Tuesday, July 1, 2014

♪ I am a one in ten ♫

As the UB40 song goes I am a one in ten according to the Daily Mail in that self service checkouts don't usually hinder me or get me annoyed. Yes I've had the occasional problem with one due to its weight sensor idiocy, but by and large the only problems I've ever had with them tend to be other people, not the machines themselves.
Mail.
Self-service machines can be found in most shops on the high street but a survey has revealed nine out of ten shoppers find the technology a hindrance rather than a help.
Research by banking experts shows 93 per cent of customers are frustrated by self-service machines.
However, despite feeling irritated by the machines, shoppers are still open to the idea of using them rather than waiting in queues with 79 per cent of adults using them at least some of the time.
Frustrations I have observed are people failing to scan the bar code, not placing the item on the checkout weigher, the inability to read and understand what it says on the screen and the biggest problem of all appears to be those who don't understand the fifteen items or less sign above the scanners and attempt to take a full shop through one delaying everyone else.
Yes the technology is a little limited and some people won't use it due to the fact that they think its taking away jobs, though I rather suspect that they wouldn't or didn't have four (at least) extra checkout workers previously. Yes going through a proper till can be quicker or less bothersome for some, but as I said above, the biggest problem with the self service tills is other people, not the technology.
Now if only I could get one to recognise my age and not call an assistant every time I scan a bottle of beer...

4 annotations:

Kath Lissenden said...

I just don't like them, no special reason I just don't.
In most of the supermarkets I have used the have these things and that's 99% of them now, usually they have ripped out 2 or more normal checkouts to put these ruddy things in.
I am old and I like the personal touch, my concern is automated checkouts are cheap don't need wages don't take time off for holidays, school plays or sickness and don't need uniforms. I know there are already some Tescos with all automated tills, how long before all supermarkets have all automated tills to save the overheads of staff. Plus there are many elderly people and others in society who never see a living soul to talk to unless it's in the supermarket and the checkout operator maybe the only person they see that day. Not much conversation to be had with a machine.
Once they bring in retina scanners and face recognition technology you wont need to worry about the beer as we will all be on a big central computer and the machine wont need an assistant to verify your age.

English Pensioner said...

I'm not a left-winger defending jobs at all costs, but on the occasions that I have used these machines, I have always felt that I'm doing someone out of a job.
The country needs jobs at all levels, if we don't have sufficient jobs at lower skills levels, all we do is end up with mass unemployment which might reduce and individual business's costs, but not help the country overall.
The most I will use these machines for is when I only have two or three items, and then I often require assistance as one of them is likely to be a four pack!

FrankC said...

I don't like using the things and as they have reduced staff count (sometimes one "colleague" to four or six auto checkouts) where's my discount?

Barman said...

How do self-service checkouts wash with the desire to stop giving away plastic bags...?