Petition to Get Discount or Incentive for Using Self Service Checkout

Good morning all, I just started a petition asking for discount or incentive for using Self Service Checkout. We should not let this happening, taking advantage of us for free.

I would say this is actually illegal too (in my opinion), we are actually working for free without any training (just supervision) and a pay. If We go to their website, they are actually hiring people to scan and pay them. Why don't we get paid too?

For examples:
We’re hiring at Coles. Working in the Checkouts and Assisted Checkouts area, you’ll be responsible for scanning items, processing payments, and engaging with our customers.

Customer Service Team Member - Woolworths careers website
Be it the checkout or customer service desk, you’re all about going the extra mile to serve our customers. As part of this role, you may be required to collect trolleys from around the store, the connecting car park and surrounding areas. Rotation in all areas is a team effort, from customer queries to scanning groceries, we are the last point of contact to offer a great shopping experience.

Please support me. The link will take you change.org website.

Comments

  • I agree with this in principle as it's a great way for kids to work while studying and I know some families who survive on having a wage from these supermarkets.

    I don't discount the fact that the self-service option should be there as it is often faster but the checkouts should be manned for others who aren't comfortable with self-service checkouts (like the elderly) and people like me who refuse to pack my own grocery bags.

  • +2

    I prefer self-service checkouts. Dont need to talk to anyone.

  • I believe the best thing we can do, is ask for more checkouts to open. If they decline to open more checkouts and we refuse to use the self checkouts, then leave the trolleys there at the registers and they will quickly open more when they have to return thousands of products back to their shelves.

    • That punishes the minimum wage employee not the business. Why would you want to do that?

      • No it doesn't, if that happened just a dozen times a day at every woolies, they would have to employ someone to put the items back on the shelf or pay overtime to get someone to put the items back. If they don't do it then they lose the items to the bin and that hurts the business. The only person that suffers here is the business

  • +1

    I'm pretty sure a lot of people who already use the self-checkout are already giving themselves a few five finger discounts.

  • No one's forcing you to use self check out, and if people do use it, it'll be for convenience and speed (due to having more self check out options available)

    So what you sacrifice in terms of customer service from a check out employee, you get in return convenience and speed, which I think it's a good trade off.

    • Coles and Woolies kind of do but not having any manned registers open

  • I honestly don’t think you are being forced here - there is always one or two assisted checkouts open whenever I go (minimum). I reckon you just cannot be bothered waiting for them.

    The funny thing is, the lines are much much much shorter at the assisted checkouts with the advent of self-service, click & collect and delivery options. I used to work at Woolies a lifetime ago, and on a Saturday / Sunday, you would have to patiently wait behind four or five other customers with massive shops on the regular, with most of the checkouts open. I don’t see that anymore.

  • Sure, I'll sign it but I don't know what the chances are. It is annoying when you have to do a $400 shop via self serve because it was too early for an actual main checkout.

  • last I looked Coles World Square Sydney CBD had about 38 self-checkouts compared to maybe 8 staffed checkouts - I'd guess those numbers indicate the result of substantial market testing - and oh yes last I went through there was queue of about 8 people waiting to use one of the 38 self-checkouts which were all fully occupied - each staffed checkout might have had 1-2 people waiting

    while the staffed checkouts usually require a wait, the self-checkouts in my experience are usually no waiting to find a free one - most don't bother to wait for a staffed checkout unless they're tourists who don't see the slightly hidden self-checkout entry, or have a full basket and CBF checking each individual item themselves

    oh - one benefit of staffed checkout - last time the guy offered to pack my brought-my-own carry bag - he did, and packed it more efficiently and compactly than I had - so that was nice.

    so to the OP - last I looked you had a free choice - of staffed or self-checkout - unless this is a rant about being an employee there … ?

    Good luck with those 25 Signatures … ;-)

  • +1

    We should not let this happening, taking advantage of us for free.

