The end of scab tills

[hash tag]

Did not see this coming. It contrast to Booths who did it for better customer service, I wonder if ASDA are doing it to try and cut down on shop lifting. Either, more staffed tills is a good thing.
BBC News - Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit - BBC News

Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit

The firm denied the move was about shoppers' preference for a human to help them rather than a machine.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Did not see this coming. It contrast to Booths who did it for better customer service, I wonder if ASDA are doing it to try and cut down on shop lifting. Either, more staffed tills is a good thing.
BBC News - Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit - BBC News

Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit

The firm denied the move was about shoppers' preference for a human to help them rather than a machine.

www.bbc.co.uk

Whilst they're at it they could put more on the self service...

 

[InArduisFouette]

Did not see this coming. It contrast to Booths who did it for better customer service, I wonder if ASDA are doing it to try and cut down on shop lifting. Either, more staffed tills is a good thing.
BBC News - Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit - BBC News

Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit

The firm denied the move was about shoppers' preference for a human to help them rather than a machine.

www.bbc.co.uk

it will cost them more money to put more self service tills in , than it costs to put more staff on minimal hours contracts for tills

 

[Lotte]

The ones in the Co-Op are utter shite tbh. Would rather go to a human.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

it will cost them more money to put more self service tills in , than it costs to put more staff on minimal hours contracts for tills

Does it though? I don't know how much they cost, but even min wage adds up very quickly.

 

[teuchter]

Does it though?

Doubt it. I believe this statement is probably made-up nonsense.

 

[InArduisFouette]

Does it though? I don't know how much they cost, but even min wage adds up very quickly.

and given the average staff churn in retail, any up lift will be very temporary and after christmas it'll be back to normal

 

[Nine Bob Note]

Did not see this coming. It contrast to Booths who did it for better customer service, I wonder if ASDA are doing it to try and cut down on shop lifting. Either, more staffed tills is a good thing.
BBC News - Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit - BBC News

Asda to put more staff on checkouts as self-service reaches limit

The firm denied the move was about shoppers' preference for a human to help them rather than a machine.

www.bbc.co.uk

"it wants to invest additional hours"

For anyone who has never worked in 21st century retail, that's the key phrase right there. There will be no more hours, no more staff, but other job roles that currently require say 100 man-hours per week (collecting trolleys, making pizzas, whatever) will now magically be done in 50 because of new software, improved hairnets etc.

 

[mentalchik]

"it wants to invest additional hours"

For anyone who has never worked in 21st century retail, that's the key phrase right there. There will be no more hours, no more staff, but other job roles that currently require say 100 man-hours per week (collecting trolleys, making pizzas, whatever) will now magically be done in 50 because of new software, improved hairnets etc.

As someone that works in this area i'm not gonna be holding my breath....our service staff numbers are cut to the bone as it is...just find it hard to believe they are suddenly going to pay for extra staff that just sit on a till like they used to when i started there.

 

[InArduisFouette]

As someone that works in this area i'm not gonna be holding my breath....our service staff numbers are cut to the bone as it is...just find it hard to believe they are suddenly going to pay for extra staff that just sit on a till like they used to when i started there.

it'll be the usual 'christmas' uplift

 

[PR1Berske]

 

[salem]

made "us" wealthy and is there a backlash? I CBA to read the telegraph article but clearly the tills are everywhere now and most people are happy to use them. Other then a slight dialling back in some locations for business reasons they seem here to stay with no resistance from the public.

I was in a H&M with a self service till that had a security tag remover and everything which I've not seen before. The place is always fairly quiet with a skeleton staff and there were no staff anywhere near the till when we used it (rather than it being supervised like most places). I think the tag removal device was activated after you paid but suspect you could buy a pair of socks and remove the tag on a jacket if you were that way inclined.

 

[BigMoaner]

Scan tills just means free labour for the supermarkets. We are the workers.

 

[nightowl]

Wouldn't be surprised if more 'normal' tills return. Have seen plenty of shoppers getting fed up waiting for the sole automatic till supervisor to get to them when they go wrong or need a product authorising. Trouble is the supervisor will work down the line of people with hands up so if you're down the far end from her it doesn't matter if you put your hand up first, you're still going to get seen last.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

Wouldn't be surprised if more 'normal' tills return. Have seen plenty of shoppers getting fed up waiting for the sole automatic till supervisor to get to them when they go wrong or need a product authorising. Trouble is the supervisor will work down the line of people with hands up so if you're down the far end from her it doesn't matter if you put your hand up first, you're still going to get seen last.

Or they could have an additional person.

I doubt in all but premium stores we will see more as staff cost.

Scan as you go has got a lot more popular in my local Asda they're are frequently no charged handsets. It's a nicer experience then Tesco as they have a seperate checkout area for them, Tesco you have to share with self service tills.

