Metropol

Whats with the chronic understaffing of checkouts in Aldi & Lidl ? Will they ever embrace self service ?

Square Eyes wrote:Whats with the chronic understaffing of checkouts in Aldi & Lidl ? Will they ever embrace self service ?

Considering there are sometimes as few as one or two manned tills at Aldi, I think it's unlikely. It would also mean constantly staffing the self-service tills, even if they're not being used. The layout of the stores and the tills aren't exactly conducive to having that many self-service tills either. Also, could you imagine the chaos of the chargeable bags?

I assume it's not just my local Aldi that operates the "scan everything as quickly as possible so you have to bag it afterwards" policy?

Philip wrote:I assume it's not just my local Aldi that operates the "scan everything as quickly as possible so you have to bag it afterwards" policy?

It's company wide policy for both Lidl and Aldi. That's why there's so little space to bag everything up at the end and it's shaped in a way to fit your trolley into it. I guess the idea is that the faster they get through it, the fewer checkouts they have to open, the fewer staff they have to have on shift.

Though it doesn't really work and doesn't stop the huge queues.

My local Lidl is in serious need of having more staff on shift. The other day the fire exit right next to the bakery, surely the most likely place in the store to catch fire, was blocked by a huge pile of boxes. A lot of the fridges and freezers are often blocked by trolleys of unwrapped new stock which have been left unattended, presumably there's not enough space in the small staff area.

Admittedly I've only been to our Aldi a handful of times since it opened six years ago (IIRC), but they do have work tops along the wall/window opposite the tills, where you can bag up. I can't recall if I was the first time I visited, but I imagine it takes people by surprise the first time they shop there.

I will say the last time I went, it felt much more cramped than it ever had done - I don't know if that's because more space is being used or because of how much busier it's become, or both now that I think of it.

Philip wrote:Admittedly I've only been to our Aldi a handful of times since it opened six years ago (IIRC), but they do have work tops along the wall/window opposite the tills, where you can bag up. I can't recall if I was the first time I visited, but I imagine it takes people by surprise the first time they shop there.

I will say the last time I went, it felt much more cramped than it ever had done - I don't know if that's because more space is being used or because of how much busier it's become, or both now that I think of it.

The last time I went to Aldi, I notice they'd got rid of the dump-bins in the centre section of the store. What it was replaced with made it feel much more cramped than it used to be.

The most annoying thing about the Aldi/Lidl method of doing tills is when you're only buying 2 or 3 items and nobody offers to let you through (as I always do). That, or if you're doing a big shop and somebody with a basket chooses to do their bagging *very* slowly.

bilky asko wrote:

Square Eyes wrote:Also, could you imagine the chaos of the chargeable bags?

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cope.

jonathan wrote:

bilky asko wrote:

Square Eyes wrote:Also, could you imagine the chaos of the chargeable bags?

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cope.

And M&S across the UK where it's a simple option of selecting how many bags you've used which is debited accordingly.

Martin Phillp wrote:

jonathan wrote:
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cope.

And M&S across the UK where it's a simple option of selecting how many bags you've used which is debited accordingly.

And where nearly everyone selects "small bag, no charge".

You'd end up with a lot more dodging of bag charges, never mind the delay caused by using your own bags. And, because the self-service machines require bagging areas attached, you'll get people blocking up the tills as they're bagging up.

bilky asko wrote:

Martin Phillp wrote:

jonathan wrote:
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cope.

And M&S across the UK where it's a simple option of selecting how many bags you've used which is debited accordingly.

And where nearly everyone selects "small bag, no charge".

You'd end up with a lot more dodging of bag charges, never mind the delay caused by using your own bags. And, because the self-service machines require bagging areas attached, you'll get people blocking up the tills as they're bagging up.

Oh my, that sounds like chaos. No supermarket will ever install these.