Supermarket Self Service Tills

[DynamicSpirit]

Not massive, but like all promotions it relies on head office people keying promotions correctly - start date, end date, and the deal. They sometimes make mistakes

The main issue I usually encounter (both with BOGOF and with individual reduced-price offers) often seems to be where there are two very similar items (for example, different flavours of the same brand of something), and only one of those is included in the offer. The labelling isn't always clear - and then it becomes very easy to pick the one that isn't in the offer, thinking it is. I'm not entirely sure to what extent that reflects genuine mistakes and to what extent that might be deliberate - since I imagine most people who mistakenly buy the higher priced one won't check their receipt. There's also sometimes ambiguity where similar products are all included in what looks like the same offer - and the labelling doesn't make it clear whether you have to buy two identical things to get the offer, or whether you can mix-n-match.

Its there in case you’re chosen for a security check at the checkout. Without it, the checker has no way of knowing what you told the scales the product was, and what you should have paid

Surely in any sensible system, the checker would know because they'd be able to read the list of your purchases being displayed by the self-service till?

Actually, in Sainsburys, I'm quite puzzled by their security checks for self-scan. I've been selected for the check several times, and it always consists of, the assistant asking me to pick three items from my bag for him/her to scan again - presumably to make sure I had paid for them. I'd have thought that's almost never going to catch anyone who's deliberately cheating, because anyone who is will know which items they haven't paid for and take care not to choose them for the re-scan: It's only therefore going to catch people who've made a genuine mistake, and not realised they haven't scanned something.

 

[trainophile]

It's news to me that some self-service checkouts no longer have scales. What happens if you've bought loose produce then, and want to use self-serve for quickness?

 

[SteveM70]

It's news to me that some self-service checkouts no longer have scales. What happens if you've bought loose produce then, and want to use self-serve for quickness?

They aren’t removing the scales next to the barcode scanner that are used for loose produce, it’s the (far less reliable) scales built into the bagging area

 

[Mojo]

They aren’t removing the scales next to the barcode scanner that are used for loose produce, it’s the (far less reliable) scales built into the bagging area

@trainophile is right - Many shops do however have such checkouts that don’t have either scales for weighing produce or weighing in the bagging area.

Tesco have had them in some
of their Express shops for many years and I’ve also noticed them recently installed in a (normal sized) Sainsbury’s supermarket near my work. In the case of the Tesco Expresses that I’ve seen them in they don’t sell produce that requires weighing (everything is pre packed and things like bananas are sold per item rather than per kg). In the Sainsbury’s and Waitrose that have them then you are expected to use the scales and print off a sticker for scanning as the shops have these for customers using mobile or handheld scanners.

 

[Busaholic]

Actually, in Sainsburys, I'm quite puzzled by their security checks for self-scan. I've been selected for the check several times, and it always consists of, the assistant asking me to pick three items from my bag for him/her to scan again - presumably to make sure I had paid for them. I'd have thought that's almost never going to catch anyone who's deliberately cheating, because anyone who is will know which items they haven't paid for and take care not to choose them for the re-scan: It's only therefore going to catch people who've made a genuine mistake, and not realised they haven't scanned something.

I don't use self-scan but am able to witness the end process as it takes place next to the large bank of self-service tills, and is usually overseen by one staff member responsible for both sections. This individual is, on the rare occasions when not being called to assist a customer, to be found scrutinising those who enter the self-scan section and often appears to intervene on a security check. It's maybe for this reason that use of the section appears to be dwindling, and my branch of Sainsburys is no longer aggressively pushing the use of their scanning devices. If you wonder how I see all this it is because there are seats available in the long aisle beyond the checkouts and I quite often make use of one after shopping, which I do on a regular basis as it's too tiring for me to do a 'large shop' on more than the odd occasion, and I'm not one to seek help unless I'm desperate.

 

[Kite159]

Actually, in Sainsburys, I'm quite puzzled by their security checks for self-scan. I've been selected for the check several times, and it always consists of, the assistant asking me to pick three items from my bag for him/her to scan again - presumably to make sure I had paid for them. I'd have thought that's almost never going to catch anyone who's deliberately cheating, because anyone who is will know which items they haven't paid for and take care not to choose them for the re-scan: It's only therefore going to catch people who've made a genuine mistake, and not realised they haven't scanned something.

Whereas Tesco seems to do 100% where previously it was only ~ 10% of products to be scanned. With a big shop that 100% policy must take up a bit of the time of the staff (especially if it's shared use tills)

 

[Strathclyder]

Am likely gonna get cross-examined for this, but meh.

