Self-serve checkout etiquette?

So, this happened to me this afternoon:

I was getting dinner ingredients at my local Sainsbury's.  It was approaching closing time, and there were quite a few people still in the store waiting to checkout.  I went to the self-serve checkout tills and stood in a rather long queue.  I had a full basket and additional items balanced in my arms as the staff had collected and locked away all the shopping trolleys (on account of the store almost being closed).  The staff were herding us tighter and tighter as they were eager to close.  Despite this, and the large queue, there were only a small handful of self-serve tills open. 

When I was at the front of the queue, I stood at the entrance to the self-serve area (like how you give people at cashpoints a little bit of space while they're doing their transactions).  The queue behind me started to push me forwards, and the staff were encouraging people to hurry it up.  All the people at the self-serve tills were still scanning their items, but a woman at the till closet to me had finished, paid, and was just bagging.  She had about 4 items left to bag.  I moved towards the till and stood slightly away from it, waiting for her to finish. 

As I had a full basket and my arms were full of items as well, I just set a few of the items on the shelf (the one next to the middle scanning section  opposite the bagging section) to free up my arms.  The woman lost it on me.  She yelled at me for being so rude and not waiting for her to completely finish before putting any of my items on the shelf.  I said there was no rush, I was just trying to make space for people behind me and relieve some of the weight from my arms.  She continued on a tirade about how rude I was and how I was behaving inappropriately.

So... do you not do that here?  Maybe it's just me, but I don't mind when people start getting their items ready for scanning while I'm packing.  So long as they're not rushing me to finish, I have no problem if they want to start unloading their baskets on the shelf while I'm bagging. 

 

I don't know if I've broken some self-serve checkout etiquette rule or she was just a bit cranky.

You were polite and explained your reason for putting down your basket. She was in the wrong.

Seems to me that your supermarket is missing a trick if they are closing at such a busy time of day....

Sounds like she was the rude one. I've noticed that once someone has decided you are rude here there is very little you can do to pacify the situation and you will be the subject of a tirade. I never experienced that in the US and its one part of the culture here that makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I'm possibly autistic and often misinterpreted as rude because of not making enough eye contact or whatever is wrong in the inflection of my voice with whatever I'm saying.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk

I hate self checkouts......all the stores complain they are going out of business because people are doing too much online shopping ....then they install self checkouts .....well, I might as well just shop online since there is no store/customer interaction anymore because I have to use a self checkout......

She was being cranky and making up rules!

I have had someone walk over to my trolley before while I was waiting to pay, look at the items inside, lift one up and read about it, then lift it above her head to show her partner, had him come over and look at the package, before setting it back down in my trolley.

I sat this like a guppy opening and closing my mouth with nothing coming out.  Granted, I hadn’t paid for the item yet but felt like it being in my trolley marked it as mine.  Paws off people!

Has no one here ever lost your rag and yelled at someone for something they shouldn’t have?  That store sounded like hell on earth and everyone must have been completely stressed.  The lady could have been previously stressed, then forced to use the stupid self checkout, and I could see how easily “I’m just putting down my groceries cause my arms hurt” could feel like “Would you hurry up and get out of my way “.   Sure she was in the wrong, but we all are in the wrong sometimes.  She wasn’t personally mad at you, just howling at how poorly people are treated in this society .  Screw those self checkouts and screw the store for pushing people out the door.

The real thing to blame is the store for doing things that make life hellish for people in order to maximise profits.

Has no one here ever lost your rag and yelled at someone for something they shouldn’t have?  That store sounded like hell on earth and everyone must have been completely stressed.  The lady could have been previously stressed, then forced to use the stupid self checkout, and I could see how easily “I’m just putting down my groceries cause my arms hurt” could feel like “Would you hurry up and get out of my way “.   Sure she was in the wrong, but we all are in the wrong sometimes.  She wasn’t personally mad at you, just howling at how poorly people are treated in this society .  Screw those self checkouts and screw the store for pushing people out the door.

The real thing to blame is the store for doing things that make life hellish for people in order to maximise profits.

I agree with all of this.

Personally, I steer clear of self-checkout because of jobs.  People may not enjoy working the till at Tesco, or whatever, but it's a job and provides them with income.  If we don't need people in that job anymore, society loses those jobs.  And the future of many jobs is looking pretty dire.  I don't want to hasten that future.

Also, I feel like, if I have to do all the work that used to be provided as a service by the shop, then I should get a discount.  But they're just raking in extra profit.  How is that fair?

(I also think e-books should cost considerably less than printed copies that have to be produced and physically distributed, especially since the creator/author probably isn't the one to benefit from the lower production/distribution cost.... Same with digital music.  No physical disc?  No liner notes with artwork and stuff?  Why am I paying so much?  The savings are not going to the artist, I'm pretty sure.)