 

[Wkdloz]

Wouldn't be surprised if more 'normal' tills return. Have seen plenty of shoppers getting fed up waiting for the sole automatic till supervisor to get to them when they go wrong or need a product authorising. Trouble is the supervisor will work down the line of people with hands up so if you're down the far end from her it doesn't matter if you put your hand up first, you're still going to get seen last.

Probably much cheaper to invest in better checkout machines as technology moves forwards not backwards.

 

[liquidindian]

Okay, good work, telling me that David Frost agrees with me is the best argument against my stance I've seen in this thread so far.

 

[NoXion]

Okay, good work, telling me that David Frost agrees with me is the best argument against my stance I've seen in this thread so far.

Frost's argument is fatuous because it contains the implicit lie that the savings made on labour by for-profit enterprises are naturally passed on to customers. I didn't get the impression that your stance was mendacious in that way.

 

[liquidindian]

Frost's argument is fatuous

I didn't read it beyond the headline, because then you're reading something written by David Frost.

 

[NoXion]

I didn't read it beyond the headline, because then you're reading something written by David Frost.

Admittedly I did not read it beyond the headline either. Either the headline is an accurate reflection of the contents, or it is not. In neither case am I expecting any justification or explanation for why massive supermarkets cutting costs and then pocketing the difference is supposed to make "Britain" less poor, rather than further enriching a minority of already rich pricks.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

Have seen plenty of shoppers getting fed up waiting for the sole automatic till supervisor to get to them when they go wrong or need a product authorising. Trouble is the supervisor will work down the line of people with hands up so if you're down the far end from her it doesn't matter if you put your hand up first, you're still going to get seen last.

Or they could have an additional person.

you'd have thought one of the checkout staff 'freed up to do other things' could do it

 

[hash tag]

you'd have thought one of the checkout staff 'freed up to do other things' could do it

I bet the new staff checking the scanning tills are much cheaper to employ than long term checkout staff.

 

[emanymton]

Scan tills just means free labour for the supermarkets. We are the workers.

To an extent, but you could say the same about us walking around and picking items for ourselves, or going to the shop instead of having it delivered. And it is generally more efficient as you can have more tills in less space and therefore it is actually better for customers.

I would also be interested how much Labour it saves per item, i would think the process of getting an item on the shelf requires a lot more work than it going through a manned checkout. Obviously they are being pushed to cut costs, but beat it is pretty small savings per item, but they will take whatever they can.

 

[StoneRoad]

Still not succeeding in persuading me to use self-service tills ...
I avoid them when/where-ever I can.

 

[BigMoaner]

I like my local Lidl self serve tills. They limit my queue time and reduce inner kill everyone nearby tension that often figures in my head whilst queuing.

Reminds me of that Alan partridge line

What’s the matter, Alan?

I just hate the general public.

 

[Orang Utan]

I just hate the general public.

I hate them sometimes too. Especially those who’d rather queue up and bother me at my desk and distract me from what I’m doing, when they can scan the books out themselves. Returning them is even easier. But when you ask them to use the machines, they get all smug and hoity toity with you, saying they’d rather have a conversation. What about me? I don’t want to have a dull conversation, I’m busy with other stuff and haven’t got time for your small talk. Use the fucking machine you smug determinedly-ignorant dolt, and stop acting like you’re doing me a favour by giving me more work to do.

This post was brought to you by A Long Day At Work In A Public Library

 

[BigMoaner]

I hate them sometimes too. Especially those who’d rather queue up and bother me at my desk and distract me from what I’m doing, when they can scan the books out themselves. Returning them is even easier. But when you ask them to use the machines, they get all smug and hoity toity with you, saying they’d rather have a conversation. What about me? I don’t want to have a dull conversation, I’m busy with other stuff and haven’t got time for your small talk. Use the fucking machine you smug determinedly-ignorant dolt, and stop acting like you’re doing me a favour by giving me more work to do.

This post was brought to you by A Long Day At Work In A Public Library

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I want to quite literally kill face time blatherers in public libraries.

 

[keybored]

'freed up to do other things'

That's corporate-speak for watching daytime TV and sending out CVs

 

[Orang Utan]

I want to quite literally kill face time blatherers in public libraries.

Oh don’t get me started on other members of the public. Grown educated adults who don’t know how to find books on shelves. People who get annoyed with you because you don’t know the password for their email and can’t help them access it. People who can’t remember anything about a book they’re after, except it has a red cover. Businessmen who complain that it costs 20p for one copy of a flyer for their shitty MLM enterprise. Leaseholders who think the council should do all of their repairs for free…..aargh better stop

 

[Orang Utan]

That's corporate-speak for watching daytime TV and sending out CVs

Or doing an evergrowing list of tasks that need doing to run the place, despite being severely understaffed