I avoid using self-service tills when/whereever possible. I can't deny that they have their benefits, but I never got on with them when I've tried using them. So I just stopped trying. Much prefer dealing with a human and paying via cash (no cards/bank account to speak of at the moment) at any rate.

And to save anyone the bother of lobbing the 'time/technology/business moves on' card at me: I'm not stupid. I know it does and always has. But, having aspergers and the social handicaps that it brings to the table means that me going to my local Co-Op (which, mercifully, lacks any self-service tills) at all is a feat in and of itself sometimes. Dealing with a human and paying via cash is, my circumstances taken into consideration (no active bank/contactless cards, or bank account period) the least stressful* of all options. I know, for people with aspergers, these machines and how they deal with them varies wildly (heck, there once was a time that the mere idea of me going to the local Co-Op solo was unimaginable. Took a herculean amount of willpower on my part to do so for the first time), but the above is how I deal with it at present. No doubt, there may come a time when I'll have no choice but to deal with a self-service till and thereby I'll be forced to adapt, but as it stands...

* - Of course, the pandemic has thrown in a few extra caveats there, social distancing measures and the like. Which, you'll all be glad to know, I've followed as best I can each and every time I've ventured out to my Co-Op. More than I can say for some people I've observed, but this ain't really the thread for that discussion...

 

[py_megapixel]

Additionally, they might require the barcodes for rescans, and in some shops like Waitrose the regular semi-attended terminals don’t have scales so they serve two purposes.

I don't go to Waitrose very often (being in the North it's not really convenient!), but in my experience they don't do rescans at the regular terminals, they actually guide you over to a 'proper' staffed checkout lane to do it

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It seems that Tesco don't actually have a self-scan app yet (you have to take a handset), which seems a little odd as I think they're using the same (presumably) Android-based handsets as Sainsburys and Asda

 

[Mojo]

I don't go to Waitrose very often (being in the North it's not really convenient!), but in my experience they don't do rescans at the regular terminals, they actually guide you over to a 'proper' staffed checkout lane to do it

Never heard of that ever! The only shop that I know of that uses regular checkouts for self service is Wilkinson, but that’s just for normal shopping as they don’t have scan as you go.

 

[py_megapixel]

Never heard of that ever! The only shop that I know of that uses regular checkouts for self service is Wilkinson, but that’s just for normal shopping as they don’t have scan as you go.

What Wilkinson do is... strange. For those not aware, they effectively convert a staffed lane into a self-service one by turning around the cashier's touchscreen and disabling the functionality to accept cash - and that's it. The fact that the user interface is designed for someone who is trained in it to operate quickly, rather than for members of the general public, is simply solved by providing a little card with instructions on what buttons to press.

At Waitrose it feels a lot more thought-out. There are separate self-service terminals, and the majority of customers will pass through those smoothly. However, if the system deems that a re-scan is necessary, the light above the terminal starts flashing (as it would if someone used the "call for assistance" button) and a member of staff comes out and guides you over to a checkout lane that they keep available for that purpose, where they then scan your shopping and the transaction proceeds as if you had just come to the staffed till in the first place.

However, I've only ever seen the rescan procedure take place in a couple of stores, and this was a while ago, so maybe Waitrose have decided this is a little convoluted and changed their policies to be in line with the likes of Sainsburys and Tesco, where staff simply log in to the terminal that the customer was already using.

 

[GatwickDepress]

Whereas Tesco seems to do 100% where previously it was only ~ 10% of products to be scanned. With a big shop that 100% policy must take up a bit of the time of the staff (especially if it's shared use tills)

Must be someone getting incredibly unlucky? I've used scan as you shop every week since September and have had the usual small check whenever I've been chosen.

It seems that Tesco don't actually have a self-scan app yet (you have to take a handset), which seems a little odd as I think they're using the same (presumably) Android-based handsets as Sainsburys and Asda

I remember a trial ran a few years in select stores - I think they were all in London. I had the app and it worked absolutely fine, but it looks like nothing became of it.

What Wilkinson do is... strange. For those not aware, they effectively convert a staffed lane into a self-service one by turning around the cashier's touchscreen and disabling the functionality to accept cash - and that's it. The fact that the user interface is designed for someone who is trained in it to operate quickly, rather than for members of the general public, is simply solved by providing a little card with instructions on what buttons to press.

My favourite thing about that is the receipt saying "You were served by: Self". What a wonderfully janky workaround.

