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AIBU?

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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:
ForPearlViper · 28/10/2024 15:37

This happened to me in a local Lidl store and the guy was very insistent. I was particularly annoyed as I have older relatives who find using self checkouts very difficult but conversely are unlikely to complain. They'd just feel they had been excluded from yet another retailer with this policy.

When I got home I sent a (very polite) email to Lidl customer services asking if this was their policy. I got an email back very quickly saying it absolutely was not and a till should always be opened for customers who didn't want to self checkout or had larger shops. They said they would contact the store manager to investigate and I also got a voucher.

It has never happened since. Clearly they're not going to keep a till open if it's quiet and no-one needs one. I just smile and ask which till do you want me to go to? One is always opened. If you have this issue, drop customer services an email.

I find my local Aldi self checkouts good. There's always someone there helping very proactively - you rarely have to catch anyone's eye to get store approval, etc. And they always seem to have a till open.

Carpr · 28/10/2024 15:51

The cashier on the checkout that served me today in M&S was saying about the amount of theft from the self checkouts and how blatant it was.

Swivelhead · 28/10/2024 15:53

Carpr · 28/10/2024 15:51

The cashier on the checkout that served me today in M&S was saying about the amount of theft from the self checkouts and how blatant it was.

I have seen it myself. I wonder if it is going to cut into the approx 40% of stock loss that is through theft by staff.

Sartre · 28/10/2024 15:59

He should have backed off the first time you told him no, the fact he kept going is just rude. Also weird to be pushing for the very thing that will see him out of a job before long.

Sartre · 28/10/2024 16:00

Carpr · 28/10/2024 15:51

The cashier on the checkout that served me today in M&S was saying about the amount of theft from the self checkouts and how blatant it was.

M&S don’t have scales so they kind of ask for it.

mamajong · 28/10/2024 16:26

He'll have been trained to try to overcome objections, so I expect he was trying to establish if your reason for saying no was because you had DD with you hence his offer to help.

You said no firmly and did it the way you wanted and he has done his job by offering to help and gently attempting to convince you by offering help.

Yabu to find it 'weird' as it seems an over reaction to an ordinary situation imo.

CoffeeCantata · 28/10/2024 17:00

Thanks Helpnifoseeker and OneDandyPoet....it is as i suspected!

I will therefore continue to be a bolshie cow and insist on a human checkout person. I'm always nice to staff - I know it's not their fault! And if I get the chance I ask them to tell their managers how cheesed off I am with the change.

I know I'm swimming against a tsuanami, but I've changed from my bank to the only building soc which has promised to keep a personned office open on our high street for the next 3 years.

I think, if you feel strongly that this move is wrong, please be awkward in the shops (not rude to staff, obvs) and write to the retail giants concerned.

augustusglupe · 28/10/2024 17:15

I think he went too far. Can’t he take no for an answer?!
Think you handled it well OP.
I like my local big Marks and Tesco for this. Never been asked in Tesco and always lots of checkouts open.
Sometimes asked once in Marks, say No Thankyou, then left alone.

Original poster
Earlynightthen · 28/10/2024 17:21

@Balloonhearts Oh bugger off, i’m able to do basic parenting and my girl has good manners, okay?
Is there a point to your post or do you just fancy putting someone down?

OP posts:
Original poster
Earlynightthen · 28/10/2024 17:21

@WelshPool This is how I felt too

OP posts:
DinosaurMunch · 28/10/2024 17:37

Self checkouts are fine if you have a small number of items, nothing that needs age or security checking and no Children.

Self checkout is a nightmare with a young child - you are constantly having to tell them not to take stuff off the scale, not to lean on the scale, stop them wandering off or getting in the way.

Original poster
Earlynightthen · 28/10/2024 17:38

@DinosaurMunch This is it

OP posts:
LikeWhoUsesTypewritersAnyway · 28/10/2024 19:13

Rudicoolcat · 28/10/2024 18:55

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5196760-scanning-error-in-supermarket-conundrum

I'm guessing by this posters frustration, she is not the only person to have been in this situation.

More evidence that it's essential to have manned checkouts (as well as self service ones!)

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