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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Queues in shops are longer than they used to be?

38 replies

merediththethird · 04/02/2025 19:39

I feel like queues are longer nowadays since online shopping due to fewer staff manning tills but I’m not sure whether I’m misremembering.

Boring question inspired by an argument today in our local Poundland between a customer and manager. Customer was telling a staff member off for not putting more staff on the tills. It feels to me that long queues are more standard now than in the past but perhaps not!

So: ‘queues in shops are longer than they used to be’

No they’re not longer - YABU

Yes they’re longer - YANBU

OP posts:
Original poster
merediththethird · 04/02/2025 19:50

Thanks for the votes! Seems people agree queues are longer nowadays! Good to know as I was wondering whether I/we were just becoming less patient and more intolerant.

OP posts:
PrioritisePleasure24 · 04/02/2025 19:52

I have friends that work for a clothing retail company and there’s so few of them on the floor now it’s ridiculous! The staff don’t like it either….

TomatoSandwiches · 04/02/2025 19:55

Yes they are longer and there seems to be no sense of urgency or worry from higher ups that people are having to put up with it.

We are being trained.

Heidi2018 · 04/02/2025 19:59

My local Tesco has 6 manned tills, 3 scan as you shop checkouts and a self checkout area. There is usually 1 staff on a manned till, 1 at the shop as you go checkouts and one manning the self checkouts. Ridiculous.

I'llBuyThatForADollar · 04/02/2025 20:00

Stay away from Zara! It's horrendous in there.

myotherusernamesarebetter · 04/02/2025 20:02

“Customer was telling a staff member off for not putting more staff on the tills”

As if it’s their fault. When I worked in retail this was so irritating - we had no bloody say!

TheWayTheLightFalls · 04/02/2025 20:02

My local (big) Sainsbury's has removed a lot of the checkouts, for self-checkouts. Which inevitably go wrong and need a member of staff. But there's one member of staff for 20+ self-checkouts. At busier times there are queues right back through the store.

ADifferentSong · 04/02/2025 20:02

At our local Boots there is often just one person there who has to re-stock the shelves, manage the till and fetch the click & collect packages. I doubt she gets paid 3 people’s wages.

Original poster
merediththethird · 04/02/2025 20:07

myotherusernamesarebetter · 04/02/2025 20:02

“Customer was telling a staff member off for not putting more staff on the tills”

As if it’s their fault. When I worked in retail this was so irritating - we had no bloody say!

I agree she was directing her anger at the wrong person and you’ll be pleased to hear so did the entire (lengthy!) queue. She got a right telling off from various members of the public who were sticking up for the staff member which I thought was really sweet.

OP posts:
Original poster
merediththethird · 04/02/2025 20:10

ADifferentSong · 04/02/2025 20:02

At our local Boots there is often just one person there who has to re-stock the shelves, manage the till and fetch the click & collect packages. I doubt she gets paid 3 people’s wages.

Edited

Our local Boots is exactly the same! I have abandoned my purchases so many times at Boots! I almost always go to Superdrug over the road now who are a bit better.

I’m so intrigued as to why though. What’s the point in having a physical store and seemingly not wanting people to buy anything.

OP posts:
Heidi2018 · 04/02/2025 20:10

merediththethird · 04/02/2025 20:10

Our local Boots is exactly the same! I have abandoned my purchases so many times at Boots! I almost always go to Superdrug over the road now who are a bit better.

I’m so intrigued as to why though. What’s the point in having a physical store and seemingly not wanting people to buy anything.

Show quote history

I think getting staff has become a problem. People don't want to work.

Snugglemonkey · 04/02/2025 20:12

This is why people abandon baskets/trolleys/wee piles of stuff.

Danikm151 · 04/02/2025 20:12

It’s so frustrating.
local lidl has 6 tills and 6 tiny self checkouts.
I rarely see the manned tills open and if they are it’s at behest with a queue winding round

TomatoSandwiches · 04/02/2025 20:13

Heidi2018 · 04/02/2025 20:10

I think getting staff has become a problem. People don't want to work.

Show quote history

No there are plenty of people that are willing to work but they need set hours to work around school, college, childcare or a contract that's not zero hours.

Original poster
merediththethird · 04/02/2025 20:15

What are we being trained for @TomatoSandwiches?

It wouldn’t surprise me!

OP posts:
Maverickess · 04/02/2025 20:15

Heidi2018 · 04/02/2025 20:10

I think getting staff has become a problem. People don't want to work.

Show quote history

People don't want to work in the service industry
Because of the short staffing, the way they're treated by their company, the way they're treated by customers (see the OP) the shit pay and the societal attitude towards service workers.

Unfortunately there isn't an endless supply of serfs people willing to put up with that and be grateful for the opportunity.

We're reaping what we've sowed.

TomatoSandwiches · 04/02/2025 20:16

merediththethird · 04/02/2025 20:15

What are we being trained for @TomatoSandwiches?

It wouldn’t surprise me!

To be complacent with subpar service, to lower our remembered expectations based on the customer service standards of the 90s.

LlynTegid · 04/02/2025 20:16

Queues for manned tills are longer, not sure if tills for self service ones are.

LlynTegid · 04/02/2025 20:17

TomatoSandwiches · 04/02/2025 20:13

No there are plenty of people that are willing to work but they need set hours to work around school, college, childcare or a contract that's not zero hours.

Show quote history

Hopefully Labour will not weaken over ending zero hours contracts.

HeddaGarbled · 04/02/2025 20:18

Well, it’s massively improved in the last 5-10 years, IMO. Whether there’s a recent downturn, I can’t say I’ve noticed.

Original poster
merediththethird · 04/02/2025 20:18

Similar story at ours @Danikm151 Also manned tills nowadays are really not the same as manned tills 10 years ago. They’re much, much slower now because they’re used by people who cannot access the self checkouts. The last couple of times at a manned till Lidl I’ve been behind a nearly blind 90 year old (we had a good chat about marmalade which is why I know her age!) and some sweet school girls who literally paid for everything in 2ps and it took an age. The only reason I was using it was because it’s a faff to buy baby formula at self checkout.

OP posts:
Obscurial · 04/02/2025 20:20

Heidi2018 · 04/02/2025 20:10

I think getting staff has become a problem. People don't want to work.

Show quote history

People don’t want to work under crappy conditions, which they are increasingly being asked to do.

Shopgirl1 · 04/02/2025 20:20

Yes, I’ve noticed this too. Supermarkets awful unless self checkout. Zara and M&S clothes part also terrible. I’ve given up a few times.

Caffeineneedednow · 04/02/2025 20:21

Not just retail DH works for a high street bank and what they are expected to do with less staff is insane. So massive ques and pissed off customers

MemorableTrenchcoat · 04/02/2025 20:30

Heidi2018 · 04/02/2025 20:10

I think getting staff has become a problem. People don't want to work.

Show quote history

People don’t want to work for the minimum wage, in a non-unionised job with few perks and little or no progression, doing anti-social shifts, on a zero-hour or part-time basis, dealing with abuse from the public. I’m wracking my brains, but I just can’t think why that might be.