So, this happened to me this afternoon:

I was getting dinner ingredients at my local Sainsbury's.  It was approaching closing time, and there were quite a few people still in the store waiting to checkout.  I went to the self-serve checkout tills and stood in a rather long queue.  I had a full basket and additional items balanced in my arms as the staff had collected and locked away all the shopping trolleys (on account of the store almost being closed).  The staff were herding us tighter and tighter as they were eager to close.  Despite this, and the large queue, there were only a small handful of self-serve tills open. 

When I was at the front of the queue, I stood at the entrance to the self-serve area (like how you give people at cashpoints a little bit of space while they're doing their transactions).  The queue behind me started to push me forwards, and the staff were encouraging people to hurry it up.  All the people at the self-serve tills were still scanning their items, but a woman at the till closet to me had finished, paid, and was just bagging.  She had about 4 items left to bag.  I moved towards the till and stood slightly away from it, waiting for her to finish. 

As I had a full basket and my arms were full of items as well, I just set a few of the items on the shelf (the one next to the middle scanning section  opposite the bagging section) to free up my arms.  The woman lost it on me.  She yelled at me for being so rude and not waiting for her to completely finish before putting any of my items on the shelf.  I said there was no rush, I was just trying to make space for people behind me and relieve some of the weight from my arms.  She continued on a tirade about how rude I was and how I was behaving inappropriately.

So... do you not do that here?  Maybe it's just me, but I don't mind when people start getting their items ready for scanning while I'm packing.  So long as they're not rushing me to finish, I have no problem if they want to start unloading their baskets on the shelf while I'm bagging. 

 

I don't know if I've broken some self-serve checkout etiquette rule or she was just a bit cranky.

I probably would have asked before I started putting things down....said something like....excuse me, this is getting heavy, do you mind I I put these here while you finish.... .   In fact, I’m sure I’ve done that before but I’ve always asked first.....

Some days we just have cranky days though and little things set us off.  I remember about six months ago I was driving to Costco.....I was about 2 miles away and some woman driving a mini van went through a red light to cut me off.....proceeded to drive over the lane divider line periodically cutting me off and forcing me back,  and all I can see is her mouth flapping and her hand waving as she’s talking to whoever is in the car with her.  I get to Costco, park, and go get a buggy.  As I’m getting my buggy, the same woman is getting one.  I said excuse me....and started telling her everything thing she did from running the red light to cutting me off numerous times on my drive here.  I wasn’t yelling or saying it in a nasty voice, just calmly telling her what she did wrong.   She was Filipino, looked at me and said “sorry, my English not good”. I just looked at her and said  “Neither is your driving” and walked away...... .   I then get my groceries and proceed to check out.   It’s near closing time so there’s limited cashes open and I’m standing in line with 5 people in front of me.  They decide to open another cash next to us so the worker tells the next person in line to go to his cash.  Well, the woman who is 4 people in back of me decides to run to be the next person after him.....think she actually hit someone’s cart with hers to be next in line and starts unloading her stuff.  I’m like “Excuse me...ma’am, Excuse me.....there’s like 7 people who were in front of you.....she mumbles something.....I’m like...”no, really, keep unloading your stuff... there are 7 people in front of you “.   She mumbles something else...completely avoiding eye contact with me because she knew she was in the wrong......and what gets me is she had a 7 or 8 year old girl with her and this is what she’s teaching her....the poor girl looked embarrassed and knew her mother was in the wrong.   I went back to my cart shaking my head and the woman in back of me said thank you....she wanted to say something but didn’t have the guts to do it.  I was in such a bad mood when I drove home that if one other person had done something ignorant I probably would have lost it.

Just today I was driving to one of my clients to clean and they have limited guest parking.  To get to guest parking, it’s a circle with a fountain in the middle....you drive in, go around the fountain, and turn left to park in parking.  When it’s full, it’s a pain because I have to park at the parking in their sister building which is one street over...anyway...i turn in and I see parking is pretty full....I go around the fountain, meanwhile, the guy who comes in after me, just turns right and goes into the parking at full speed.....and takes the parking spot....luckily for him there was still one for me.   He gets out of his mini van with three young children and starts walking to the building.   I jump out.    “Excuse me,,,excuse me....you do realize that you need to go around the fountain right...you went down a one way the wrong way....your lucky there were 2 parking spots”.  He’s like....I knew there were two spots.....which was a lie....and he was rushing to get what he thought was the last one by making the illegal move.  I said...your lucky there were 2 spots or we would have had a problem.....and once again....this is what his children are being taught is proper behavior....one of the kids asked him what I was talking about....it just blows my mind how ignorant some people are.....

