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Post by everso on Aug 25, 2010 10:17:54 GMT
I'm not usually prone to losing my rag in public. Yesterday, however, I blew a slight gasket trying to work one of the self-service tills in our local Sainsbury's.
As some of you may already be aware, I've tried these things before without much success. It was quite early (8.45 am. or thereabouts) and not many people were in the shop, and the only tills open were these self-service ones, so I had no option but to try, once again, to not show myself up.
I know how to use them, they're not that difficult, but why do they always keep saying there's something amiss in the bagging area? In the end, the little woman, who was floating around helping people, had been called over to me so many times, that I cancelled the whole operation (even though I only had another two or three items to check).
I could feel the old red mist descending and I just had to tell everyone that these tills were the work of the devil, that Sainsbury's had made a grave mistake installing so many, and that I'd never use one again. (Everyone looked at me as if I was mad)
By this time, a woman had been put on one of the usual checkouts so I gathered up all my stuff and got her to scan it through. She confided to me that lots of people had told her they didn't like these self-service tills (which, lets face it, are only being installed to eventually cut down on staff - why else would Sainsbury's go to the expense?).
I can understand the sense in installing two or three of them for people with just a few items, but surely they aren't much good for people with loaded trolleys? If Sainsbury's eventually do away with most of their conventional check outs it will surely slow things down quite a bit.
Does anyone here use them and do you find them a pain to use?
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2010 10:36:54 GMT
awww bless! I am not especially keen on them, to be honest, however they are qwuite handy if you only have a few items to buy.. it does seem a lot of expense to go to just to be able save on having a baskets only till thou.. i don't really understand the logic. Confession time.. the other week i was using a robot till and scanning all me shopping, and i had 2 packets of fish fingers that were on special offer, the first packet scanned ok, the second one would not scan.. i was trying for AAAGGGESSS and then eventually i got bored of it so i just threw it in the bag anyway. ~blush~ it has since been pointed out to me that i shouldve just scanned the first box again, but that never occurred to mwe. i do not have the mind of a checkout operator, clearly. Anyway, i think theyre a bit pointless and i can understand why people dont like the robot tills.. i think at the moment they can be more convenient at times, because often people are wary to use them, hence you dont have to qwueue long to get to use one. However that will change in time, im sure, and make the whole concept a bit pointless.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2010 12:28:59 GMT
we don't have the floating little women in the supermarkets here though.. i rather like the sound of them..
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Post by Patrick on Aug 25, 2010 12:52:37 GMT
In the early noughties we shopped at our Sainsburys using their fabulous "self scan" devices - like a giant remote control that you use the scan your shopping as you go round - then you just pay at the till by handing the scanner over at the end. Absolutely fabulous. I cannot believe that they have been pursuing the other system as well - in fact - on their website discussion boards one Sainsburys bod said that they are still using this version of the self scan and will be expanding it. The disadvantage I suppose is people walking off with the remote controls and the setting up of that rather than just putting a couple of self scan tills in. I miss the remote controls. The only downside with them was - if you were only doing a bit of shopping you'd pick up a scanner and go round just chucking stuff into your rucksack as you want. This has a lasting effect and very occasionally on visits to other supermarkets you had to remind yourself that you couldn't do that everywhere - and especially when you didn't have a scanner!!!!!!
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Post by housesparrow on Aug 26, 2010 8:36:07 GMT
Everso, putting your shopping bag in teh bagging area sounds like a sensible thing to do, but for some reason the machines don't like it . And woe betide you if the bag already contains your gloves or something - before long the whole shop knows you are a thief.
And if you have the nerve to lift the bag off and replace it with an empty one- I think the security alarm goes off in our shop.
It might be fun to work out what you have to do to set off the automatic sprinklers.
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Post by aubrey on Aug 26, 2010 9:14:51 GMT
It would be worth setting the security alarm off.
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Post by Patrick on Aug 29, 2010 14:32:09 GMT
Talking of Sainsburys a bit of eco-trivia:
Park animals ‘taste the difference’
The animals in Williamson Park will be getting their weekly food shop from Sainsbury's from now on thanks to a new partnership with Lancaster City Council.
A weekly supply of fruit, vegetables and bread that have reached their sell by date and would otherwise end up in landfill, will be feasted on by the parks butterflies and mini beasts. In particular, the butterflies love bananas and the rabbits and reptiles dine on lots of vegetables.
This is a new initiative for Lancaster City Council and is another step towards improving the sustainability of Williamson Park.
Lots of work has already been done including; sourcing locally produced products to reduce its carbon footprint; stocking Fair Trade products, improving recycling and creating a composting area for the parks green waste.
Deputy Manager of Sainsbury's, Mike Coulson said: “Sainsbury’s support a number of community projects throughout the country and sustainability is one of our key aims. This new partnership with the park is one of many schemes Sainsbury’s stores operate in the north of England where fruit, vegetables and bread that have reached their sell by date are being put to good use by local projects.”
