4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

We went to our local B&Qs a couple of weeks ago to find that ALL the customer tills have been replaced by self service tills, which we hate with avengance for a number of reasons

 

As it was daytime we could go through the trade counter, which meant we still had a person serving.

 

We went back a few days later in the evening and the trade counter was shut so we HAD to use the self service tills we were told. There were 4 tills with one staff rushing furiously about correcting all the problems that were coming up.We stated we were not happy with the change, to which she responded she was the only person on & if she manned a till we would have to queue. Our reply was that we don't mind queuing. To us shopping is about personal contact (one reason why we don't shop on the internet).

 

We had a few small packages and a 3 metre coduit. The process was that we had to pass each item through the scanner & then put it on the scales beside the scanner - interesting method for the 3 metre conduit which wouldn't fit either way - . As a result it registered a fault, then doubled up on the billing and then got confused (not to mention us). In the meantime the staff member was bouncing between our till and the other 3 correcting each of the mistakes that had come up.

 

We only went in for a few items & it took us longer than if we'd queued for a manned till!

 

We then noticed that people with bulky items were being directed to the customer service/returns desk as they couldn't get their items on the scales, but we weren't given this option at the beginning.

 

We wrote to B&Qs head office and made a complaint at the lack of choice. Their reply states that these tills have been introduced to offer more choice to customers and that if we don't want to use them we still have the choice of asking a member of staff to assist us through the till. This to us is NOT choice. We would have to take that person away from the other self-service tills or find another person (& on the evening we went there wasn't one available!). In addition, had we not written to B&Qs we wouldn't have been informed of this.

 

We have no problems with self service tills being introduced as an option but we don't use self service tills on principle. We feel that there is less and less personal contact and service in shops and this inevitably has a knock-on effect on jobs. In addition, it is making it more & more difficult for the disabled, vulnerable and elderly to feel socially integrated. The staff we spoke to wasn't happy either, but was powerless to do anything about it. Even if we find items on the internet, we choose a supplier where we can ring and speak to.

 

Incidentally, we have informed B&Qs that we will be going to their competitors who have manned tills if this is to be their direction.

 

Anyone else have any views/experience?

[The Dogmother]

A friend is always moaning to me abotu the ones in Te$co; they seem to mess things up and it all has to be re-scanned.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Not in B&Q, but I tried one in Sainsbury & one in Tesco....essentially to shut the children up "can we do it ourselves Mum, can we, can we, can we etc etc!" and spent more time with the lovely young man helping than doing it ourselves

 

Much rather have a scowling teenager.....though they are few & far between when I usually go in as they should be at school ..... than a temperamental machine any day

 

Sha x

[Fur 'n' Feathers]

A friend is always moaning to me abotu the ones in Te$co; they seem to mess things up and it all has to be re-scanned.

 

While we were in Greece last week we were talking with a lovely Welsh couple (who have chickens incidentally!!). They said their local Tesco's has gone over COMPLETELY to self service tills !!!

 

We were quick to check our local one isn't thinking of this. The 2 members of staff we spoke to immediately stated they would be out of a job if that happened.

[ClaireG]

Self service tills are one of my pet hates I can't stand the things. In my experience they never work properly, can't weigh light stuff and take far longer. They also can't help you pack your bags

[Space Chick]

I had no end of problems with the ones in M&S last week. I was getting my Sister and I are picnic style shop as we were going on a trip. We both love their tiny pick and mix cheeses, but these were so light the till kept saying to put it in the bagging area They were, they were in the bag, not my fault they only weigh 40g each

 

Anyhow, the assistant ended up having to stand next to me and over-riding. I reckon I would have been far quicker queuing and going through the normal queue

[Cinnamon]

Some of them are a real pain in the wotsit,aren't they?

 

I will admit to not using them if I am feeling particularly mousy that day, as I hate to have a fuss made.

I would loathe it if there was no choice

 

The big Tesco in Reading has got shot of all its 10 items & under tills,in favour of these things

[BarbaraJ]

i'll be the only one that likes them then lol

 

I'd much rather get my shopping done quickly than have some miserable person serve me can't stand miserable till people. If i have alot of shopping tills are usually better if they aren't throwing the shopping down at you.

I generally stick to Ocado and only do bits in shops!

[Redwing]

I quite like the self service tills, they are very useful if you are in a hurry and have basic easy items to scan

 

I do think one or two have a place in B&Q as its a pain if you have a packet of screws and the person in front of you has an entire kitchen on a trolley but it just doesnt make sense to go over completely to the self service tills in a place such as B&Q where items are awkward or bulky and cannot be removed from trollies for scanning

[Couperman]

I hate the self service tills too. I don't want to play shops.

