Self checkout machines in Supermarkets.

System

I see this often when I go through self scans. If a customer scans an age restricted product, they wave the thing in the air. The assistant knows you have scanned an age restricted product based on three things - the audio 'approval needed', the light above the self scan flashes amber and seeing the product in the bagging area.

Also if the product has a tag, the customer waves it in the air or never puts the product in the bagging area.

Both these instances upset the bagging area scales. The only time you ask the assistant to remove the security case to a DVD or CD is when the security tag inside the case covers up the barcode. I bought a CD just before Christmas and the barcode was covered by the security sticker.

lovingtescoforever

alanq wrote: »

Another annoyance is that some machines think that "cash" means bank notes and not coins:

Notes given in change come out in a less obvious place to coins and someone in a hurry could pick up the coins and forget the notes. So, helpfully, an announcement tells you where the notes can be found but what it says is "cash is dispensed...".

Also some have slots labelled "cash" that jam when you try to insert coins because they expect notes. There are trays for inserting coins which one doesn't look for having found a "cash" slot. This caught me out when a new type of machine was installed at my local supermarket.

I had a lady once say that notes which are giving out below the scanner is a silly place and that there is no warning. I told her it said "notes are dispensed below the scanner" she then said that it wasn't clear. I said it also starts flashing and after a while starts beeping so I know it's there.

She then said it was too low down to get the notes... After that I gave up
Some people want the notes given to them on a shinny plate it seems...

lovingtescoforever

ScarletMarble wrote: »

I see this often when I go through self scans. If a customer scans an age restricted product, they wave the thing in the air. The assistant knows you have scanned an age restricted product based on three things - the audio 'approval needed', the light above the self scan flashes amber and seeing the product in the bagging area.

Also if the product has a tag, the customer waves it in the air or never puts the product in the bagging area.

Both these instances upset the bagging area scales. The only time you ask the assistant to remove the security case to a DVD or CD is when the security tag inside the case covers up the barcode. I bought a CD just before Christmas and the barcode was covered by the security sticker.

Amen.
I "love" customers who think its acceptable to shout oi! And wave like an idiot at me with a bottle of spirits...
I just walk up and tell them to carry on scanning! I will approval at the end of the transaction and I will take the tag of after you have paid. When I approval I will repeat myself and say I will take the tag off after you've paid. (Why? Because I don't trust anyone :cool: )

Sometimes for special customers I have to repeat 3 or 4 times. And even speak slowly

System

lovingtescoforever wrote: »

Amen.
I "love" customers who think its acceptable to shout oi! And wave like an idiot at me with a bottle of spirits...
I just walk up and tell them to carry on scanning! I will approval at the end of the transaction and I will take the tag of after you have paid. When I approval I will repeat myself and say I will take the tag off after you've paid. (Why? Because I don't trust anyone :cool: )

Sometimes for special customers I have to repeat 3 or 4 times. And even speak slowly

The reason why shop assistants are only allowed to remove tags after payment, not before or even during is a customer paying with cash can easily press 'cancel payment' and it makes the same noises as a customer receiving change. Then they walk off with a free bottle of spirits.

lovingtescoforever

ScarletMarble wrote: »

The reason why shop assistants are only allowed to remove tags after payment, not before or even during is a customer paying with cash can easily press 'cancel payment' and it makes the same noises as a customer receiving change. Then they walk off with a free bottle of spirits.

I normally hover over people and watched them type their pin in (obviously not the numbers) or put cash in. Wait a few seconds and then untag it. See their receipt/screen. And give it back to them.

The more people use the machines the more they will see the processes and basically how to use them error free. Well I believe and hope anyway. The younger generation are brilliant with them! No mistakes. It's the older generation who get annoyed and need the most help from my personal experience.

Scritti

In reply to the original question, I generally get on fine with these things.

Unless I'm in Morrison's as their self-service machines are absolute, total sh*t.

I've expressed this to the staff many times and they always agree with me. It's like they got them from some knock-off place. Every few items, they just freeze up and the poor person has to constantly come over (to every till, it's not just me) and swipe her key card thing to get it working again.

And for the person moaning about people who pack at the end, I've been advised by several different people working on these tills that this is the best way to stop the machine crashing and advised me to do it (again, this is only in Morrison's).

Jolaaled

Please could someone clarify:

in Tesco, can you still get 'double the difference' back on incorrectly priced items if you use the self-scan?

A tesco assistant told me that they only do DTD on the staff checkouts.

lovingtescoforever

Jolaaled wrote: »

Please could someone clarify:

in Tesco, can you still get 'double the difference' back on incorrectly priced items if you use the self-scan?

A tesco assistant told me that they only do DTD on the staff checkouts.

It's off topic but I have had Dtd a number of times on self checkouts. (However if you know it's going to scan higher;) I recommend going through a staff checkouts to stop any excuses of them giving you it :cool: )

A._Badger

lovingtescoforever wrote: »

I The younger generation are brilliant with them! No mistakes. It's the older generation who get annoyed and need the most help from my personal experience.

Or, alternatively, have enough sense to realise when they are being treated like idiots by a supermarket which is so greedy it no longer even pretends it as to offer any service at all.

lovingtescoforever

A._Badger wrote: »

Or, alternatively, have enough sense to realise when they are being treated like idiots by a supermarket which is so greedy it no longer even pretends it as to offer any service at all.

Or they know how to use the machines and don't make a fuss and are getting with the times, whereas the older generation don't like change and struggle to cope

If you don't like the machines don't use them. I do laugh when people choose to use them and then get mad at them and start swearing... Mainly due to them not being able to follow clear instructions.