 

[Mojo]

What Wilkinson do is... strange. For those not aware, they effectively convert a staffed lane into a self-service one by turning around the cashier's touchscreen and disabling the functionality to accept cash - and that's it. The fact that the user interface is designed for someone who is trained in it to operate quickly, rather than for members of the general public, is simply solved by providing a little card with instructions on what buttons to press.

It is pretty poor, things like having to press “ok” after you have already selected to pay by card seem pretty poor, although as you say it’s obviously done on a budget.

The best part about it for me is that if you are using a Love2shop gift card once you have swiped the card the cash drawer opens because Wilko make you sign a receipt when you pay by Love2Shop (even though there’s no signature on the card!) I normally just reach over and slam it shut as if you don’t close it the next customer can’t use the machine.

 

[nlogax]

I'm a fan for what Asda has done in some of its shops; a proper till with a long conveyor and enough of a loading area for a sizable weekly shop. Not sure if other stores have done this but they certainly solve the problem of self service tills restricting how much you can buy.

 

[Mojo]

I'm a fan for what Asda has done in some of its shops; a proper till with a long conveyor and enough of a loading area for a sizable weekly shop. Not sure if other stores have done this but they certainly solve the problem of self service tills restricting how much you can buy.

Our local Asda’s doesn’t have this, and one that I’ve been in a few times that has had them for a number of years has just removed the ones with the conveyor, and replaced them with a “trolley shop” area which has a much bigger scales area than the normal one. Given this Asda’s also has handheld scanners available I’m not sure why you’d use this though.

 

[Westcountryman]

I'm a fan for what Asda has done in some of its shops; a proper till with a long conveyor and enough of a loading area for a sizable weekly shop. Not sure if other stores have done this but they certainly solve the problem of self service tills restricting how much you can buy.

I've seen this at Sainsbury's.

 

[trainophile]

@trainophile is right - Many shops do however have such checkouts that don’t have either scales for weighing produce or weighing in the bagging area.

Tesco have had them in some
of their Express shops for many years and I’ve also noticed them recently installed in a (normal sized) Sainsbury’s supermarket near my work. In the case of the Tesco Expresses that I’ve seen them in they don’t sell produce that requires weighing (everything is pre packed and things like bananas are sold per item rather than per kg). In the Sainsbury’s and Waitrose that have them then you are expected to use the scales and print off a sticker for scanning as the shops have these for customers using mobile or handheld scanners.

I keep getting caught out on this with bananas. I pick modestly sized ones as I don't necessarily want to eat huge ones, only to find at the self-checkout in Tesco Express that they are 25p each! Bit of a scandal as when I was having deliveries from Tesco in the height of the lockdown bananas were priced as 13p individually, or you could select to pay by weight if you preferred it.

On the subject of Asda, I love their trolley shop section, but wonder why they have a little mirror on the unit so you keep catching sight of your face. Is it a security thing, with the chap at the door having access to the same images to check if you look guilty?

 

[ta-toget]

On the subject of Asda, I love their trolley shop section, but wonder why they have a little mirror on the unit so you keep catching sight of your face. Is it a security thing, with the chap at the door having access to the same images to check if you look guilty?

Is it an actual mirror, or an on-screen mirror? I think I've been to ones where it displays your image on the screen. I think it probably reminds people "You are being watched! Don't you try anything!", since they can see that a camera is picking them up, and that someone might be watching them with the same view. That's my hypothesis, anyway.

 

[Bald Rick]

Well I have just seen people paying for their shopping at a self service till with cash - first time for over a year. Indeed there was a small queue of people waiting to use the three self service tills that accepted cash. Not coincidentally, it was my first time in Tescos at Hemel Hempstead for several years.

 

[superjohn]

I have become a convert to self scanning although I prefer to use a handset rather than my phone. I have had the random check a couple of times, once in Sainsbury’s and once in Asda. The routine for both was for the staff to scan four or five random items of their choosing. Presumably if they find something you haven’t scanned the whole shop will be redone. I guess the requirement to have a loyalty card for self scan is so you can banned from the service if you are found to be abusing it.

I must confess to being another one who only uses the regular self service tills to get some change. These days I only use cash for the coffee machine at work. It’s only 10p a cup so buying a 40p bottle of pop with a fiver at Tesco will produce enough change to keep me going for a fair while.

 

[Gloster]

I was told that pre-Covid two of the main chains had the same policy with people starting to use self-scan. They would have the whole of their shopping checked once in their first three or four shops. After that checking was random, usually only partial and very rare, unless they had suspicions. I am a bit doubtful about this: one friend started using self-scan when it was introduced and was checked almost every time she shopped. There was never any discrepancy (she is a legal secretary, and so careful), but it continued until she gave up using the self-scan.

