Tesco's '10 items or less queue'

she_grinch

I don't mind queuing I use this time to drift or plan as I sure don't get it at any other time. Pick up a magazine to read in the queue and leave it behind when you get your turn!!!

Mark7799

I try and avoid the self-scan tills unless there's absolutely NO alternative.

My logic (warped or otherwise) is that the more of us that use these things, the more Tesco (and every other supermarket) are likely to bring in and the fewer check-out staff they will need to employ. If it means paying a bit more to keep people in jobs I'd rather do that:o

bigbloke45

I always try and calculate my probable wait at the 10 items or less (Yes, jd87, it should be "or fewer") by the number of people in front compared with "normal" tils nearby.

Quite often it is quicker to get behind someone with more items in a normal queue simply because of the time it takes each customer with 10 or less to complete the transaction i.e open handbag, look for purse, open purse, find card. Insert card, enter pin, wait for til to make transaction, put card back in purse, struggle with handbag etc. If this is done about 6 times before my turn, it's quicker to let the larger shopping get scanned andthen only wait for one performance at the transaction stage.

Any thoughts out there?

uktim29

bigbloke45 wrote: »

Quite often it is quicker to get behind someone with more items in a normal queue simply because of the time it takes each customer with 10 or less to complete the transaction i.e open handbag, look for purse, open purse, find card. Insert card, enter pin, wait for til to make transaction, put card back in purse, struggle with handbag etc. If this is done about 6 times before my turn, it's quicker to let the larger shopping get scanned andthen only wait for one performance at the transaction stage.

Any thoughts out there?

This is very true.

The longest aspect of any transaction is the part the customer has to do. I watched a program years ago where they noted this as many people think the cashiers bit takes longest eg scanning etc. It is quicker to queue behind a person with a massive trolly than 10 people with few items.

When I worked in retail I have worked in some very, very short staffed environments. Sometimes the customers would complain as if they think I wasn't quick enough. I so wanted to point out it's them that hold things up. The most annoying thing is where someone buys a single item priced at say £1.50. They're stood in a queue for several minutes. They get to the front and haven't got a clue where they've put their money, or they then start counting it out. Why on earth couldn't they have sorted this out when they were waiting!!!

The other thing that would annoy me is when people take too long to leave after payment. I don't mean packing etc, after that. When the time they're still stood there after you've starts going over 15 seconds it gets very annoying, you can also see the people behind getting impatient. As soon as it got to the point where you could tell everyone was feeling uncomfortable with the pause I would normally start serving the next person. I suppose some slow people wouldn't like this, but they should really learn to hurry up. I'll also add now that I would make exceptions for old people etc. The people I'm talking about had no reason to take so long, often it would be re-arranging handbags etc, something that shouldn't be done if it's holding other up and no longer part of any transaction.

Then theres the other extreme! When a hand would go over the present persons shoulder with something less than a second after saying thank you. These people also would have a facial expression looking something like they're just about to explode, often making a 'well come on then serve me' head movement. Don't they realize how rude they are!

ShockingPink

I used the self-scan for the first time yesterday, and it was such a hassle I'm not sure whether I'll bother again...

I had my own bag, but pressed "1" twice so it showed as 11 and then it called for the assistant. I could clearly see on her override screen: "enter number of bags used here", plus a button for "Customer did not use own bags" The assistant used the latter button, and then couldn't understand why it wouldn't let her input the number of bags:rolleyes: I said that it could be because she'd selected "no bags" and she said, "No, it can't be that..." and kept pressing this own bags button harder as if that would make it work! Eventually I had to forego my one green Clubcard point...

I then dropped some change out of my purse, got told off for a "foreign article" on the packing table, and had to apologise to the queue which had mysteriously built up behind me...:o

Reggie_Rebel

The most annoying thing is where someone buys a single item priced at say £1.50. They're stood in a queue for several minutes. They get to the front and haven't got a clue where they've put their money, or they then start counting it out. Why on earth couldn't they have sorted this out when they were waiting!!!

Oh, that is so true. Don't you just feel like grabbing their purse (it's always women) and counting the money out for them?

HC_2

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

The most annoying thing is where someone buys a single item priced at say £1.50. They're stood in a queue for several minutes. They get to the front and haven't got a clue where they've put their money, or they then start counting it out. Why on earth couldn't they have sorted this out when they were waiting!!!Oh, that is so true. Don't you just feel like grabbing their purse (it's always women) and counting the money out for them?

No, it's definitely always men! They fart around, patting their pockets, trying to find their wallets.

Now, we women have our purses, our credit cards and our loyalty cards ready and waiting while the shopper in front is still packing.

bestpud

bigbloke45 wrote: »

I always try and calculate my probable wait at the 10 items or less (Yes, jd87, it should be "or fewer") by the number of people in front compared with "normal" tils nearby.

Quite often it is quicker to get behind someone with more items in a normal queue simply because of the time it takes each customer with 10 or less to complete the transaction i.e open handbag, look for purse, open purse, find card. Insert card, enter pin, wait for til to make transaction, put card back in purse, struggle with handbag etc. If this is done about 6 times before my turn, it's quicker to let the larger shopping get scanned andthen only wait for one performance at the transaction stage.

Any thoughts out there?

Yes I agree!

I look at the number of people and I also have a quick look at their baskest/trolley to see if they have loads of clothes in there, as that takes longer.

Plus, if there is two people shopping together, they tend to get though quicker as they have one unloading/paying and one packing more often than not.

I try and avoid the queues with elderly men, as they seem to be the worst culprits when it comes to delaying the transaction by having a chat with the cashier! They 'can't remember' which pocket their money is in because it gives them chance to crack a very old joke or two as well! And the worst ones will start chatting with the people behind them in the queue as well, thus delaying it even further!

Becles

I must admit to having a quiet chuckle at a lady who looked like she was using the self scan tills in M&S for the first time. She was really slow and attracting tuts from the queue. Then she weighed a few peas in pods, and got in a right tizzy as the till registered her peas as costing £15.72 because she had her handbag on the scales too :rotfl:

Danyúl_II

Perhaps they had 10 items per bag.

It's all fair game.