Self-scan supermarkets - arggggh

jimbms

I think they are great, whilst all the other mugs are waiting at the manned checkout I go to the automated ones and get done in a couple of minutes

crabyducky

I prefer them.

Saves me having to wait fo the old crone behind the checkout finnish catching up with her mate who she aint seen since the dark ages.

Wintermute

thelawnet wrote: »

they regularly required a 'rescan' of £100+ worth of shopping.

There's your problem, they're not designed for peoples weekly shops, they're designed for people who are after a few items, maybe a basket full to get in and out.

kentguy07 wrote: »

I believe self scan does people out of jobs ,they break down a lot. I would rather have a person to talk to like the good old fashioned way.

the time i used self scan the thing kept coming up with some kind of error and the staff constantly had to override it.

that is what happens when you power your self scan checkouts with windows xp i am afraid.
the times iv seen the windows xp starting up logo because they had to reboot the system.

I believe if they used linux that the self scan checkout would work better.
just my 2 pence. Still it would be better if they did not have self scan.

Things breaking down creates more jobs

Installing Linux on a system doesn't automatically make it better, from what I've seen Windows is fine for these systems as I've never seen a BSOD or Windows error message, the problems always come from the software or their printers jamming.

Personally I like them, up until leaving my last job I was using one in Sainsburys and one in Boots on an almost daily basis, if you use them correctly it's faster than using the manned checkouts and you can pay for silly things using card. Pretty much every morning I'd go into Sainsburys and buy a 39p 2 ltr bottle of water and pay for it with my credit card, I was in and out the store in about a minute max, sometimes I'd end up in a Sainsburys store a couple of blocks away, they had no self scans and I'd end up waiting for around 5 minutes to get served as that time in the morning there's only a few people working and most of the customers, like me were only after a few items. The only self checkouts I have an issue with are the ones in Morrisons that seem to want confirmation of every other item I put in my bag so I usually stick to the manned checkouts, but as long as I'm not buying alcohol or a reduced item I'll use the self checkouts when available.

dreamypuma

Self serve is brilliant and saves me a lot of of time. The key to using them is being organised, following the instructions and not making assumptions.

The machines work perfectly well, it's the users that are the issue and they blame anything and anyone but themselves.

System

Most supermarkets have say 4-6 self scan and at least 15+ checkout aisles. If you don't like to use the self scan don't use them. Personally I prefer them and rarely have a problem although the worst by far are the morrisons ones because as always with morrisons they've bought the cheapest ones available. Its reasonably new technology and it will get better as it progresses. The jobs argument is ridiculous, embracing new technology has always been the way forward, if we're worried about people losing jobs then they may as well stop all technological advances and just stay exactly as we are, for instance if they discover a cure for cancer then that would obviously be bad as it would lead to nurses/hospice workers losing their jobs!

dreamypuma

Jobs may be lost in supermarkets, however, jobs are created in the manufacturing of the self serve tills, maintenance, supervision, installation and administration of the the machines. The machines probably require consumables, and similar jobs would be created to meet the demands for these.

It's evolution.

ailuro2

But are the self scan tills manufactured in this country by the mum that lives down the street from you in flexible hours to fit in with her childcare arrangements?

Thought not...;)

dreamypuma

ailuro2 wrote: »

But are the self scan tills manufactured in this country by the mum that lives down the street from you in flexible hours to fit in with her childcare arrangements?

Thought not...;)

Is that, "thought not" or assumed not? Many things are manufactured elsewhere and assembled here.

I guess if the are made elsewhere this creates jobs in the procurement of these items. importing exporting, logistics.

Bowling_4_Gold

Wintermute wrote: »

There's your problem, they're not designed for peoples weekly shops, they're designed for people who are after a few items, maybe a basket full to get in and out.

On the contrary...

The ones in Sainsburys and Waitrose (where you are given a scanner at the start of your shop) are designed for weekly shops. The idea is you scan as you go, and give the scanner in at the end of your shop where the total is rung up on the till. 9 times out of 10 it is quicker for your weekly shop than going to manned checkouts (where, in Waitrose, they are trained to handle things with extreme care and have very relaxed scanning targets) as you don't have to wait for everything to be scanned, and you pack your bags as you shop.

thelawnet

Wintermute wrote: »

There's your problem, they're not designed for peoples weekly shops, they're designed for people who are after a few items, maybe a basket full to get in and out.

No, you scan as you shop - while it goes into the basket, and there's some sort of logic programmed into the system that dictates when (not every time, but sometimes) you will have to empty your full trolley of shopping onto the conveyor belt and have it rescanned by the staff.