Tesco has come under fire by customers as it introduces more self-service checkouts across its stores.
This comes as the Big 4 grocer revealed last month it is ditching the majority of manned checkouts from many of its larger stores as it moves towards a greater focus on self-service checkouts.
However, many customers were not happy with the move as the supermarket giant faced hundreds of angry social media comments, while an online petition with nearly a quarter of a million signatures demanded that the Big 4 grocer needs to “stop replacing people with machines”.
The scale of the customer resistance to the introduction of more self-checkout machines was demonstrated at a Bristol branch of Tesco when a technical fault closed all but one of the staffed checkouts.
Despite self-checkout tills still working many customers chose to queue up in a long line to be served by a cashier, which has been captured on video and posted to Twitter with over 20,000 likes.
One social media user said: “I want to applaud every soul who silently and quietly said NO to Bradley Stoke self-service, Tesco supermarket yesterday, and shopped at local high street shops and took the time to queue and be served by staff behind a counter.”
I Want to applaud every soul who silently and quietly said NO to Bradley Stoke self-service, Tesco supermarket yesterday, and shopped at local high street shops and took the time to queue and be served by staff behind a counter.
And, refused to fill their own car with petrol.— John Bell (@PlasFron) September 14, 2022
Another user said: “An interesting example of ‘people power’, by shoppers refusing to use the self-checkout options at a Tesco’s near Bristol, preferring long queues for human staff.”
An interesting example of 'people power', by shoppers refusing to use the self-checkout options at a Tesco's near Bristol, preferring long queues for human staff. Or at least, that's how it's being described. pic.twitter.com/LILNEBNnzF
— Eddie Booths better 1/2. This Country is RUINED! (@teamleaderKaren) September 14, 2022
The supermarket giant said employees are always on hand to help customers use self-service tills and will continue to operate attended checkouts for customers choose to pay with alternative payment methods.
A spokesman told Grocery Gazette: “We apologise that some customers at our Bradley Stoke Extra store had to wait a little longer than normal to check out on Monday morning. This was due to a technical fault that has now been fixed. Our colleagues worked hard to keep the queues down and help customers and we’re sorry for any inconvenience caused.”
The introduction of the increasing number of self-checkout tills have annoyed many customers, causing As a result, Pat McCarthy, 69, to start the petition calling for more cashiers on tills.
Currently, the petition has 236,447 signatures.
“I want Ken Murphy the CEO of Tesco’s to bring back more staffed tills and check outs. I want him to commit to a People & Profit Policy not a Profits before People Policy,” McCarthy said.
5 Comments. Leave new
My wife and I tried our first full weeks shop at self service checkout as there were only two manned checkouts. Disaster. Took us three times as long. Continually getting the message – contact assistant. In future will queue at manned checkout or use different supermarket.
I tried a self service checkout. Dreadful experience with the assistant ending up putting most of my shopping through. I will never go back to Tescos until they bring back manned checkouts. I am now a Lidls convert where the staff are friendly.
Oh get over it. Its the way things are going. I prefer getting in, and out quickly and self serve is far better. Ive got no time to stand and yap and theres nowt worse than being behind someone who wants to chat to the checkout staff
And now shoplifting connected to the use of SSCOs is increasing – and what will the knock-on effect of this be? Once people have been tempted to shoplift in what they perceive as an easy way, will they go on to shoplift elsewhere. Shoplifting is already a plague on small retailers, and there seems to have been an increase recently – is this driven by SSCOs? And will it make it harder for small businesses to remain competitive because presumably the large retailers are doing this to drive down costs, which will then be reflected in lower prices? We already have people from supermarkets prowling round our town looking for things small businesses are offering that they can then stock. One high street supermarket in my town, situated opposite a newsagents, gave over an inordinate amount of floor space to newspapers, cards, confectionery, fizzy drinks and crisps. It backfired because customers walked away once they stopped stocking large sizes of basic items, so they had to close the store. But do the large retailers really want to be the only business in town?
All supermarkets do this now and it makes me furious! Today in a big Sainsbury’s there was ONE staffed till. They will only serve up to 5 items at the cigarette counter. The queue for the one checkout was horrendous. They expect you to check out a whole trolley full of shopping yourself, bag it, pay for it, but do not pay you for it, when you are doing their job! It makes me sick, greedy grasping supermarkets! 600ml Pepsi in Sainsbury’s £1.60, Tesco £1.45, corner shop £1.25, Poundland £1! So they are not passing any saving the machines make onto customers! Screens are never cleaned but covered in faeces and covid, as investigators found, yuck! Should get a ‘danger money’ discount for self-service checkout!