Self-service checkouts and "use your own bag"

Self-service checkouts and "use your own bag"

Author
Discussion

clockworks

Original Poster:

5,415 posts

146 months

Sunday 7th April
quotequote all
I mostly shop at Tesco, and have always used the self-service checkouts. Generally faster than queueing for a manned till.

I always do the same thing - park the trolley, put my bags (generally 1x bag for life and 4x disposible) on the "bagging area scales", press the "I'm using my own bags" button, and scan away. Rarely had an issue.

A few weeks ago, Tesco updated the till software. Since then, I can't get it to work without a checkout supervisor logging in and clearing an error before I can scan the first item.

It was very quiet in the store today, so I took my time, carefully reading the screen messages and doing exactly what it said:

Select "self-scan"
Press "I'm using my own bags"
Put bags in bagging area, opened out and ready to use.
Press "done"

Failed again! - needed checkout supervisor to log in.

I watched as she cleared the error - "bags too heavy".

I complained that I was having this problem every time, and asked her what I was doing wrong. She showed me on another till, doing exactly what I had done!

Is there a "trick" to using the tills now, or is there a secret limit to the number of bags that are acceptable before triggering operator intervention?

CoolHands

18,793 posts

196 months

Sunday 7th April
quotequote all
(You will parklife comment etc)

I get around it if possible by scanning the first item which is something non standard weight eg a baguette or whatever and put it with the bags onto the platform at the same time. Then it can’t reject. Sometimes you don’t have something non standard though.


Bright Halo

3,020 posts

236 months

Sunday 7th April
quotequote all
There must be a limit to the weight to stop people putting a bag on there with goods in it and trying to trick it into thinking just the bag.
I rarely put more than one bag on. Maybe there are just too sensitive and you putting multiple bags on triggers the “possible goods in bag” trigger.
Must admit I use self scan the scan and go system. Rarely get a queue or problem.

technodup

7,585 posts

131 months

Sunday 7th April
quotequote all
I think the only trick a lot of people are interested in is how to get as much as possible into the bag without it registering at the till.

lizardbrain

2,079 posts

38 months

Sunday 7th April
quotequote all
Start with the bag in your hand. Scan a heavy item like milk, put it in the bag. then put the bag on the scales

rodericb

6,805 posts

127 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
Bright Halo said:
There must be a limit to the weight to stop people putting a bag on there with goods in it and trying to trick it into thinking just the bag.
I rarely put more than one bag on. Maybe there are just too sensitive and you putting multiple bags on triggers the “possible goods in bag” trigger.
Must admit I use self scan the scan and go system. Rarely get a queue or problem.
Yeah the difference between the tolerance and your bag might be mere grams but it's overweight so will error. Newer self scan stations has video on the scanning, which can be reviewed on the console by the staff but there's nothing on the bag and it'd be easily fooled anyway by having a floppy enough bag which folded over and thus hid the contents from the camera anyway.

They'll keep chasing down the opportunities to thieve goods but it'll reach a certain point where the cost will outweigh the benefit...

lancslad58

619 posts

9 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
rodericb said:
Bright Halo said:
There must be a limit to the weight to stop people putting a bag on there with goods in it and trying to trick it into thinking just the bag.
I rarely put more than one bag on. Maybe there are just too sensitive and you putting multiple bags on triggers the “possible goods in bag” trigger.
Must admit I use self scan the scan and go system. Rarely get a queue or problem.
Yeah the difference between the tolerance and your bag might be mere grams but it's overweight so will error. Newer self scan stations has video on the scanning, which can be reviewed on the console by the staff but there's nothing on the bag and it'd be easily fooled anyway by having a floppy enough bag which folded over and thus hid the contents from the camera anyway.

They'll keep chasing down the opportunities to thieve goods but it'll reach a certain point where the cost will outweigh the benefit...
Don’t they have a “smart shop” like Sainsbury whereby you scan the goods before you put them in your bags either with your phone or a hand held scanner. Once you’ve got everything you want you just point your phone/scanner at the reader at the till and you’re done, no issues with bag weights/unexpected item in thebagging area etc, and it’s far quicker than scanning everything at the till.


Road2Ruin

5,279 posts

217 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
'Scan as you shop' is where the future is. So easy. I never scan at the till anymore.

lancslad58

619 posts

9 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
Road2Ruin said:
'Scan as you shop' is where the future is. So easy. I never scan at the till anymore.
You should try "Click and Collect" it's even better

Aunty Pasty

633 posts

39 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
If you want to shop in person, use the hand scanner and bag it as you go.

clockworks

Original Poster:

5,415 posts

146 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
I'll try putting the bags on with a scanned bottle of milk next time.

Can you pay with cash if you scan as you go?

The Rotrex Kid

30,445 posts

161 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
Road2Ruin said:
'Scan as you shop' is where the future is. So easy. I never scan at the till anymore.
If I’m going in, I will only ever do this now. I did get the inconvenience of a ‘bag check’ the other day, but mostly it’s just so much easier.

Truckosaurus

11,414 posts

285 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
Bright Halo said:
There must be a limit to the weight to stop people putting a bag on there with goods in it ....
This seems to be how they work. Can't cope with a bag without something already in it - which is not unusual if you have been to another shop.

jonsp

825 posts

157 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
The Rotrex Kid said:
If I’m going in, I will only ever do this now. I did get the inconvenience of a ‘bag check’ the other day, but mostly it’s just so much easier.
Same here.

I tend to get a bag check ~1 time in 20 which is fair enough. Presumably the more you shop the fewer times you get checked.

Spare tyre

9,698 posts

131 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
lizardbrain said:
Start with the bag in your hand. Scan a heavy item like milk, put it in the bag. then put the bag on the scales
That’s what I do


I’m sure after a week or two they will look at various thresholds and adjust

Road2Ruin

5,279 posts

217 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
lancslad58 said:
Road2Ruin said:
'Scan as you shop' is where the future is. So easy. I never scan at the till anymore.
You should try "Click and Collect" it's even better
I don't trust the people doing it. I like to select my own products. On top of that, I do like to impulse shop hehe

Cotty

39,678 posts

285 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
clockworks said:

I complained that I was having this problem every time, and asked her what I was doing wrong. She showed me on another till, doing exactly what I had done!
Thats the thing I hate, even when you hit the right buttons in the correct sequence the transaction won't complete. Staff comes over, backtracks one step, hits the same button I did and it works. But if it doesn't work for the customer then its not fit for purpose.

As for the bag thing I just scan all the shopping, pay, then bag.

Monkeylegend

26,546 posts

232 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
Do nothing, that checkout Supervisor needs a job.

Sainsburys is the same . You need to put the bags on singly before you start, you can't just dump 3 bags on and hope to start scanning.

lancslad58

619 posts

9 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
[quote=clockworks]I'll try putting the bags on with a scanned bottle of milk next time.

Can you pay with cash if you scan as you go?[/quote}

Yes, same as all the other tills, cash, card, necter.

R6tty

290 posts

16 months

Monday 8th April
quotequote all
clockworks said:
I'll try putting the bags on with a scanned bottle of milk next time.

Can you pay with cash if you scan as you go?
Yes you can. Exactly the same proccess.