 

They try to make out it is for your convenience and to avoid having to queue, what a load of codswallop, it's so they don't have to pay staff. As you are effectively working for them as you check yourself out they should pay you for your trouble in the way of a discount.

 

It wouldn't be so bad if the things actually worked but sadly they don't.

 

I think they missed a trick to be honest they should have called them 'Do it yourself tills'

 

Kev.

[chickenanne]

I don't particularly mind them, though OH hates them! I guess from the shops point of view it's cheaper, so let me guess the stock response "it's better for our customers as that way we can keep prices as low as possible".

I totally agree that if a shop does anyhting which makes the "experience" of shopping there more stressful/unpleasant then the best thing to do is complain to the decision makers and then spend your money elsewhere.

[chickric]

I don't mind them if I only have one or two things but for places like B&Q I agree, you need proper tills.

I used to like the system they had at our local Safeway, where you had your own hand scanner and scanned items as you put them into your trolly, then just paid and left. (you would occasionaly have to be rescanned just to make sure you weren't nicking stuff )

[Chookiehen]

I remember the scanning system at Safeway - so much handier than having to scan your shopping at a self-service till, and watch it all pile up at the end of the belt, whilst the bag packers are all working at manned tills

 

We used to shop in Safeway when Duncan was teeny, and we could whip round, scanning as we went, then chuck the shopping into crates in the boot. Perfect.

[Seagazer]

I quite like using the self scanners if I only have a couple of bits, reminds me of working in woolies but I do agree that things can go wrong quite often. It should definitely be a mix of proper tills and diy ones.

[TAJ]

Our B&Q is half and half so you do have choice. Personally I was quite happy to walk up to a free self-service till and scan the items without having the normal queue - I did however think the scales wouldn't work for a number of items e.g. fence panels - then you need the assistant and it takes longer than going to a normal till.

 

Personally I always use a self-service till if there isn't a queue and a queue at the 'normal' tills.

 

Tracy

[Cinnamon]

Annoys me in B&Q too when you buy glue on the ss tills & the assistant has to come & ask if you are over 18.

I mean,don't they have EYES???

[Woodcat]

hey

 

If i'm in a hurry or i've only got two or three things then i use the self service however if i''ve got alot of stuff then it is a totally pain. The tescos here has two sorts the sort with the belt htat takes the items down and the sort for baskets so if you've got a trolley full you've got to either do everything down the belt then run and pack it up while being glared at for taking ages or you've got to get it approved every time you take a bag off of the scales and it's totally daft. Band q having them is even dafter all the assistent would end up doing is running up and down like a mad thing and i've never qued for more than 5 mins in there.

 

 

Having said that i hate b and q on principle simply because i've never gone in there without having a huge fight i have the same problem in some other shops but somthing about the place means that if they are going to mess one person around that day it's always me.

 

 

Beth

[chrisnrob]

The ones in supermarkets don't seem to be able to cope well if you take your own bags. They chime "Unexpected item in bagging area".

 

Yes, it's a bag!!!!

 

Rob

[BarbaraJ]

Ahh our ones ask if you are using your own bags, i can see how b and q ones would be a waste of time if used entirely alone as the person would constantly be running about!

[Lewis]

My uncle works in B&Q and they say that the self service machines lose them money.

 

People walk out with some things that aren't tagged, like fence panels; if someone had 4, scanned 1, didn't bag it - the assistant would come over and authorise it - they pay for it and then walk out with 4, having only paid for 1!

And that actually happened

[Ain't Nobody Here]

The ones in supermarkets don't seem to be able to cope well if you take your own bags. They chime "Unexpected item in bagging area".

 

That drives me demented . I end up shouting at the machine .

[Cinnamon]

The ones in supermarkets don't seem to be able to cope well if you take your own bags. They chime "Unexpected item in bagging area".

 

That drives me demented . I end up shouting at the machine .

 

........................and do they also not realise that women have handbags, & when we are scanning our own shopping,we need to take them off our shoulders & put them somewhere,preferably not the floor where they can get kicked about or pinched

 

Heaven forbid you put them anywhere on the SS machine - it hates it!

[Alis girls]

Bet you don't talk to them - I find myself saying " its a bunch of bananas you stupid machine" curious looks from other shoppers and men in white coats

[Seagazer]

Bet you don't talk to them - I find myself saying " its a bunch of bananas you stupid machine" curious looks from other shoppers and men in white coats

 

No I always talk to the machines, especially if they say there's an unexpected item. I argue with them and say 'no there isn't!'

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Yes, I always talk to them too . I don't use quite the same volume they use when they shout at me though .