delboy Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 so there i was being very rock n roll and doing some shopping in tescos. as usual me basket was overbrimming with goods so didnt chance the '10 items or less' queue. tescos only had 2 cashiers working the normal checkouts (obviously a lack of budding musicians here in derry). since the queues were full of people doing enough shopping to last them till 2009 and the fact that the latest episode of lost was on RTE at 10 (twas half nine by this point and i spent 10 mins chatting to the head music about blagging a copy of the new morrissey album so it was time well spent) i decided i had no option but to use the self service check out.now i'll be honest here, i've always had a bit of a phobia of this concept, they look shifty to me, things were going swimmingly well till an item wouldnt scan and the machine kept repeating the same message at me. help wasnt easily at hand as the queue behind me started umming and aahing as impatient people do when in a queue. i also didnt like having to pack all my shopping away at the end as opposed to as you go along when using the other check outs, all in all i find the whole damn thing as crap as i had previously predicted.is it just me mind which is the point of this thread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
french_disko Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 so there i was being very rock n roll and doing some shopping in tescos. as usual me basket was overbrimming with goods so didnt chance the '10 items or less' queue. tescos only had 2 cashiers working the normal checkouts (obviously a lack of budding musicians here in derry). since the queues were full of people doing enough shopping to last them till 2009 and the fact that the latest episode of lost was on RTE at 10 (twas half nine by this point and i spent 10 mins chatting to the head music about blagging a copy of the new morrissey album so it was time well spent) i decided i had no option but to use the self service check out.now i'll be honest here' date=' i've always had a bit of a phobia of this concept, they look shifty to me, things were going swimmingly well till an item wouldnt scan and the machine kept repeating the same message at me. help wasnt easily at hand as the queue behind me started umming and aahing as impatient people do when in a queue. i also didnt like having to pack all my shopping away at the end as opposed to as you go along when using the other check outs, all in all i find the whole damn thing as crap as i had previously predicted.is it just me mind which is the point of this thread?[/quote']No, I totally agree. I boycott them on principle - there are people employed to work checkouts, if Tesco want me scan (and bag) my own shopping then they can start paying me to shop there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue Denim.. Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I liked the self service tills they had in Somerfield on George Street. They even had names! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delboy Posted March 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 also i found it a bit odd that it just swiped your credit card without asking for a pin number. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teabags Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 i usually boycott them on general principle. but today i couldnt be arsed waiting in a huge queue in Somerfield and was only geting a sandwich, so used it.the REAL revelation is what we saw in Dublin. Self-service fast food restaurants. Big walls of microwaves/heater. You go up, put in money, and can open a door to get your desired "treat". Fucking sickening I inform thee. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhiannon Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I prefer self service check outsThe Tesco in Danestone always has a person standing there ready to help/check your ID/check you aint stealing stuff Because people don't really use them then I find it alot quicker and simpler to put my stuff through and go Watch out though, they tend to screw you over when giving change o_O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kan' Sharuminar Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 They are quite handy to use when the check-outs are really busy and no-one else is keen on using them. Though I don't trust them enough to make common usage of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lepeep Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I am reading "shopped" (by Joanna Blythman) http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007158041/026-7055069-2257247at the mo...and it's changing my mind as to how I shop already.I have been visiting the local greengrocer, butcher etc because of it.Supermarkets are fine for cat litter and wine, but you should read this book...it hopefully will change the way you shop too...my point....I don't touch tesco anymore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Groupie Supreme Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 How do they know if you swipe all your goods? Are they only for honest people to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam the Eagle Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 i like them, means you don't have to speak to the pimple pubescent or dottering grandmother that essentially keeps these supermarkets in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bob Double Jack Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 also i found it a bit odd that it just swiped your credit card without asking for a pin number.i heard from a source in tesco that there had been some problems with double charging for goods through self service checkouts.i think in principle they are a good idea. BUT' date=' the thing that lets them down is that [b']the stores will never fully trust you to scan every single item you have in your basket. if you misplace your banana in the carrier bag, then it's a 5 minute wait for the supervisor to come and type in a number, once she's finished helping with the person at the staff managed checkout who thought it was 12 packs of weetabix that were buy one get one free, not the 24's, cos thats what it said on the shelf.i also agree about the pin number thing - its the same at the pay at pump petrol kiosks. In theory, some one in a stolen car could use a stolen wallet to pay for their petrol by inserting the card. Flawed, flawed, flawed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 also i found it a bit odd that it just swiped your credit card without asking for a pin number.I find that handy when I cant remember my pin. I even told the checkout guy when he said "Im free, you can come to me" *no sexual comments*, " I wont go over to you because I cant remember my pin number"The whole self service has so many holes in it for ripping off Tescos/the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 How do they know if you swipe all your goods? Are they only for honest people to use?the machine weighs your items. