WTAF M&S self service tills for clothes??

[tinkywinkyshandbag]

Went to my local M&S today and was queueing for the checkout. A girl came up and told me to go over to the self service tills. They now only have two with staff instead of their previous six and the rest are self-service. What an actual pain! You have to scan fold and bag your own things while also juggling your shopping bags et cetera and they are really cut down on their returns period as well.
Feels like M&S are doing everything they can to make the shopping harder for their customers not easier! Am I alone in hating these tills?

@sashagabadon - I love those Uniqlo self service tills - I couldn't believe it the first time I dumped all my t shirts and socks in and it automatically told me what was there......

@Birdy272

That's horrible. I always make a point of refusing when they direct me to them and go to the till instead.

@Birdy272

I usually just say, no thanks I would rather deal with a human.

I don't mind self service tills (well I do really) but I will use them for one or two items, after that it is humans all the way.

If we all took a stand, they might rethink it. #hopelessly deluded.

@SweetPetrichor

Sounds perfect, imo. I would always choose self service over a human checkout assistant anyway. I don’t want to have to make polite small talk with a random stranger!

Fair enough but then why not stick to online shopping. I do think there is a place for self service, like when it’s supper busy and you have a few items - but in the middle of the week when it’s quiet to force customers to check their own shopping out (& I’m talking clothes totalling £300 whilst staff stand around is just shocking to me.

It’s a far cry from what it used to be. I remember buying something in Spain in the early 90s. There were several stages to the purchasing process, starting with me handing the item to the shop assistant, then following her to various stations around the shop. First was a clerk’s desk where the sale was recorded and the stock level adjusted accordingly. Then a down to cash desk on a lower floor where I handed over the money. Finally we moved on to a counter where two more people wrapped my purchase and handed it back to me.

Fair enough but then why not stick to online shopping.

Because there's a huge difference between online shopping and being instore! I don't want to shop online, just because I'm not keen on making smalltalk. I'm happy to smile, say hello and thank you, but I don't really want to discuss my purchases and talk about my day/weekend. I didn't like as an employee (and tbh we were forced into it) and I don't like it as a customer.

There is an issue for staff, but as a customer I think this sounds brilliant. I always prefer self-service, if possible - I really don't want to have to interact/chat with shop staff. It's not as if M&S are designer clothes - they are at the "cheap & cheerful" end of the market, so no different from any other kind of supermarket shopping. Might even tempt me back in......

I didn't mind it the other week when I was just buying knickers and pajamas. This was Manchester and I always have reusable bags in my work bag so just got one and shoved them in. I think there was a post box space for hangers to go in. If I was doing a bigger shop it would be annoying as there didn't seem to be much space to put clothes pre scanning or where to put bags that I'm using. I'm not that bothered about folding.

It's been like this at my M&S for a while now, really sad but employing people is so expensive so I don't blame them for cutting staff. Business is business.

@ouch321

Why does it matter if the stuff is folded? Surely you wash before first wear so it's going straight in the machine.

Eh? Am I the only one who wouldn't dream of washing an item of clothing first before wearing it?

I quite like a self-service till, personally.

I loathe self service tills and refuse to use them. If I walk in a shop and there are only self service tills I walk out again.

I’m always happy to use a self service till. Usually much quicker and it’s not like you ever felt like the assistants carefully packaged clothing in M&S anyway, to create a customer friendly experience like in other stores.

Eh? Am I the only one who wouldn't dream of washing an item of clothing first before wearing it?

This is another one of those things that I've only come across on Mumsnet, but some people will come on and insist that clothes are filthy when you buy them and they wouldn't dream of wearing them before washing. I'm not sure what they do with dry clean only clothes.