Funny thing, we were in Woolies doing grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago and you guessed it only the self serve checkout was open.
A sheila who works there over heard me say to the missus "just dump the trolly right here and we'll go to Coles" and she opened up
a checkout quick smart. heheee
Funny thing, we were in Woolies doing grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago and you guessed it only the self serve checkout was open.
A sheila who works there over heard me say to the missus "just dump the trolly right here and we'll go to Coles" and she opened up a checkout quick smart. heheee
I like playing the grumpy old bloke.
Why not Pal, at the prices they charge I want a checkout that does the work for me, to hell with doing all myself.
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If I don't get there today, I'll get there tomorrow or the day after.
John & Irona..........Rockingham Western Australia
Funny thing, we were in Woolies doing grocery shopping a couple of weeks ago and you guessed it only the self serve checkout was open.
A sheila who works there over heard me say to the missus "just dump the trolly right here and we'll go to Coles" and she opened up a checkout quick smart. heheee
I like playing the grumpy old bloke.
Quite agree. I never use a self-service check out. In country towns where the self-service is introduced it cuts the jobs for the school kids and others who need the money and work experience.
I was asked by a checkout operator at our local Coles why I wasn't using the self service checkout and was met with a blank expression when I said I was doing my best to save her job - she just didn't get it. I wonder if it is a pre-requisite to have an off switch on your brain to get a job in these places.
Couldn't agree more. I refuse to use self checkouts. If they offer a good discount, I MAY reconsider.
And if they make it self checkout only, simple: I just stop shopping there.
Cheers, Tony
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No self service at Aldi and they whip you through pretty quickly
Gday...
Ya right - no self-service there - and prices usually very competitive.
However, they are the opposite to the "others" .... usually only one check-out open and queues out to the back door before they FINALLY open up another check-out.
Go in to buy only a couple of items, takes three minutes, queue for 10 minutes to pay for it
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
I dunno. Self service for supermarkets, self service for petrol stations (still erroneously called 'service stations or servos') self service for train/bus tickets. What's next? Self service for traffic infringements? Write your own ticket out. I saw a road sign which read "Secure Your Load or Secure a Fine" followed by a 1800 number. Is this a self service where I make a choice about the load or the fine and then ring up to 'nab me'?
At the self service checkouts you will always find a salesperson/checkout chick to check that people are cheating by failing to scan items etc. This person will also put your purchases through for you if you ask for help.
We were like many and resisted this checkout method but now find it much quicker for under 10 items. Over this number and there is no way we'd use one, and I guess that the purpose behind their introduction was to allow shoppers with 1 or 2 purchases to avoid having to queue behind someone with a trolley full.
Next in line for change is the way you buy fuel - swipe your credit card before the pump gets turned on.
I won't use customer checkouts for all the above reasons. There are 12 or less item checkouts (admittedly some ppl. can't count) and I am prepared to wait to save jobs and have human to human contact.
Discount fuel is a rip=off too...only had a Coles fuel outlet for less than a year, so supported dockets by paying higher food prices without being able to use dockets even if wanted too. I support local Independent Outlet for friendly service and have a VIP fuel card (2 cents off).
Why the need for speed all of a sudden...sure but steady wins the race.
I assume most do realise that IGA Supermarkets also have a "shopper docket" 4c/litre off system working in many towns?
Many have a local servo that accepts the IGA docket and gives 4c off at the pump.
But there are also nearly as many that work on the system of fill your vehicle at the local servo and present the fuel receipt at the IGA checkout and they provide the 4c/litre value off the total price of the groceries you purchase.
In almost all situations, the local servo is the same price as others in the town - even the Woolies/Coles ones.
So, why aren't people complaining about IGA 'ripping us off' ?
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
Im usually the odd person out and today is no different.
But I see some good things from these mega businesses like West farmers and Woolworths compared to the many small independent business that would be required to replace them.
Firstly they are all part owned by most superannuation funds providing income and security for members and saving our children and grandchildren increased tax burdens for all the additional government pensions that would be required if there were no companies for super funds to invest in. Most Self-Funded Retirees own shares in these companies, not in Aldi where the profits go back to Germany.
Secondly, Taxation administration costs would be much higher if the government had to collect tax form all the additional business that would be required if these mega business suddenly disappeared. The collection of GST under the current system appears to be fairly streamlined with very little slippage.
If we toss out these very unpopular mega businesses, there will be thousands of small business and sole traders with two sets of books; one for themselves and one for the tax man. Wonder how much slippage there will be then, and what the tax rates will be for workers to cover the shortfall.
Thirdly, imagine the time it will take to do the weekly shopping. Will there be shopping centres without the anchor tenants like Woolworths? Will we have to walk from one end of town to the other for the butcher then the baker for groceries?
Grocery shopping today is certainty nothing like it was in the early 50s where you went to the counter of a man with a pencil behind his ear who would pick your order from the shelves and write out your docket, take your money, sent it via a flying fox to the cashier, who would then return your docket via flying fox with your change. I dont think the current system is perfect, but I would not like to go back to caravanning in the pre 1950s or be admitted into a 1950s hospital if I was really sick.
I think its call progress. For better or worse it will probably continue. Wasn't there also an up roar back in the early 60s when grocery stores brought in check-outs (and chicks) to replace the man with the pencil behind his ear.