It must be the Scottish blood in me...you just don’t jump the queue.....Especially in front of me...I will call you on it.....but I don’t do it in a mean, nasty way and i never yell or shout.....I think my voice is more bewildered that you could be doing something like that to begin with....

I agree with Jimbo and I personally wouldn't want someone in my way when I have to use the self checkouts.  I probably wouldn't have been so cranky and grumpy back though.    Self checkouts are like the fifth circle of hell and that store sounds like they were relishing in being hell makers.   Basically, I personally think you should complain to Sainbsurys!!

Googling 'self service checkout etiquette' brings up a wide variety of threads on the topic!   
  Rudeness, I guess, depends on your point of view!



https://247sports.com/college/maryland/Board/56/Contents/self-checkout-etiquette-what-would-you-do-was-i-rude-37418603/





https://community.babycenter.com/post/a66314113/self-check-out-etiquette





https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtissilver/2016/08/09/self-checkout-rules/#3054e4405ff0

http://www.ent13.com/random/self-checkout-etiquette/

I agree that the shop trying to herd  people like cattle was disgraceful but I disagree with the fact that this woman should be given a free pass for her behaviour.  It's just not acceptable to start yelling at a total stranger like that for no good reason.  Being previously stressed  is not an excuse to behave like that.

And even if she had had a knee jerk reaction to Aquila setting down her things, she shouldn't have continued to rant when Aquila explained the way she did.

When I observe the lack of manners in society today, it makes me sad.

1.  This is why I shop online

2.  When forced to actually go into a store, I do the scan & bag while shopping. 

Basically I avoid people.  We are in Croatia right now on holiday and it’s awesome.  No crowds in shops!

But my children behave like animals in stores and I’m sure EVERYONE is happy to see us leave!

Our Morrisons and Sainsburys don't allow shopping carts in the self checkout area which is great as it means there is rarely a wait as folks only have a few items. We were downtown this morning and walked into Morrisons for a few items and went through the self checkout. An earlier customer had not taken the coupon that had printed out for them so I took it and it was £1.50 off your next shop of £20 or more. Our bill was just over £20 so I scanned the coupon and bingo, we got £1.50 off.

Our Morrisons and Sainsburys don't allow shopping carts in the self checkout area which is great as it means there is rarely a wait as folks only have a few items. We were downtown this morning and walked into Morrisons for a few items and went through the self checkout. An earlier customer had not taken the coupon that had printed out for them so I took it and it was £1.50 off your next shop of £20 or more. Our bill was just over £20 so I scanned the coupon and bingo, we got £1.50 off.

I think that's a good policy... if you have so much stuff that you need a trolley, then use the staffed tills and let the people who are juggling just a few things in their arms or in a basket use the self-checkout.  I always use a trolley because I can lean on it as I go through the shop, so I guess I'll continue to avoid the self-checkout.  Shame, because I wouldn't mind getting someone's neglected "£1.50 off of £20 or more" voucher!  Bonus!

I agree with Jimbo and I personally wouldn't want someone in my way when I have to use the self checkouts.  I probably wouldn't have been so cranky and grumpy back though.    Self checkouts are like the fifth circle of hell and that store sounds like they were relishing in being hell makers.   Basically, I personally think you should complain to Sainbsurys!!

Googling 'self service checkout etiquette' brings up a wide variety of threads on the topic!   
  Rudeness, I guess, depends on your point of view!



https://247sports.com/college/maryland/Board/56/Contents/self-checkout-etiquette-what-would-you-do-was-i-rude-37418603/





https://community.babycenter.com/post/a66314113/self-check-out-etiquette





https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtissilver/2016/08/09/self-checkout-rules/#3054e4405ff0

http://www.ent13.com/random/self-checkout-etiquette/

These all sound like they come from America, with all that talk of bringing trolleys and conveyer belts.  The only self checkouts I have ever seen are cramped and you would have a mess trying to use a trolley.  And it seems like they are limited to just a few bags or you would have to stop scanning to move your groceries to the trolley which would probobly cause all kinds of trouble. 

Personally, I am not on the clock and I am not scanning  my own damn groceries.  I was the worst checkout clerk in the store 20 years ago and that hasn't changed.  If forced, I always do things as half assed as possible, and lave the machine broken if I can.  I don't work for Tesco.

I still miss having my groceries bagged for me. I need to get one of the sunflower lanyards though. Our sainsbury's has a "basket only" line in addition to the self checkout and I always have a cart cuz I value not dislocating my thumb and shoulders, and it's frustrating to stand behind long lines of full carts when I only have 5 items. They never have enough cashiers on so its guaranteed you'll wait at least 5 minutes at the till if not longer.

Sent from my Pixel 3a using Tapatalk