    Speak for yourself not everyone. They're not taking advantage of me, they have provided me with an additional service that actually benefits me. There were numerous times in my one horse town and even at like 8-9pm at night when it quiet that I've had to wait about 10-15 minutes just to get service. Hell longer some times as they often have skeleton staff so if they had issues like say a frontdesk complaint to handle I could stuck waiting till it done. Now it doesn't matter how busy it s, what time it is, how many staff they have on or don't, nothing, I get in, get my shit, pay, get out. It not just a time thing too, I no longer have to endure social interaction, when you inevitable get stuck in line with someone overly chatty or impatient.

    So long as they still offer at-least one or two manned tills and/or ensure that the self service area is sufficiently staffed so that when the differently abled or elderly need assistance there is someone there than I see no problem with the adoption of self service checkout as a customer.

  • i demand the same when having sex with my missus

  • How many signatures would indicate that the petition is a flop?

  • When you scan everything as brown onions you're already getting a discount!

  • +1

    Should get a discount for having to walk in the store and pick out all the items we want as well?

  • -3

    I'm getting pretty sick of hearing this ridiculous argument… I'd love to see the correlation between people whining about "liberal snowflakes" while throwing a temper tantrum because they're being encouraged to scan their own items!

    Why not demand they shut down all supermarkets and return to having a guy behind the counter who fetches all your items for you? You're "working for free" having to walk down the aisle and select the items yourself… Get a grip.

    • -2

      Interesting how lazy these people are. Apparently everything has to be delivered to them on a platter. The real joke is they can still use the serviced checkout aisles if they want to. They don’t have to join the supermarket “slaves” wizzing through the self service aisles. The ones the rest of us use because there is so many more of them because staff requirements are less.

      I have no idea what they think the petition will produce, apart from a good laugh from the management. If the self service checkouts didn’t work then the Supermarkets would’ve got rid of them. These things are incredibly popular. I remember the queues I used to stand in before they were installed.

      What next, valet parking because they don’t want to park their own car? They must go mental at having to return a trolley to get their coin/token back.

      They have some real odd ideas on legality as well.

      God I hope this is a satirical piece otherwise it is a really just a sad indictment.

    • +1

      Way to try and make it political out of nowhere

      • -1

        What on earth are you going on about?

        Interesting that you can't dispute it at all, you just don't like the argument. What's that (incredibly annoying!) phrase, "facts don't care about your feelings"?

  • +4

    The incentive is how fast I can get in and out of the store. That I don’t have to make small talk about how my day is with someone who really doesn’t care and even better, not having to wait in line behind someone who is going on and on about how their day is even though the transaction has ended.

    I hate it when I go to my local supermarket later in the evening and they’ve shut down all the self serve counters.

    I also like being able to take my time deciding what I want to order at a fast food kiosk, even better is using an app.

    I also think it’s great that we can pay for fuel on our phone without going inside to pay.

    Bring on more of it.

    • This is my kinda jam

  • Try do your monthly 5 transactions a month across 3-5 banks cards at staffed checkout LOL

  • First world problems

    • Stupid term that needs to die - we live in the first world.

  • There is already supermarkets in china, also i think in singapore where store is 100% automated. No staff no line . pick a trolley take your items. You put stuff in the trolley verify then gate open you can go after pack your stuff. money taken from signed up account

    sad truth. i think the world is trending that way because can save supermarkets corporate tonnes load of money

  • +1

    I'm all for this, but it's a huge stretch to call it illegal lol

  • +2

    It's a personal preference.

    I would much prefer less people handling my groceries.

    I would like to scan items in the order I want, bag them in the way I deem fit.

    Sometimes I take empty boxes from the shelf to put groceries in, everything fits inside and sits in the boot nicely.

    I take my time to browse through the apps to scan reward card, container recycler coupons, transfer Flybuys points, using mixed payment depending on how much loose change and gift card balance I have. Somethings also need to check gift card balance if I didn't record it correctly or completely missed the last use.

    For all these activities, I would much prefer not to be in a manual checkout line.

    • ^this is everything I do also. Couldn't agree more with this comment!

  • My the way, what are those new gates Coles has been installing?

    Are they just automatic gates to slow down people from walking away?

    Or are there some smarts linked to the checkout systems and conditionally open/close?

    • +1

      I believe it's neither. The customer service peeps on the ground monitor people and allow the gates to open. If they suspect something, they can stop the gate from opening.