 

[Kite159]

I'm a fan for what Asda has done in some of its shops; a proper till with a long conveyor and enough of a loading area for a sizable weekly shop. Not sure if other stores have done this but they certainly solve the problem of self service tills restricting how much you can buy.

The ones of this style in the Andover store got ripped out a few months ago, replaced by regular self scan tills.

 

[Hadders]

There isn't really any need for self scan checkouts that can handle a trolley load of shopping - smartshop is the way to deal with trolleys, scan as you go so much faster too.

An algorithm is used to select customers for a re-scan. I'm not going to go into detail here but basically when you are selected for a re-scan a small number of items are scanned (e.g. 6 or 10) and if one of these is found not to have been scanned by the customer, it then becomes a full re-scan conducted at a main checkout. The member of staff should select the items to be scanned, not the customer!

 

[py_megapixel]

An algorithm is used to select customers for a re-scan. I'm not going to go into detail here but basically when you are selected for a re-scan a small number of items are scanned (e.g. 6 or 10) and if one of these is found not to have been scanned by the customer, it then becomes a full re-scan conducted at a main checkout. The member of staff should select the items to be scanned, not the customer!

I believe Waitrose do (or at least did for a while) a full rescan for all selected customers.

I also think that 'failing' a rescan significantly increases chance of selection next time around, and I would assume you'll no longer be allowed to use the system if you fail too many (which would be the purpose of linking it to the supermarket loyalty card)

 

[CrispyUK]

My local Tesco superstore has had Scan as you Shop handsets for a number of years. My first few shops all prompted a partial check scan, and then have had occasional checks since, as you’d expect. The member of staff has always selected the items to scan until they’ve scanned the number of items required for the check.

I shop at Sainsbury’s more often these days and started using their SmartShop app around a year ago, yet have never had my scanning checked.

 

[Hadders]

I also think that 'failing' a rescan significantly increases chance of selection next time around, and I would assume you'll no longer be allowed to use the system if you fail too many (which would be the purpose of linking it to the supermarket loyalty card)

This is a correct assumption!

 

[221129]

I vaguely remember something similar in possibly Switzerland or it could have been Italy.

I've done it in both. It's a lot more common than you think.

 

[hexagon789]

I've done it in both. It's a lot more common than you think.

I don't doubt it.

I also think that 'failing' a rescan significantly increases chance of selection next time around, and I would assume you'll no longer be allowed to use the system if you fail too many (which would be the purpose of linking it to the supermarket loyalty card)

It does yes, by a not insignificant factor as well.

 

[Ianno87]

This is a correct assumption!

Yes, my wife accidentally forgot to scan something that then got picked up in a service check, and had a few more service checks in quick succession in the following weeks. Back to normal regularity now, though.

 

[Wuffle]

Not only age limited, but the quantity is limited too. Only 32 ibuprofen or paracetamol at a time.

These and other medicines are restricted on quantity in general retailers, you can buy bigger packs at a Pharmacy although you may have to explain why
One of the conditions of moving from a P (Pharmacy ) product to GSL

I'm a fan for what Asda has done in some of its shops; a proper till with a long conveyor and enough of a loading area for a sizable weekly shop. Not sure if other stores have done this but they certainly solve the problem of self service tills restricting how much you can buy.

Tesco and Sainsbury used to have Self Checkouts (SCO) with belts to put a big shop on and then started taking them out, Asda and Morrisons started putting them back in but the new ones are easier to maintain

Scan As You Shop (SAYS) handhelds have been about since the early 90's if I remember correctly -Safeway used to do them

The Self Checkouts that NCR are fitting have a camera in the screen which record images to prevent card fraud

 

[GusB]

I'm a fan for what Asda has done in some of its shops; a proper till with a long conveyor and enough of a loading area for a sizable weekly shop. Not sure if other stores have done this but they certainly solve the problem of self service tills restricting how much you can buy.

I really cannot understand how this makes the process quicker and more convenient. Unload shopping on to conveyor, scan shopping then pack shopping. I could understand if there were two or more people doing it, but if you're on your own then having a cashier doing the scanning bit is far better, in my opinion.

I'll use a self-serve till when I'd previously have used an express checkout, but for a bigger basketful or a trolley load, I far prefer to use staffed checkouts. If there's a staffed checkout free I'll use that regardless of how many items I have as I prefer interacting with a human being. It amuses seeing people queuing for the robo-tills when there's a sad-looking cashier sitting there with no customers at all.