername · 27/10/2024 20:10

my local Aldi doesn’t have manned tills. It’s great though. They now have 25 self service instead of 4 manned tills and they have 6 employees to help. If someone clearly can’t do it themselves they scan and pack for people.

much better than my local Waitrose where the people helping self scan are nowhere to be found

My local Aldi always had 12 manned checkouts, and no self service ones. Last year they got 8 self service ones, but fortunately, they only took away 2 manned checkouts.

So that's not too bad. At least they still have 10 manned checkouts, and the option to use one of the 8 self service ones.

I would never go a self service checkout with a high trolley full of stuff though. Only ever a manned one.

CherryFlan · 27/10/2024 23:53

I am not going anywhere near those fucking self-service tills. If they won't open a proper till they can put the items in my abandoned trolley back on the shelves themselves. That is all!

TotalEclipseOfMyFart · 28/10/2024 00:04

ThirdStorm · 27/10/2024 19:07

I had this. I said no thank you. He then said he didn’t have anyone on so my only option was the self check out. I explained I have a bad back and struggle to bend and stretch (I annoyed myself by disclosing that), he pouted and said I’d have to use the self check out. I did. I wish I’d waited as within 2 mins of starting a till was opened. Next time I’ll leave the trolley. I strained my back too. I hate this self check out nonsense.

I hear ya. I hate this automating of everything. It's really hard on those of us with disabilities.

Sortumn · 28/10/2024 00:05

I don't like them so I don't use them.
I've given up on shops where it's the only option.

Maybe it's weird, maybe not.

Toastandjam16 · 28/10/2024 00:06

I don't like self service and don't use them. In my local Aldi on one evening visit I was told there was no alternative and I had to use it. I complained later and was told if ever it happened again, to say no and they would open a till. Since then I've been in twice where I've been asked if I want to use self service, declined and I've immediately been told they will open a till for me. So whatever got passed on, they did listen to me and change their approach on this.

I'm pleased as I simply won't keep shopping somewhere I have to use self service. For all of you who find it 'weird' you do what you like, but others should still get the choice!