09 Oct 2024
Are you one of those shoppers in St Albans and Harpenden who have become increasingly frustrated by the lack of human beings serving at supermarkets as do-it-yourself checkout points seem to be taking over?
With the majority of the person-operated tills in Marks & Spencer’s St Peter’s Street store recently replaced with automated checkouts, we spoke to customers unhappy with the changes.
St Albans resident Maggie Bowd said: “M&S food makes millions in profit so why do they need to make more for rich shareholders? Self-serve tills reduce the need for staff so create unemployment.
“For some, shopping is a social experience and a chance to engage with other people so checkout staff are very important, a few self-serve tills are there for those that prefer but are really not everybody’s choice. Self-serve may work for those doing a quick few items shop but not for anything more.
“We really struggle as I’m disabled too, and the scan and go is not an option for us. Sadly my mum loves Sainsbury’s and is a completely loyal customer. Wish they were as loyal to us too.”
Nikki Simons, who is registered as disabled and regularly shops in St Albans, said: “I have made lots of complaints to Marks & Spencer and stand there until they serve me at a till or get them to put everything through the self-service themselves. Their customers pay high enough prices to expect a high level of service.”
We asked M&S a selection of direct questions about the trend towards automated checkouts, including whether they consider them better for customers than a traditional till/counter with a person manning it, whether this is a money-saving exercise and why they have a person standing like a prison guard over the self-serve area rather than assisting customers. We also asked what they do to help disabled and older customers.
They chose to ignore these questions.
Instead, a spokesperson said: “Over 70 per cent of our customers use self-service tills however we know they aren’t for everyone and are committed to help customers shop the way they want. That’s why at our St Albans store, we have manned belted tills available alongside self-service tills with a dedicated colleague host on hand to help, so customers have plenty of choice when paying.”
Local shopper Sue Mobbs said: “I really feel disabled and elderly particularly have not been given any consideration at all. The very few ‘normal’ checkouts have ridiculously long queues which are not great as the wait is so long for them. I took my mum who is 90 and almost blind through the self-service – what a palava!
The Sainsbury’s store in Harpenden also requires customers to scan everything themselves and then scan a barcode on their receipt to get past an alarmed barrier, all while carrying your bags of shopping. If it doesn’t work or you forgot to pick up your receipt you have to call a member of staff to be let out.
(It happened to me last week after buying a bag of lettuce! I fail to see why this level of security is needed in a low-crime area like Harpenden, and what about the wasted paper from thousands of discarded receipts?)
We asked Sainsbury’s a series of questions.
Do you think this is a nice feel good way for a customer to leave your store?
How are these automated checkouts better for customers than a traditional till/counter with a person manning it?
Why is there a barrier stopping customers from leaving without scanning a receipt barcode against a temperamental machine whilst staggering out with lots of items/bags that they’ve just had to scan/pack themselves?
What do you do to ensure inclusivity of access to your store for elderly and disabled people?
However, as with Marks & Spencer, their response completely ignored most of our questions.
Media relations executive for Sainsbury’s Mary Golding said: “We regularly review the services available in our stores to make sure we offer the most convenient experience for
our customers. These decisions are based on a range of factors, like meeting an increase in customer demand for a service or upgrading equipment.
“When customers shop in our stores, they can choose from serviced tills, self-service checkouts and Smartshop.
“Exit barriers are just one of a range of security measures and are used in a small number of stores. Like our self-service checkouts, these are tested in line with accessibility guidelines
and our colleagues are also on hand to help anyone who would like support.”
Clearly these companies both know that self-service tills are not disabled-friendly and a huge cause of frustration because they chose to gloss over the matter with a vague comment that failed to address the concerns of local shoppers.
Not only are these checkouts unpopular but surely they must reduce the number of employed local people as machines and customers take over the job of a cashier? What has happened to customer service? People just don’t seem to matter anymore.
What do you think? Get in touch and share your thoughts on the matter – email deputy@stalbanstimes.co.uk