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhiannon Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 How do they know if you swipe all your goods? Are they only for honest people to use?The conveyer belt is like a large pair of scales You need to put the item on the scales and it weighs it to see if it is the same thing you have scanned.Also, there is a computer with someone watching all your stuff you buy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marillionboy Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 I prefer to be served by a human and i dislike machines doing human jobs, but I wouldn't boycott tescos on principle as a shop because their wraps are fucking amazing. and in the grand scheme of things, if we all did then we'd put a lot more people out of work and those little high street businesses would become the new supermarkets. Life's too short me thinks. As long as supermarkets don't obliterate small business completely which they haven't yet and probably never will since you can't have a supermarket on every street but small business can exist anywhere, I'm happy to use both as and when.But self-service checkouts, hmmm, so so but I prefer to be served by a person and not encourage cutbacks on staffing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hog Posted March 21, 2006 Report Share Posted March 21, 2006 the machine weighs your items.Which is totally open to being abused. Think about it. You can say you are buying "loose products", then throw on a bottle of top champagne. 80 for 2 pile of Mushrooms. Its not rocket science. Sometimes there is 1 person for many checkouts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teabags Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 As long as supermarkets don't obliterate small business completely which they haven't yet and probably never will since you can't have a supermarket on every street but small business can exist anywhere' date=' I'm happy to use both as and when.[/quote']Yes, but supermarkets can buy up huge areas of land in a community to stop small business/groceror's setting up in the community. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cloud Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Yes' date=' but supermarkets can buy up huge areas of land in a community to stop small business/groceror's setting up in the community.[/quote']Can they?A lot of local businesses pin the blame on Tesco et al when in reality, it's their own presentation to blame. Look at a lot of these dodgy corner shops, can you blame anyone for wanting to shop in big, clean Tesco instead of an expensive dirty local shop? Of course, lots of small businesses fall over with stupid business tactics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.Pel Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Under-agers use them to buy bottles of Vodka. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smooth_groover Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 I may have missed something here, but in regards to these self-service checkouts:Can you not just pick something out of your basket, avoid scanning it etc etc and put it straight into the plastic bag? Assuming there is no one around watching you, how can you get caught?Or would that be pure theft? LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wishbone G Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 I cant remember it too well, but didnt morrisons, in the days when it was safeway, have little bleeper things you took around with you, and you scanned each item as you put it in your trolley, then paid at a little kiosk or something by inserting this wee device into some kind of scanner.jeez i dont know. Did i dream that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smooth_groover Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 I cant remember it too well' date=' but didnt morrisons, in the days when it was safeway, have little bleeper things you took around with you, and you scanned each item as you put it in your trolley, then paid at a little kiosk or something by inserting this wee device into some kind of scanner.jeez i dont know. Did i dream that?![/quote']No sir you did not. I always wondered what those were for - now I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teabags Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Can they?A lot of local businesses pin the blame on Tesco et al when in reality' date=' it's their own presentation to blame. Look at a lot of these dodgy corner shops, can you blame anyone for wanting to shop in big, clean Tesco instead of an expensive dirty local shop? Of course, lots of small businesses fall over with stupid business tactics.[/quote']yes they can. in fact, I'm pretty sure theres an independant investigation into seeing if they are and to what extent in order to try and stop it from happening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Groupie Supreme Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Yeah supermarkets buy plots to stop competitors using them, these plots remain undeveloped for ages. Apparently they own a huge amount of them too, thats why they are being investigated. Asda, Morrisons, Tesco they all do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattJimF Posted March 22, 2006 Report Share Posted March 22, 2006 Yeah the bit of waste land next to the curling rink and across from Woodend Hospital is owned by Tesco, has been for about 10 years and what have they done with it? bugger all, was supposed to be for when they got the fire station on anderson drive, now it's going to be a replacement to summerhill community centre if they get the summerhill school site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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