Sainsbury Self Service Checkouts

[AM9]

I normally use self-scan in Waitrose where the discounts (and free coffee/papers) are calculated as soon as the scanner has finished uploading. There aren't any self-service stations in our local branch so if I wanted to give the scanner a miss, there are usually plenty of cashiers to go to.

On the rare occasions that I go to Tesco/Sainsbury and can't be bothered to wait for the cashiers to finish their conversation about what was on TV last night, I use the self-service tills.
The biggest problem I had was the over-sensitive scales (referred to as the 'bagging area'). If a heavy item was put onto them they went into panic mode and flashed the help light. The fix for that is to just pile the things up in that area and put them in a bag at the end.
Sometimes I get a really awkward till and I've started scanning my Nectar/club card right at the end. That means if it gets too silly, I just walk away before it knows who I am. It also means that if the discounts don't come through as advertised elsewhere, I can also walk away.
One day the managers will realise just how much real benefit this cost-saving measure really gives the company.

 

[GB]

I never use them because I object to the fact that their presence has the potential to put people out of work, and I also believe that if customers have to put their own shopping through a checkout, they should either be paid, or receive a discount for doing so.

One could argue your discount is the ability to get through the checkouts much quicker than if you were to queue at a regular checkout....depending what you have and when it works correctly.

I'd also like to know if there are any facts or figures on whether employment has dropped or people made redundant since the introduction of these machines or whether its just in peoples head?

 

[Antman]

I never use them because I object to the fact that their presence has the potential to put people out of work

And do you also object to ticket barriers and self service petrol stations for the same reason?

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

*sprays tea over monitor*

Don't forget that I was referring to the Sainsbury's store in Wilmslow, which being in Cheshire East, has a far nicer type of person on the checkouts there.

In fact, we are all very nice people in Cheshire East and keep our Porsche and Rolls Royce automobiles immaculate, notwithstanding our barouche fleet, through the sterling efforts of our house staff and always purchase our media accessible equipment from Bang and Olufsen.

However, there are those of us who still regard Wilmslow and Alderley Edge as settlements where those lesser mortals of Cheshire East reside and not fortunatate to live in a 200 year-old six bedroom property in the very rural environs of the border between Prestbury and Mottram St Andrew, that when we purchased, had an estate agent's abbreviation of "PDK" that stood for paddock....

 

[Strat-tastic]

Can't stand the blinkin' things. Always trying to hurry you on.

'Please remove items from bagging area!'

Er no! I just paid for my shopping. What do you think I'm going to do? Walk away without it? :roll:

 

[Tetchytyke]

Don't forget that I was referring to the Sainsbury's store in Wilmslow, which being in Cheshire East, has a far nicer type of person on the checkouts there.

True, I'm just astounded they're better than at Waitrose!

 

[D6975]

I used one of these a few weeks ago and it was the first one I've seen that offered cashback. Can't remember where it was

 

[Johnuk123]

I used one of these a few weeks ago and it was the first one I've seen that offered cashback. Can't remember where it was

The Sainsburys near me has offered cashback on the self service tills for years.

 

[Clip]

My wife prefers to use the Sainsburys store in Wilmslow in preference to the Waitrose store and she is a great believer in keeping employment of the friendly and helpful checkout operators at Sainsburys.

She says that she hopes this answers the query that you raised.

I understand that but have they led to job lossess? What I have noticed is that it reduces your waiting time when you only have a couple of things as I always see and remember the queues at the basket aisle were just as long and tiresome as the normal checkouts.

Sainsburys have reduced the range of items included in the meal deal - possibly related to that?

Apologies it was a reply to a reply to Tesco not super JS.

 

[Crossover]

Self-service tills used to be a good way to get rid of loose change, sadly now the hopper style coin slots have been replaced with a slot you need to enter each coin one by one. Still is a good way of getting rid of loose change, but takes longer to do

A few still have hoppers and most recently some have like a conveyor you throw the change onto. I expect they are more costly to produce though, in comparison to a slot type

I used one of these a few weeks ago and it was the first one I've seen that offered cashback. Can't remember where it was

The Asda store where I was at uni (Stafford) did cashback. Our local Sainsburys doesn't. In fact not many of the self service terminals I have used do, come to think of it

 

[swj99]

One could argue your discount is the ability to get through the checkouts much quicker than if you were to queue at a regular checkout......

Is there any evidence that self checkouts are quicker to get through than regular ones on a like for like basis ? What about items categorised as 'restricted' where a member of staff has to authorise the sale, such as alcohol ? How does this affect the speed at which a customer can get their shopping done.

And do you also object to ticket barriers and self service petrol stations for the same reason?

Definitely.
It has long been my belief that a company that wants money needs to put itself into the best position to facilitate this. In the case of railways, staffing stations and trains in such as way as to make sure those present there have tickets before they travel would reduce the need for an after the horse has bolted approach that seems to exist now.

Don't forget that I was referring to the Sainsbury's store in Wilmslow, which being in Cheshire East, has a far nicer type of person on the checkouts there..............

