I ran into Morrison's, this evening, for three things, two crates of beer and a loaf of bread. Tea and dessert taken care of then!
Anyway the Self-service checkouts are empty and I decide to breeze through them. I scan a box of beer and get a message that I need to be ID'd by a member of staff to prove I am eighteen or over. Said member of staff comes over, inserts a key, presses a code and we are good to go.
I place the crate of beer in the area where the bags are and a metallic voice tones "Unexpected item in the bagging area".
FFS no it's not I have just scanned the fecking thing.
Cue wee member of staff "Ah you must open the plastic bag and place the box of beer in the bag or it doesn't register as bagged"
"Don't want a plastic bag, think of the environment" says I
"Self checking demands that you use a plastic bag" says she
"Do you know about global warming" says I
"Put the beer in the bag" says she.
I put the beer in the bag and scan the next box of beer. Age check! Cue wee girl who comes over, inserts a key, presses a code and we are good to go. Now being a cute fecker I opened a second bag next to the first one and place the box of beer in the bag.
Perfect. NOT . "Unexpected item in the bagging area"
Feck
Wee girl approaches shaking her head.
"First bag must be used" says she
"Will not fit in the first bag" says I
Magic key inserted and both boxes are registered and safely in the trolley. She walks away with that look normally reserved for small children and drunks.
One item left, the loaf of bread. Cue barcode blindness and an attack of repetitive strain injury as I try to get the fecker to scan. Finally a beep and the bread appeared on the screen. I place it in the bag beside the scanner and.. "Unexpected item in the bagging area"
FFS the machine was very forcibly calling me an eejit and everyone was watching, believe me, they were treated to a colourful display of language that was a delight to behold.
Cue wee girl who comes over, inserts a key, presses a code and we are good to go.
Now paying.. I decided to use a card and not risk the machine not reading my notes properly. This worked surprisingly well and as my dignity was shot to ribbons I made my way to the exit. Now irrational thought breaks out. Did I scan it all correctly? Did I pay correctly? Will I feel the long arm of security on my shoulder as I walk out the shop?
FFS it took three times as long to get three items than if I went through a manned (womaned?) till.
In the past shopping was all about personal service, We have shopping on the internet and now the expansion of fecking self-service tills, face-to-face time has been reduced or even excised completely from the shopping experience.
Self-Service checkouts suck, I will use the "people" tills next time
End of rant
