What cheeses me off

[Pushka]

I think Woolworths Group must have had a software update, as I was in BIGW, the items did not scan at the marked down price, but at the bottom on the screen was a "Promotion -$XX.X at the bottom combining all the discounts off, but the main line had the full price. The receipt printed out and had a line by line price with the promotion attached to each item on the receipt. The lady in the assisted checkout rolled her eyes when I commented about it and said it is driving her crazy.

That was my rant of a few days ago here when I noticed the old price on the screen. The store manager said it was a glitch. Clearly if they are still doing it, it's not. It's too late when you get to the end if doing a big shop.

 

[Lynda2475]

Two supermaket gripes:

That whenever Lightly Sparkling Water (Coles brand, Mount Franklin, Schwepps) is on special at my local Coles they never have a single bottle available on the shelf to puschase on a Saturday of Sunday. Staff pretend to go out the back to look and always say none available. I'd prefer they never go on sale and have consistent stock, then be on sale every other week but never have any stock for purchase.

That self checkout has a hissy fit if you use a 4th bag, requiring a teengaer to come over and swipe a pass to allow you to use another empty bag (and then any subsequent bags). I use the self check out to ensure my good are packed properly, and for speed, it should not matter how many bags I want to split my items over.

 

[RooFlyer]

That self checkout has a hissy fit if you use a 4th bag, requiing a teengaer to come over and swipe a pass to allow you to use another empty bag. I use the self check out to ensure my good are packed properly, it should not matter how many bags I want to split my items over.

How many bags fit on the receiving shelf/scale at once?

 

[Lynda2475]

How many bags fit on the receiving shelf/scale at once?

One but that is irrelevent, as I put one empty bag on the scale side then proceeed to fill it with scanned items that Im happy to share a bag, then remove that bag putting it in my trolley (always the half size one), the put another empty bag on the scale, click the button that says Im using my own bag and proceed to scan items and fill that one. Rinse and repeat until all items have been scanned, bagged and returned to trolley, then I pay and leave.

It is just that someone has decided arbitrarily decided only 3 bags per person without manual intervention which is silly, given at my local 90% of people use self serve because the wait for a manned check-out is excessive and teenagers do silly things like put a heavy detergent bottle on top of eggs because they arent trained to pack properly.

 

[RooFlyer]

One but that is irrelevent, as I put one empty bag on the scale side then proceeed to fill it with items Im happy to share a bag, then remove that bag putting it in my trolley (always the half size one), the put another empty bag on the scale, click the button that says Im using my own bag and proceed to scan items and fill that. Rinse and repeat until all items have been scanned, bagged and returned to trolley, then I pay and leave.

I only ever have 2 bags filled (or 1 bag and bulky item), and they both fit on the receiving shelf/scale.

I wonder if you did 2 bags at a time off the scale and into the trolley, rather than 1, it might not trigger the '4th bag' intervention?

 

[Lynda2475]

I wonder if you did 2 bags at a time off the scale and into the trolley, rather than 1, it might not trigger the '4th bag' intervention?

Possibly but they would have to be two very tiny bags, the standard rectangular bottomed ones only fit 1 bag per scale. I already have issues if I put 8 bottles of water in 1 bag with it seeming to exceed maximum weight (but 6 bottles is ok).

 

[drron]

At our nearest Coles which is also the newest in the area the self checkouts have several terminals that have a trolley bay so you wheel your trolley in so take straight from the trolley past the scanner and into your bag.
On the bag side they have 2 bag holders and when a bag is as full as you want it you can turn it sideways and put a new bag on the holder. So there have been times I use 4 bags without any problems.

 

[Pushka]

You can take bags off the packing area once the last item swiped shows green. Thats at Woolies. But now I'm going back to scan and go so it's all done as I select the goods. That was another gripe from the other day. i weighed the item in the store as I didn't want to buy too many. When I went to checkout it weighed more. I asked about it and was told they can weigh differently. My reply, so that doesn't make this one right. Didn't take it any further but woolies management need to think about the stress they put their staff under.

 

[Forg]

@Lynda2475 get the Woollies app for your ‘phone, then scan your items as you pick them off the shelf & swan past all the plebs waiting for a checkout … my better-half swears by it! (I avoid buying from Colesworths as much as possible so haven’t bothered with the self-scan thingy for the 3-4 things I’ve not bought elsewhere)

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Don’t use self checkout - line up and give a kid a job

 

[Forg]

Don’t use self checkout - line up and give a kid a job

One of the things I’m torn on is inconveniencing myself for “a principle” … am I putting myself out & doing something which always annoyed me when there was no alternative, to temporarily support something that’s not economically-viable and which will succumb to capitalism anyway?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yeah I get that but you don’t have to dance the WW or Coles tune - I refuse to use self checkout even if I have to wait - life has been so good to me and I am over the crest so any small thing I can do to give a kid a chance to earn a few bob I will do

 

[Lynda2475]

@Lynda2475 get the Woollies app for your ‘phone, then scan your items as you pick them off the shelf & swan past all the plebs waiting for a checkout … my better-half swears by it! (I avoid buying from Colesworths as much as possible so haven’t bothered with the self-scan thingy for the 3-4 things I’ve not bought elsewhere)

There is no Woolworths that is convenient to me (i.e not within walking distance).

 

[Forg]

Yeah I get that but you don’t have to dance the WW or Coles tune - I refuse to use self checkout even if I have to wait - life has been so good to me and I am over the crest so any small thing I can do to give a kid a chance to earn a few bob I will do

I got things to do, important stuffs ... I can't wait around in annoying queues all day just to buy 4 things!

There is no Woolworths that is convenient to me (i.e not within walking distance).

My bad, I misremembered your poast as being about Woollies not Coles, I guess as a result of the intervening conversation ... and yeah I don't think Coles have that option (?yet?).

 

[RooFlyer]

Don’t use self checkout - line up and give a kid a job

I like and agree with the sentiment, but I think if the queues were twice as long, that wouldn't result in any additional employment. I think the management reaction would be "well, wait time is now 10 mins; good; that'll force them into self-checkout"

 

[Cruiser Elite]

So keep on dancing to their tune - or take a stand - as small and insignificant as it might be - people always wins out long term

 

[Lynda2475]

Id prefer the staff keep the shelves better stocked than man the checkouts. I constantly witness the boys putting out heaps more of an item which is already plentiful whilst walking blindly past empty shelves. There are plenty of employment opportunities right now for young people, pretty much every cafe and shop have help wanted signs up.

 

[OZDUCK]

Last week a new ALDI store opened at our smallish local shopping centre. Since then it is the fullest I have seen the shelves on the Coles and Woollies stores in that centre for about 3 years. Most of the normally half empty shelves were suddenly fully stacked. Surely the threat of competition has not had an effect on the other two shops?

As an aide my wife noticed Coles staff telling people not to take Coles trolleys unless they were going into the store. Apparently people were using those trolleys to avoid having to fool around with unlocking the ALDI ones.

 

[justinbrett]

So keep on dancing to their tune - or take a stand - as small and insignificant as it might be - people always wins out long term

Why not shop online - far more employment goes into online orders than in store.

Rough guess at a typical store, pickers outnumber register operators 3:1 at least.

If you are concerned about employment there's much more effective ways to do that - and last I heard there was an employee shortage, they can't get enough staff.

Been about 15 years since we first got self serve checkouts, you might be waiting a while for the trend to change direction. In fact the new direction is fully automated checkout with no staff at all.

 

[Pushka]

I shop a few times a week. Self check out or scan and go is the only way for small regular shops. The people rarely win out.