A new personal best - at Lidl's self-service checkout!

[CelticRambler]

For a quick shop of eight items, the self-service checkout demanded a supervisor's intervention five times!

'Twasn't just me - the other five machines were being equally temperamental, and the poor supervisor was run ragged dashing between them.

Most of the "errors" were some (underpaid?) programmers fault - like how do you tell the difference between a "Fair Trade" banana, sold loose, and a "loose" banana (not in stock, therefore giving a "divide by zero" type error when weighed)?

Or why does the specially-printed "30% off" barcode throw up the item's original price when you scan it using the flatbed laser, but the 30% off price if you use the zapper handset?

Still, at least it was an amusing way to pass some of the time on a filthy wet winter's afternoon. Now it's off out to mingle with some of France's most 4th wave, covid-infected populations in the hope of finding some locally-made stork earrings on a Christmas market stall ... (@kadman : no dancing tonight, you'll be pleased to hear! )

[kadman]

Automatic checkouts are an electronic way of stealing your money.
In particular on buy one get one half price deals. Hand held picks it up, but automatic scanning rips you off. I watched this happen to me, and many other elderly scanning their own products in Tesco one time. I blew a fuse, and created a massive scene when I complained to the floor manager about the rip off methods. They asked me to lower my voice.

I told him to politely F...K off. He asked me did I want to see the duty manager, I said bring him on down, I might as well rant on him as wel as youl.. I created such a scene in front of about 20 people who were unaware of the rip off pricing on the automated checkouts, that were calibrated wrong but would be fixed. That i was asked to leave.....at which I threw 2 packets of "chicken breasts buy one get one half price", which I did not because of the over charging, squarely at the duty manger, which hit him in the chest........and went on my way.

Dont wake the sleeping dragon when he sees some one getting ripped off, especially me

[Memento Mori]

Automatic checkouts are an electronic way of stealing your money.
In particular on buy one get one half price deals. Hand held picks it up, but automatic scanning rips you off. I watched this happen to me, and many other elderly scanning their own products in Tesco one time. I blew a fuse, and created a massive scene when I complained to the floor manager about the rip off methods. They asked me to lower my voice.

I told him to politely F...K off. He asked me did I want to see the duty manager, I said bring him on down, I might as well rant on him as wel as youl.. I created such a scene in front of about 20 people who were unaware of the rip off pricing on the automated checkouts, that were calibrated wrong but would be fixed. That i was asked to leave.....at which I threw 2 packets of "chicken breasts buy one get one half price", which I did not because of the over charging, squarely at the duty manger, which hit him in the chest........and went on my way.

Dont wake the sleeping dragon when he sees some one getting ripped off, especially me

Ah lad, literally nothing to do with the poor minions stacking the shelves and manning the tills. "Managers" have zero input either in places like that.

[kadman]

Ah lad, literally nothing to do with the poor minions stacking the shelves and manning the tills. "Managers" have zero input either in places like that.

The managers were aware of the pricing problem with the machine, but they still allowed elderly to walk through and get over charged,
thats irresponsible, and definitely not managing. Thats what lit my fuse, they were aware but did nothing.

[Memento Mori]

The managers were aware of the pricing problem with the machine, but they still allowed elderly to walk through and get over charged,
thats irresponsible, and definitely not managing. Thats what lit my fuse, they were aware but did nothing.

If they shut them down, they would get in trouble. Managers don't actually have the say in shops that they used to.

[kadman]

If they shut them down, they would get in trouble. Managers don't actually have the say in shops that they used to.

True, but thats why the Duty manager was called, he had the say so, and also knew the issues with the over charging at the tils, but did nothing.

[490808]

About 6 months ago in Morrisons in the UK, where they have convey belt self service checkouts so you can put a whole trolley load through yourself I walked out leaving everything. Two interventions by the supervisor and I was left for 10 minutes each time waiting for the payment screen to appear. The third time I when I was still looking at a spinning circle on the screen I cracked when I was told I'd have to put it all through again.

[Del.Monte]

Only ever used self-service once and that was to humour my youngest son. I am against them in principle as they are just another way for grubby supermarket owners to dispense with staff.

[490808]

Only ever used self-service once and that was to humour my youngest son. I am against them in principle as they are just another way for grubby supermarket owners to dispense with staff.

I use one at least once a month to get rid of all my small change. Record so far is just over €23 in small change in Dunnes. You have to be careful with the Dunnes self-service checkouts as you always get 5 one cents coins rather than one 5 cent coin in your change.

[CelticRambler]

... to get rid of all my small change.

Yer wha' ?

I don't do "change" anymore. Supermarket shopping is all card now; and cash payments have to be whole euro prices or I don't bother, and preferably a round ten. One Christmas market stall holder this evening agreed to knock 2€ off a 22€ purchase, so he got cash; another wouldn't, so he got the card.