When they were 'teaching' the computers product recognition, I bought one brown onion and the checkout couldn't 'guess' what it was so I manually searched for it. Then it suddenly halted and called for assistance!
When they brought it up on the screen, I discovered THERE IS CAMERA AT CROTCH LEVEL INSIDE THE SCANNER and what the computer couldn't recognise was one round brown onion in front of my balls!!! It was incredibly shocking and fucking hilarious but also furiously violating.
It all happened so quickly that I couldn't get a photo of it and I've been trying to recreate it ever since. Maybe it's learned how to differentiate between packages? I feel like your chicken-breast mate would probably be shocked to see how much he'd be REALLY packing!
Did you know Aldi also has self service? The pitfall: Once you've scanned and packed everything a smug employee will point to a tiny sign way above your head highlighting no alcohol in self service. So you need to queue twice.. 🙄
Listening to your blog, I was reminded why I am a permanent Click n Collect shopper. I loath the check out process. The staff collect and package everything, it costs no more, I drive in and collect it at a time convenient to me. On the rare occasion I do go into a store, I will only use self checkout if I need a paper bag, which I steal every time!
I am waaaaay too disorganised for Click and Collect. Way, way, way too disorganised. I do my shopping one or two items at a time, on a as-needed basis.
This is why it's amazing. As you need things you put it in your cart. Then when you reach the $50 min spend you organise to pick up. If it's a small shop I pack my own bags to save the $2 otherwise I will pay it for added sanity. Once you get used to finding your items it is super easy. 10/10 highly recommend.
Great article Stephanie. This has been my experience too. Luckily assistants can still override Hal. But I felt slimed watching myself being scrutinised over and over again on the video replay only to be declared innocent with a punch of the code keys in order to resume the scanning. No apology at all from the assistant or Hal.
I feel this is a safe space for to share this. Around the time when I accidentally had 3 kids in 2 years by giving birth to twins, we were very strapped for cash. Around this time, Coles and Woolies were in the news a lot for price gouging and robbing customers. When we couldn’t afford our food shopping, we would make a beeping noise in the checkout and pretend to scan items and bury them in the trolley. And honestly, I don’t feel bad about it one bit. If you are robbing us with your monopoly then providing a self checkout which lends itself to stealing then that’s on you. Sadly it’s much harder to steal now!
I refuse to use self-serve checkouts, and will not patronise shops that don't have real people to interact with.
That said, if supermarkets won't pay you for doing your own checking out, they have to expect that every purchase is potatoes.
LOL! Yes!
When they were 'teaching' the computers product recognition, I bought one brown onion and the checkout couldn't 'guess' what it was so I manually searched for it. Then it suddenly halted and called for assistance!
When they brought it up on the screen, I discovered THERE IS CAMERA AT CROTCH LEVEL INSIDE THE SCANNER and what the computer couldn't recognise was one round brown onion in front of my balls!!! It was incredibly shocking and fucking hilarious but also furiously violating.
It all happened so quickly that I couldn't get a photo of it and I've been trying to recreate it ever since. Maybe it's learned how to differentiate between packages? I feel like your chicken-breast mate would probably be shocked to see how much he'd be REALLY packing!
God I am so, so, so glad I wrote this article. To think, if I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to read this comment.
Thanks for telling me about your crotch onions, Anthony. Truly.
Also, I used to be a K-Mart 'checkout chick' 20 years ago... I can't imagine what the kids have to deal with these days... 😮💨
I refuse to do a self-checkout.
A good general rule where possible. But sometimes standing in a line to make a point does feel a little little like I'm kicking myself in the shins.
I know what you mean. It is mostly a matter of timing your visit such that there are few people around to queue up.
We deserve it because we tolerate it.
But what are the options? I think that's why people are angry. They're busier, poorer, and being fenced into increasingly hostile conditions.
Did you know Aldi also has self service? The pitfall: Once you've scanned and packed everything a smug employee will point to a tiny sign way above your head highlighting no alcohol in self service. So you need to queue twice.. 🙄
Listening to your blog, I was reminded why I am a permanent Click n Collect shopper. I loath the check out process. The staff collect and package everything, it costs no more, I drive in and collect it at a time convenient to me. On the rare occasion I do go into a store, I will only use self checkout if I need a paper bag, which I steal every time!
I am waaaaay too disorganised for Click and Collect. Way, way, way too disorganised. I do my shopping one or two items at a time, on a as-needed basis.
This is why it's amazing. As you need things you put it in your cart. Then when you reach the $50 min spend you organise to pick up. If it's a small shop I pack my own bags to save the $2 otherwise I will pay it for added sanity. Once you get used to finding your items it is super easy. 10/10 highly recommend.
Great article Stephanie. This has been my experience too. Luckily assistants can still override Hal. But I felt slimed watching myself being scrutinised over and over again on the video replay only to be declared innocent with a punch of the code keys in order to resume the scanning. No apology at all from the assistant or Hal.
LOL! Yes, and we all know how it ended up with Hal, don't we...???
I feel this is a safe space for to share this. Around the time when I accidentally had 3 kids in 2 years by giving birth to twins, we were very strapped for cash. Around this time, Coles and Woolies were in the news a lot for price gouging and robbing customers. When we couldn’t afford our food shopping, we would make a beeping noise in the checkout and pretend to scan items and bury them in the trolley. And honestly, I don’t feel bad about it one bit. If you are robbing us with your monopoly then providing a self checkout which lends itself to stealing then that’s on you. Sadly it’s much harder to steal now!
I 100% live by the rule: "if you see someone stealing food, no you didn't".
Glad you're in a less precarious position now. Also, good lesson on really trying not to have twins. Expensive!!
A very important lesson. They are 8 now and their food consumption is only increasing!
First Thy, now this. Let the computers make an honest living, Steph.
I really hope they forgive this in the inevitable uprising.