Self-service checkouts and "use your own bag"

[clockworks]

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?

[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?

[clockworks]

I'll have a look at scan as you go, see how many of the tills actually take cash.

There are 8 self-scan checkouts at my local Tesco, but only 3 of then take cash. It used to be all 8 of them, but they gradually reduced it down to just one - the queues and confusion was awful. They eventually went up to 3 again, and that seems to be about right - as long as all 3 of them are actually working.

Having watched other shoppers using scan as you go, it does seem to slow them down a fair bit, especially if they are shopping "solo", struggling to push a trolley, hold a shopping list, pick up a product with the barcode in the right place, and actually holding the scanner.

I just want to get in and out as quickly as possible. I even go to the trouble of re-writing the shopping list in "shortest route around the store" order. When I go with 'er indoors, she prefers to walk up and down pretty much each aisle. Takes forever, and costs more because she spots extra stuff.

[clockworks]

Goaty Bill 2 said:

Tesco confirmed.
Drop the bags first and start scanning.

Your pile of bags must be lighter than mine

[clockworks]

xx99xx said:

But I know that bags will need to be approved before proceeding and don't expect anything different. I use the self serve tills out of preference. It may take longer than alternatives but I'm never in such a rush that a few extra minutes in Tesco will make any difference to my life.

It's a lot more pleasant than Aldi/Lidl where (my local ones at least) don't have self serve tills, never have enough tills open and when you do eventually get your turn, they throw it through the scanner at lightening pace and tell you how much you owe, whilst you're still only half way through dismantling the mountain of scanned shopping at the end and putting it in bags. So I don't do big shops at those places.

Lidl (and, I think Aldi) are laid out so that you don't pack your bags at the till. That's why the counter area is so small. You are supposed to put it all back in the trolley/basket, then go to the long bench and pack your bags there. Faster throughput, less checkout staff needed.

Apparently this system works well in Europe, but us Brits don't like it.
When our local Lidl opened, a few people would actually use the benches. Nobody bothers now.

[clockworks]

Evanivitch said:

I've never understood this. How is putting things in my trolley faster than putting them in the bags already open in my trolley? And am I supposed to completely bruise and batter my goods by throwing them into the trolley 'more quickly'm

I prefer the "scandy flick" where there are two packing areas per till sepeerated by a pivoting divider. Home bargains have a very small useless version of this.

It's all about improving the scan rate. Open bags in trolleys might be just as fast, but anyone struggling with a handful of carrier bags will be a lot slower.

Lidl and Aldi run on bare minimum staffing levels, and I think all the staff are multi-skilled. Getting busy? - leave the replen tasks and get on a till.

Sainsbury's staff mostly just stick to one job/department, and make sure that they work just fast enough to look busy and avoid doing extra tasks.

[clockworks]

I tried the "put your bags on the scales with a heavy item" thing and it worked!
First time in ages that I've got through the checkout without needing staff intervention.