Are you sure ? I thought there was the same proportion of tw**** living in Wilmslow as anywhere else, the only difference being that in Wilmslow, some of them can afford Jags, Mercs and Rollers instead of a Ford Escort. Mind you, it's never been the same since they pedestrianised Grove Street.

 

[GB]

Is there any evidence that self checkouts are quicker to get through than regular ones on a like for like basis ?

If one person has 40 items and and is first in the queue at a normal checkout and another person has 20-30 items and is first in the queue at a self service checkout I dare say the normal checkout would be quicker.

Where the self service wins is if you have a relative small shop of say 15 items vs being in a queue at the normal checkouts.

What about items categorised as 'restricted' where a member of staff has to authorise the sale, such as alcohol ? How does this affect the speed at which a customer can get their shopping done

This does slow the process down, but if the attendant is on the ball its only a few seconds for them to put their code in. A lot longer if there is no attendant there or they are having a yarn with their colleague.

 

[starrymarkb]

I like the Scan as you Shop that Waitrose have - you have a hand held scanner and scan the item as you put it in the trolley/bag Occasionally there is a random check of your trolley but other then that once in the bag that's it!

 

[AM9]

I like the Scan as you Shop that Waitrose have - you have a hand held scanner and scan the item as you put it in the trolley/bag Occasionally there is a random check of your trolley but other then that once in the bag that's it!

That's what I was referring to. Sometimes you gat a scanner that won't release or a fairly innocuous item that requires an assitant to clear it.
My local Waitrose is near enough to be a corner shop, far better than any 'Metro' of 'Local' shop, and much better than a Spar/Londis etc..

 

[pdq]

My Tesco has the scan as you shop scanners and it does work well on the whole. It took a few goes to get used to packing as I went along, but it's now my method of choice.

I think one aspect of the self service setup that's been missed on this thread is that they take up less space so more of them can be fitted on. So whilst it may take a bit longer for the shopper to scan and pack their own goods, compared with the usual checkout, the fact that there are now more 'opportunities to pay' should mean that queueing time is reduced.

 

[Clip]

Most of this scanners v checkouts is becoming a moot point as time goes by.

more and more people are choosing to shop on line for delivery to their home at a tiem that suits them when they will be in which negates the need to go to do a big shop. This will increase and will reduce even further the need for checkout operators but their roles will now be as pickers in the store for the online shoppers so no real need for redundancies.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Mind you, it's never been the same since they pedestrianised Grove Street.

We find a point of agreement over that matter. Grove Street is a far more enjoyable area since it was pedestrianised.

 

[DownSouth]

The moral of this story is never buy cheap chocolate teapots. It always ends in tears.

But if you buy a good one, it ends in tea

Is there any evidence that self checkouts are quicker to get through than regular ones on a like for like basis ?

The self checkouts at Coles and Woolworths here in Australia are slightly faster than an operated checkout for the kind of regular shopping I do.

The biggest benefit I find in the self checkouts is being able to pack my bags the way I want them packed, these days supermarkets don't seem to be able to train their staff to do this sensibly with all the cold items together, bags weighted evenly and so on.

What about items categorised as 'restricted' where a member of staff has to authorise the sale, such as alcohol ?

Simples - ban supermarkets from selling alcohol, save that for pubs and dedicated stores where you can be 100% sure that every employee has had the right Responsible Service training.

You don't get to buy a can of tomatoes and a carton of eggs at the pub, why should it work the other way?

 

[GB]

The biggest benefit I find in the self checkouts is being able to pack my bags the way I want them packed, these days supermarkets don't seem to be able to train their staff to do this sensibly with all the cold items together, bags weighted evenly and so on.

You pack your own bags over here regardless of what checkout you use. Help is available if required.

Simples - ban supermarkets from selling alcohol, save that for pubs and dedicated stores where you can be 100% sure that every employee has had the right Responsible Service training.

Every employee that sits on a till has the proper training including laws regarding alcohol sale.

You don't get to buy a can of tomatoes and a carton of eggs at the pub, why should it work the other way?

Pubs are free to sell eggs and tomatoes if they so wish. Why should supermarkets, and by extension, me, be restricted to what I can buy where?

 

[SS4]

Simples - ban supermarkets from selling alcohol, save that for pubs and dedicated stores where you can be 100% sure that every employee has had the right Responsible Service training.

You don't get to buy a can of tomatoes and a carton of eggs at the pub, why should it work the other way?

There's more age restricted products than alcohol. Surely a simpler idea would be to not let an age restricted product through the self-service and to void the item if someone tries buying it. Same goes for anything with a security tag on it.

 

[Hadders]

Self scan will become the norm within a few years.

Look at what's happened with banks. 40 years ago you could only get cash out of your account by visiting your bank, queuing up and cashing a cheque.

ATM's have become the norm for everyone. Who gets cash out over the counter at a bank.

The same thing will happen with self scan on shops.

 

[DownSouth]

You pack your own bags over here regardless of what checkout you use. Help is available if required.

Good if you're a shareholder, I guess.

Every employee that sits on a till has the proper training including laws regarding alcohol sale.

