Self Service Tills - Love or Loathe?

We have had this subject...

I remember commenting that I woukd rather see a friendly face & every time my partner & I used them we ended up calling an assistant to help..

Great when they work properly, frustrating when they don't, I prefer a normal traditional checkout

I like being able to scan as you shop so you know how much you’re spending. It definitely helps me avoid buying stuff I don’t need

I’m sure I have commented on this subject before too. Prefer human cashier to machines that always have an issue. Convenient occasionally for 1 item in a rush but that’s all. Fuming Lidl ones don’t even accept cash so they lost our custom.

I love self service tills. I go shopping and confidential want to talk to people they annoy me

Avoid. I'd rather just wait for a human tilled to take care of it.

It's not as if they give me a discount for doing their job.

I have commented on this before too. I would rather keep someone in a job by using a normal till.

Oh Yes, I don't think the screens on the self serve are ever wiped clean either, so not particularly hygienic although I know that cashiers could sneeze into their hands and carry on touching everything you buy too! So overall, supermarkets aren't very hygienic places anyway

For a few items fine, but for bigger shops traditional checkouts or scan as you shop for me. Local Morrisons has just in the past few weeks installed more self scan tills leaving just five traditional checkouts, I think it will be a store to avoid coming upto Christmas, particularly as there will be lots of Alchol purchases going through the tills.

Personally I prefer to self scan if I haven't done a big shop as find this quicker and easier, saves time.

I personally don't mind them although they do have little issues and you have to wait for a worker to come. I would rather see actual people serving on tills however

I use self checkout if there’s a queue with the cashier and I only have a few items.

When they work they are great and do save time. Unfortunately they often have problems and there’s only 1 staff member to deal with it all, a lot of times it ends up taking longer than if you had just gone to a human operated till.

I remember answering this question recently also. But anyhow, self service every time. I don't have to wait so long in the queue due to some customer telling the cashier their whole life story, and I can pack things at my own pace and in my own order. I love Sainsbury's SmartShop too.

Can't stand them, and will not use them. I don't work in that particular shop, and I don't want to take people's jobs away.

Great if in a rush and only a couple of things. Not great when someone has full basket, or worse, full trolley. Annoying when people scan alcohol at no alcohol ones, or, don't read the card only / cash only signs. Although I do blame them for increase in shop lifting.

At first I didn't like because I didn't know how to use especially after a member of the night shift staff at the local Asda store made a big deal about showing me how to use.

It's really simple.

But now I prefer using self service checkouts where available since there's some places where self service checkouts are not available.

Don’t like them and it just seems like another way to drop staff and make more money for shareholders,, also I’ve never used one when I’ve not needed assistance,,

Love them especially doing a smart shop quicker and easier .

Nobody cares what baby boomers think. Nobody.

Self checkout makes it clearer that discounts and promotions are applied. Not all manned checkouts are clear

I went shopping in M&S yesterday and they have updated their self service tills. They are much easier to use and I didn’t have to call an assistant for help.

I don’t mind them if it quick and easy with only a few items but not a full on shop. Prefer scan as you go and pay at the end for that.

I don't like self service tills as there is always some bar code scanning problem on at least one item.I prefer the traditional check out when I can pass the time of day with the assistants.I also think that self scan takes work away from the check out staff.

Well I prefer a self service till, I must be lucky as I rarely have issues. I don't want a chat when paying for my items, I judt want to get in-out as quickly as poss

Hate them. Would prefer a cashier. IF I ever use them I nearly always have a problem and need help, but when I go through a cashier but have to wait for one it annoys me to see another member of staff stood doing nothing at the self service tills

Love self service tills. Much quicker and ensure rushes within the shop are easily managed

Don’t usually use self service but decided to the other day as only had 2 items. Three times I tried to pay put it wouldn’t take my note! It just made a chugging noise and stayed there! This took much longer than if I had just waited at a proper checkout. Needed assistance twice!! They are a nightmare. Thinking I’d be quicker by doing this.

I tend to have a backpack which already has stuff in so when I put it on the bag side its gets flagged as an error as too heavy. I only use them occasionally to be honest when I just have a few items otherwise much prefer using a normal till. I believe self-service has been shown to be abused with people scanning different products as cheaper products i.e. organic fruit as standard fruit. It can cause a lot of losses for firms. So nowadays I think they try to monitor it more. It's hard to think that humans aren't more efficient in a way as they very quickly process the products on the conveyer and can prevent theft more easily by checking everything that passes through. I'm not convinced that self-checkouts save supermarkets money I suspect they cost them money hence why there was a recent news report about some supermarkets turning against self-checkouts because they are linked to a greater level of theft.

I think they both have pros and cons. Overall I prefer a cashier. However if there is a long Que and I just have a couple of bits I nip to the self checkout

Refuse to use them myself. Not having brilliant eyesight these days does not help the self service process. It does annoy me when my local Asda decides to man only one till at times leading to longer queues.

Absolutely detest using these things. I don’t think they are any quicker or more convenient

I always use self service, especially as I'm more of an introvert. Find it faster and more convenient. Also, when I have a coupon or something of the sort it's easier on self checkout. As some staff get so annoyed when you show them coupons and gift cards. You'd only see me at the till if there's no self checkout.

Hate them,

They do work properly, 99% of the time it is user error, usually because they aren't reading what it says on the screen, but customers always have to blame someone/something else for their own mistakes.

I hate them. Prefer to deal With a "real" person. I think self checkout encourages shoplifting

Love them and will always use them if they are available.

I am an introvert but I still prefer a real person who can sort things there and then. Often you are waiting around for assistance when machines go wrong and have to wait as only 1 staff helping everyone.

Sorry but I do prefer someone at desk rather than self service. Having said that I do like shops that have scan then pay systems

I used to work on them and they are an absolute nightmare for the staff as you can have 8 or 12 and every customer needs help and you could have served them all on a manned checkout in the same time