Coun June Ashworth, Cabinet member with responsibility for cultural services said: “Lancaster City Council and Sainsbury's have struck up an excellent partnership that will reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfill. This is yet another way that we are working to create a more sustainable park for the community to enjoy for years to come."
Williamson Park is working hard to improve the facilities for visitors and the local community. The butterfly house and café have recently undergone successful transformations and there are exciting new developments to the bird enclosure and mini beast areas to make them more family friendly.
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Aug 29, 2010 17:19:20 GMT
we don't have the floating little women in the supermarkets here though.. i rather like the sound of them.. Agreed. They would be well cool. AH
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Post by Weyland on Aug 29, 2010 17:43:34 GMT
we don't have the floating little women in the supermarkets here though.. i rather like the sound of them.. Agreed. They would be well cool. AH My son (in Holland) gets his hair cut at a place called Housewives on Fire. I just couldn't go there. Sensory overload.
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Post by Alpha Hooligan on Sept 1, 2010 19:46:23 GMT
Agreed. They would be well cool. AH My son (in Holland) gets his hair cut at a place called Housewives on Fire. I just couldn't go there. Sensory overload. They have one in Tehran..."Immodest Housewives On Fire" ... But really, that Holland outfit just sounds plain wrong. AH
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Post by Patrick on Dec 2, 2010 16:21:32 GMT
Our local Supermarket "Booth's" (Waitrose of the North West) has mucked around with their flower displays. There are a lot less of them (in other words). I sent them an email letting them know of my disappointment - and how I'd been looking forward to buying some Birthday flowers for my good lady. Because theirs are exceptional quality and you can usually keep them for nearly a month. I was sent some M&S ones once and they lasted barely two weeks! Week later - £5 Gift Voucher, and the usual denial that there's anything wrong at all. Hey ho. Still, they do have £10 off a number of Malt Whiskies at the moment.
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Post by everso on Dec 2, 2010 17:11:35 GMT
Re your M & S flowers. If you'd phoned them, they'd have sent another lot, plus, when it happened to me, they refunded my money as well! Mr. E. bought me some roses for our anniversary and they lasted 9 days, which is excellent for roses.
Always tell them if something's not right. They are always good about replacing and keeping the customer sweet.
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Post by housesparrow on Dec 2, 2010 17:25:35 GMT
Ah - I try to avoid using flower-by-post companies, espeically those that ship the things out from the Channel Islands (as I believe M & S do...they may be good value but are not helping our economy at all.
I try to find a flower shop local to the recipient that isn't involved in Inerflora or one of its rivals. Better flowes and a much cheaper delivery service.
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Post by everso on Dec 3, 2010 0:14:13 GMT
Ah - I try to avoid using flower-by-post companies, espeically those that ship the things out from the Channel Islands (as I believe M & S do...they may be good value but are not helping our economy at all. I try to find a flower shop local to the recipient that isn't involved in Inerflora or one of its rivals. Better flowes and a much cheaper delivery service. I always contact local florists by phone when I'm ordering funeral tributes (which happens quite a bit nowadays - my lot seem to be dropping like flies)
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Post by housesparrow on Dec 3, 2010 7:15:59 GMT
Oh dear Everso, it is so sad when we keep losing close friends and members of our family.
Most funeral directors seem to have an arrangement with florists. When my parents died, they (the directors) delivered the tributes to a local nursing home rather than have them lying around in their cellophane at the crematorium. Our choice.
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Post by riotgrrl on Dec 3, 2010 8:47:26 GMT
Oh dear Everso, it is so sad when we keep losing close friends and members of our family. Most funeral directors seem to have an arrangement with florists. When my parents died, they (the directors) delivered the tributes to a local nursing home rather than have them lying around in their cellophane at the crematorium. Our choice. That's not going to work if you've got a big wreathe that spells out MUM in flowers. That's hardly going to cheer them up at the nursing home!
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Post by Patrick on Dec 3, 2010 9:12:27 GMT
I think the letter ones can be dismantled and separated sometimes.
The carting off to the nursing home bit is standard fare these days - All the funerals we've been to we've usually just chosen sprays or those ones shaped like an Armadillo for that reason.
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Post by everso on Dec 3, 2010 9:24:44 GMT
Oh dear Everso, it is so sad when we keep losing close friends and members of our family. Most funeral directors seem to have an arrangement with florists. When my parents died, they (the directors) delivered the tributes to a local nursing home rather than have them lying around in their cellophane at the crematorium. Our choice. That's not going to work if you've got a big wreathe that spells out MUM in flowers. That's hardly going to cheer them up at the nursing home! In my flower arranging days, our club used to volunteer to arrange flowers at the local hospice. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw all the floral tributes from funerals being delivered for us to re-arrange. Obviously wreathes, where the flowers are cut short, couldn't always be used, but many tributes nowadays are arrangements and sheaths of flowers. Bit grim, I'll grant you, but I don't think the patients knew. I only did it for a short while as it was vair vair depressing - especially when they came in to warn you that they were bringing a dead body down to the morgue (where we arranged flowers was in a room next door). I felt bad giving up.
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