Maybe if they weren't shelling out for all that training and certification they might be able to afford having the staff bag items as they scan them?

Pubs are free to sell eggs and tomatoes if they so wish. Why should supermarkets, and by extension, me, be restricted to what I can buy where?

Protection from monopolistic practices, and good regulation of liquor sales.

We have a good watchdog here that has done a good job at keeping the big two retail companies from taking over completely, including preventing overlapping of the different chains owned by the same corporations and restricting cross-promotion. One of the big two made front page headlines this week after being banned from making advertising claims about their store brand bread for three years after being caught telling porky pies about par-baked bread brought in from overseas.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Self scan will become the norm within a few years. Look at what's happened with banks. 40 years ago you could only get cash out of your account by visiting your bank, queuing up and cashing a cheque. ATM's have become the norm for everyone. Who gets cash out over the counter at a bank.

The same thing will happen with self scan on shops.

Whilst appreciating how many people feel there is an advantage of these self-service checkouts for small numbers of items, are you really saying that people with large trolleys full of numerous items will be more than happy to accept self-service checkouts in cases such as this ?

 

[Kite159]

Whilst appreciating how many people feel there is an advantage of these self-service checkouts for small numbers of items, are you really saying that people with large trolleys full of numerous items will be more than happy to accept self-service checkouts in cases such as this ?

Depending what I'm buying if I'm buying more than 10 items than I will try to use a regular check-out, sometimes the bagging area isn't big enough for a big shop.

Interestingly the local Asda has signs outside saying that from next week it will no longer be 24 hours, instead will be 6 to midnight. They probably worked out the cost of keeping it open during those 6 hours was more than the revenues generated.

The sign of things to come with those large 24 hour superstores?

 

[adrock1976]

If one person has 40 items and and is first in the queue at a normal checkout and another person has 20-30 items and is first in the queue at a self service checkout I dare say the normal checkout would be quicker.

Where the self service wins is if you have a relative small shop of say 15 items vs being in a queue at the normal checkouts.



This does slow the process down, but if the attendant is on the ball its only a few seconds for them to put their code in. A lot longer if there is no attendant there or they are having a yarn with their colleague.

The Tesco Extra across from my flat (St Rollox Retail Park - former site of the Caledonian Railway/BREL St Rollox locomotive works) does not allow age restricted products to be scanned through the self-service checkouts. You would have to go to a manned checkout and be served by a real human being.

In peace

Adam

 

[maniacmartin]

I will always go to a human if the queue is less or roughly equal. The self serve machines near me (Tesco) all have badly calibrated scales that constantly need staff, too few attendants for the amount of self serve machines they have and are very slow at weighing your item before letting you scan the next one.

Self service tills have the potential to be much faster, but the supermarkets' glitchy software, use of the non-working scales because they distrust us, plus understaffing means that using the till is slow and frustrating.

The only bonus is if the human checkouts have massive queues.

 

[GaryMcEwan]

The Tesco Extra across from my flat (St Rollox Retail Park - former site of the Caledonian Railway/BREL St Rollox locomotive works) does not allow age restricted products to be scanned through the self-service checkouts. You would have to go to a manned checkout and be served by a real human being.

In peace

Adam

How strange as I usually use self serve checkouts at Tesco Extra in Rutherglen and at Parkhead and I've never had an issue when I've taken age restricted items to a self serve. All they do is have a look at my ID and go into the operator menu and approve it.

So I don't know why the Springburn Extra is doing something totally different...

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Self scan will become the norm within a few years.

Look at what's happened with banks. 40 years ago you could only get cash out of your account by visiting your bank, queueing up and cashing a cheque.

ATM's have become the norm for everyone. Who gets cash out over the counter at a bank.

The same thing will happen with self scan on shops.

One might also look back on the other side of the coin to reflect upon the fact that the old method offered far more security. Look at the number of ATM that criminals have fitted faceplates over in order to facilitate criminal activity or at the number of cases where ATM units have been physically abstracted from their locations by criminals with large vehicles.

Has anyone a figure of what exactly is the annual amount criminally abstracted from ATM machines?

 

[Clip]

One might also look back on the other side of the coin to reflect upon the fact that the old method offered far more security. Look at the number of ATM that criminals have fitted faceplates over in order to facilitate criminal activity or at the number of cases where ATM units have been physically abstracted from their locations by criminals with large vehicles.

Has anyone a figure of what exactly is the annual amount criminally abstracted from ATM machines?

Probably a lot of money.

But for how many years now has this been in the news and being told by ATMs on the screen on the side of them to always sheild your pin and never to re-enter it if it asks you? Yet still people do.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Probably a lot of money. But for how many years now has this been in the news and being told by ATMs on the screen on the side of them to always sheild your pin and never to re-enter it if it asks you? Yet still people do.

Obviously this is a correct thing to do, but the point that I wished to stress was the ATM machines that criminals had installed a false plate upon which gives them the opportunity to perform their criminal actions, which would even obviate the correct procedure that you described.

There seems to be CCTV coverage of ATM and I wonder if such CCTV coverage could identify the fitting of these fraudulent overplates by the criminal fraternity?