Originally Posted by
Cyclops
Eh, well, I thought i'd post about this and see what others thoughts are.
There are self-service check-outs in supermarkets were what happens is you scan you're own groceries through and then you pay by either inserting your bank/credit card, your notes and/or your coins. (i'm presuming y'all know about them, but just elaborating on the ones we have just in case).
Well, i've read about them in the past, but they've only started being used here.
Anyway, I went to a different supermarket on Sunday morning, as I decided to get my shopping in early and this particular one was open.
At this supermarket, there were no manned tills in action, just the pay yourself ones.
So, I used it, and here's what I have to do. I need to scan each item through myself. Some of the items I had were kinda scrunched up so I had to unruffle the packets a couple of times in order for the bar code to be recognised, and put all the items in the bag. Then I went to use it to pay, and as my paper notes had been folded in my pocket, it didn't accept them at first. I had to make a point of straightening them out and re-inserting them a couple of times in order for my actual money to be accepted.
So, the whole transaction took about 10 minutes. The minimum wage here is just under £6, so by my logic I should be getting paid about £0.60 for carrying out a job which is normally carried out by the actual supermarket myself.
But I didn't get any money off at all.
Way I see it, how they ring up their charge, be it by bar code, paper adding or w/e, isn't really my concern, and I shouldn't be having to do their job for them, my money should be good enough, at least not with a discount.
I observed these self-checkouts today in another shop when i'd just popped in to by a bottle of water.
Maybe it is just me and I am miserable or something, lol, but I don't get how people seem content to use these things, like it is somehow a good thing helping them.
I'm basically doing the shops job for them, and yet i'm expected to provide myself as free labour.
Makes no sense to me and i'm gonna try avoiding supermarkets that use them.
What are your guys thoughts on them?
Edit: If I got money off for doing this myself, i'd actually consider queueing to use them if they were busy.