      • It's actually all 3. They have the AI that will open the gates upon checkout. But staff have been instructed to open them using the control button if they don't open automatically and the customer is aggressive or causing issues that can cause harm.

    • Do you still go to a full-service store, hand over your shopping list and wait for the staff member to pick your items for you?
    • Do you only go to fuel outlets where the attendant pumps your fuel for you?
    • Do you still call the operator to connect your phone calls?
    • Do you go to a travel agent to book any flights and accommodation or do you (at least sometimes) use the internet?
    • Do you get your movies from the attendant in Blockbuster or do you stream them?

    Times change…

  • A petition like this won’t do anything. But if by some miracle supermarkets decide to change something I bet they will introduce an extra service fee for using manned checkouts, and will get away justifying it. Then your "discount" for using a self checkout would be not having to pay that fee. LOL.

  • -1

    How on earth Australia does not yet have smart trolleys? They are literally everywhere nowadays, just scan at your trolley, pay on exit and leave.

    • I wonder if that will become a tie in with the gates.

    • +1

      "Literally everywhere"

      Where?

      • Europe, ME, fancy supermarkets in China… Just what I saw, but I'm sure in other places too. Interestingly, have not observed those in the US of A.

        • The US is still coming to terms with tap to pay, give them some more time.

    • Woolworths have a 'simplified' version of this in some stores where you can scan the product with your phone as you place it into your basket/trolley and then scan the list as you leave to pay

      • Sounds like a proof of concept trial.

  • I'm very happy to get a discount for my (by very many orders of magnitude) preferred method of checking out - bring it on!

  • Petition: Anyone with over 15 items at the express checkouts is legally entitled to be detained until the police arrive while other customers jeer and throw free fruit for kids at them

  • The people that are complaining about self-service checkouts are the same people that will stand in line and complain that it would be quicker if they could scan their own groceries.

    Guess what. The stores listened to you and gave you a chance to scan and leave the store quicker. Which is exactly what happens now with these self-service check outs.

    I would much rather scan the groceries myself and leave quicker (all be it without the discount) then stand in line and wait longer.

  • Just "forget" to scan a few items every now and then. They make billions anyway.

  • +1

    How about a petition to ban “thank you for shopping at the fresh food people” from the automated checkout. I feel this robot does really care enough to say thank you

  • +1

    Why not just use a staffed checkout if you don't like the idea of doing it for free? Some people prefer the self-checkout.

  • I think Woolies & Coles will say a big STFU to your petition.

  • +1

    Screw manned checkouts, If I'm just buying a few things I'm not waiting in line for that person doing their weekly shopping…..

  • Lol instead of a discount for self service, I can actually see them charging you a service fee if you want a person to scan your orders, that makes more sense (CRAPPY but more sense than a discount). Like I just got charged 65c to place a dinner order via their website, but they dont allow phone bookings and I'm not standing there for 20 mins to wait for my order.

  • -2

    While you're at it, get them to push our trolleys, navigate the aisles and collect our groceries because we haven't been trained to do it and we're not getting paid to do it!

    P.s. they actually do provide that service for free now. Ridiculous post op.

  • Nope, quite happy using self checkouts exclusively - it’s exactly what I want when I go to a supermarket. For people with big full trolleys, I do see the point of staffed checkouts. The bigger self checkouts with the conveyor belts are a good in between option though.

  • I've been using self checkouts for many years, but yesterday was the first time I was truly annoyed by the tech. It accused me of stealing items. Twice. During an 8 item checkout.

    The Woolworths checkout twice said I had put an item into the bag without scanning, locked the terminal, and even displayed a little overhead video showing where I had snuck an item into my bag. Except I didn't, everything was scanned correctly. This happened twice, and I was quite annoyed and doubly so at the sneaky surveillence video that suddenly popped up on the screen.

    I didn't show any frustration to the Woolworths employee and she sympathized with the dodgy checkout experience, but I can only imagine how much this new anti theft system will slow down checkouts if everyone tries to pile into the area with an entire trolley load.

  • +1

    You have a five finger discount at the self-checkout.

    • They have cameras. I would be a tad careful.

  • will never happen, who are you kidding!

  • More comments than signatures.
    OP, I have signed.

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