ASDA Self-Service Tills

[nightrider 13]

In my line of work we repair POS equipment, and I have extensive knowledge of most SCO systems. However the biggest issue with almost all systems is the user.

 

What this really means is the interface is so badly designed most people are unable to use it.

[Bonjon 10]

What this really means is the interface is so badly designed most people are unable to use it.

 

I've monitored many hours of them in use and the issue is usually the security scale, and usually something being removed halfway through scanning, picked up/put down, lent on etc. etc. Once this is triggered it needs an override to sort out.

 

A customer we used to work with had constant issues at a store with the security scales, and it turned out to be the AC blowing on the steel security scale top causing contractions!! The technology is certainly still maturing!

 

Obviously you could do away with the security scale, but then shoplifting would be rife! What some supermarkets do is increase the weight tolerances on each item which helps, but again leaves them open to theft.

 

RFID will fix all the shortcomings of the SCO, but again measures will need to be in place to ensure theft does not happen (tag removal etc) in a different way!

[Guest]

I've monitored many hours of them in use and the issue is usually the security scale, and usually something being removed halfway through scanning, picked up/put down, lent on etc. etc. Once this is triggered it needs an override to sort out.

 

A customer we used to work with had constant issues at a store with the security scales, and it turned out to be the AC blowing on the steel security scale top causing contractions!! The technology is certainly still maturing!

 

Obviously you could do away with the security scale, but then shoplifting would be rife! What some supermarkets do is increase the weight tolerances on each item which helps, but again leaves them open to theft.

 

RFID will fix all the shortcomings of the SCO, but again measures will need to be in place to ensure theft does not happen (tag removal etc) in a different way!

 

...or they could just have tills with staff at them.

[Bob Arctor 11]

I will use one of these tills when they pay me to use one. Why should I do the job for free and take work from an employed person.

 

Exactly. Do none of the people who use these tills have kids who might need a weekend job or a first job at some point in their lives? If they have queues for the human operated tills they will employ more humans again. Don't use self-service tills, they kill jobs!

[Squiggs 11]

OP: Just press "Start" first.

Solved.

 

---------- Post added 11-04-2017 at 16:41 ----------

 

In my line of work we repair POS equipment, and I have extensive knowledge of most SCO systems. However the biggest issue with almost all systems is the user. Generally if the onscreen instructions are followed it works, if you continually get bagging errors you have done something wrong!

 

However we are starting to work in and develop the next wave of POS tech, RFID. You'll simply be able to pickup everything you need and walk through an RFID gate which will pickup all the RFID tags and charge you. I give it 2-5 years and this will be the norm.

 

And presumably charge you for the thing that you bought earlier that you still have with you.

 

It's telling that "POS" is also an acronym for something else other than Point Of Sale

[Tim1 10]

http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/channels/supermarkets/tesco/tesco-installs-high-tech-checkouts-at-new-look-lincoln-extra-store/357397.article

 

I am off to Lincoln to try these! That's if they are still there as the article was 2014

[Bonjon 10]

OP: Just press "Start" first.

Solved.

 

---------- Post added 11-04-2017 at 16:41 ----------

 

 

And presumably charge you for the thing that you bought earlier that you still have with you.

 

It's telling that "POS" is also an acronym for something else other than Point Of Sale

 

Yes, I like the POS does have a dual use

 

As for the tags, they can de-activate once taken through a barrier (like the ones they have on CD's).

[Phili Buster 10]

In my line of work we repair POS equipment, and I have extensive knowledge of most SCO systems. However the biggest issue with almost all systems is the user. Generally if the onscreen instructions are followed it works, if you continually get bagging errors you have done something wrong!

 

What this really means is the interface is so badly designed most people are unable to use it.

 

Many times the problem with the majority of computerised systems is that they have been designed and developed by people with absolutely no experience, background or interest in what actually occurs in the real world. These 'experts' decide how things should work and design, develop and test their system based upon the premise of 'this is how the people that are to use the system will operate my system'. The problems then occur when 'real' people begin to attempt to use the new system and, surprise surprise, they make mistakes or rather these users do not use the system in the way that has been dictated by the developer. The system designers / developers need to understand how the user of the system needs the new system to work not to be dictated to by the designers / developers.

 

A little example is the Morrisons' till receipt.

It used to list the items in the sequence that they were scanned at the till. So if shopping for more than one person there would be listed the items for one person followed by the items for the second person. So two of the same items would appear separately. For a long time now the same items on the receipt are added together as one item. This makes separating costs more difficult for any shopper who is shopping for two.

Now you could say that the easy answer is to scan the shopping as two separate sales and pay separately. Yes, you could but then you lose any discounting associated with buying two items as they now appear on separate till receipts.

A simple example of the developer not understanding how some people shop.

 

 

RFID will fix all the shortcomings of the SCO, but again measures will need to be in place to ensure theft does not happen (tag removal etc) in a different way!

 

And presumably charge you for the thing that you bought earlier that you still have with you.

 

An extremely good point Squiggs. I assume the developers will have thought of this

 

I assume the developers will also have realised that shoppers do not just shop in one store only

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

Refuse to use any self service tills anywhere, just putting people out of a job.

 

Angel1.

[Fudbeer 12]

The technology has advanced massively since they first appeared but many of the big 4 have failed to invest in new hardware.

Many units are past their sell by date and continually breaking down just look how many times you see a "sorry not in service" sign over them,which moves me on to my second point in order to compete with the discounters the others have had to cut costs to the bone Morrisons future was very much in doubt only a couple of years ago,I know that the discounters don't use them but they also have much longer ques and lower overheads.

 

The original idea was have them as an option NOT the only option this is a step to far if people have a trolly full of shopping and only the standard self service tills open its a pain because they are simply not designed for that volume of shopping and again there should always be at least one member of staff available to assist with them.

[iansheff 86]

I have not, and will not, use self service tills.there is no financial incentive to use them....

I want to help keep people employed.

 

Well make sure you never have to go in Asda at Drakehouse (although I would imagine others are the same) after 9pm, because unless it has changed they only use self service after then.

[Fudbeer 12]

Well make sure you never have to go in Asda at Drakehouse (although I would imagine others are the same) after 9pm, because unless it has changed they only use self service after then.

 

Wow that's shocking for a big store like that to only have self scan available.