It's a changing world and I don't want to be dead for quids, ever, because I want to know what's going to happen next.
Remember when we used to go to a bank, wait till 10am for the bank to open, then fill out a form, and queue for a teller when we wanted to make a withdrawal? I strenuously objected to ATM's when they brought them in, concerned about the loss of jobs for all those tellers. But....
Nowadays nobody thinks twice about using an ATM, and would probably complain if we could only access our hard-earned over the counter in business hours.
Remember when we used to go to a bank, wait till 10am for the bank to open, then fill out a form, and queue for a teller when we wanted to make a withdrawal? I strenuously objected to ATM's when they brought them in, concerned about the loss of jobs for all those tellers. But.... Nowadays nobody thinks twice about using an ATM, and would probably complain if we could only access our hard-earned over the counter in business hours.
Such is progress.
Another big change was the metric conversion which started in February 1966 starting withchanging pounds/shillings to dollars/cents before moving onto measurements. Apparentlythe total move to the current metric system was not completed until 1988, 22 years later.
The change over to metric was very difficult for older people of that time to grasp, but they did. Today many of us older people are struggling to grasp and understand modern everyday gadgets such as mobile phones, Internet banking, computers, GPSs but changing we are.
I believe someone back in 1899 wanted to close the US patent office because Everything that can be invented has already been invented.
What gadgets and accessories will be available for my caravan in 10 or 20 years from now. I cant wait. We probably won't need them, but I we probably will want them.
I never use the self serve checkouts and often tell the girl who is trying to get people to use them that I prefer to ensure the girls have a job and I can wait.
I always prefer to use a local shop for my purchases.
I am in Port Pirie at the moment and visit Crystal Brook every weekend for a gathering of old mates at the local pub and I always do my shopping at the local Foodland before leaving on the Sunday. Not sure what happens to Saturday but who cares.
The local Crystal Brook fuel depot offers 4c off for fuel with a docket from the local Foodland and the food is cheaper at Foodland than Coles and Woolies in Port Pirie and the fuel is the same as Woolies before the discount so I prefer to buy in the small town with a local persons shop.
I also buy my meat from a corner butcher shop around the corner from my son's place. Walk around in the afternoon and get the meat for the night. Good meat and get to have a chat while he is cutting. Diced or stripped for free if needed and he will even marinate to your choice if required. THAT is service.
In the old days LOL there was a corner shop always within walking distance and they offered service and their prices were not that much more then the big guys bought in to put them out of business. As soon as the small shops closed the big guys put up their prices. Check the difference between the prices of the big shops between the areas where they can extract that extra dollar. The corner shop owner would often deliver for the people who had a good shop and had to walk it home. We had one that did the weekly orders. Mom used to send us kids with the order and he would deliver on our day and Mum would pay. If she did not have enough money it was OK we will catch up next week. Try that at Woolies LOL
Used to be involved in the production line and the same product went to many stores in a chain and each store had a different price calculated depending on the suburb of the store.
When in Victoria or NSW I use the ALDI first and then head for Foodland or similar to get the items ALDI does not stock.
Regards
Brian
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11 Mtr house Boat based at Mannum hoping to travel up the Murray as far as I can get then drift back again
If you're in Crystal Brook this week, call in and see a fellow GN currently parked at the caravan park carting grain. He used to be known as Mick The Mongrel.
As for shopping, I'm inclined to get it over as fast as I can. My back has been too sore to stand that long.
Some of the independent servo's are owned and run by Indians. They have an aversion to western toilets. They don't clean them if they have them, or they don't provide them
On The Run is one of those networks. BP is also up there as are some of the United chain.
As it goes, who knows who owns what in our country these days? China owns the dairies and sends the milk to China. Then there's the cotton station.
Saudi Arabia is buying SA farmland.
No one is looking after us. Questions are only asked about foreign investment over $200m. So they invest in small lots and no questions are asked.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
HI CG I have spent nearly every weekend for the last two months in Crystal Brook as I get work done but hopefully I will leave early next week. I go to CB so my kids have their weekends and I spend it with mates I have know for 40+ years
Many of the servos on the road between Pt Augusta and Adelaide have been taken over by our imported saviors and I hear a constant rant on Channel 40 where the truckies are looking for other places to get fed as the old truck stops now are predominantly curry based and many don't appreciate the change.
The Tin man and the veg shop near Pirie are doing a roaring trade and the usual truck stop is normally vacant each time I drive past.
Regards
Brian
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11 Mtr house Boat based at Mannum hoping to travel up the Murray as far as I can get then drift back again
I ordered 5 legs of lamb today from a butcher who owns his own shop. He gave me 10% discount for the order. Now that made his meat cheaper than Woolies - who would not have given me the discount for 5 legs of lamb. (PS The large quantity is for a spit roast for hubby's birthday!)
No self service at Aldi and they whip you through pretty quickly
I went to Aldi because a family member was singing their praises, but I'll never go again. It's not strictly self service but so close as makes no difference. The only thing they do is scan the items, you get to pack them yourself. I want staff to scan and bag my stuff, and if it's heavy I get them to lift it into/out of the trolley too. Aldi in Bundaberg has only a few checkouts and when I went there the queus were long and slow!
I found if you regularly shop at one store and abandon the trolly of stuff if they won't open sufficient checkouts, they soon get the message. At Coles in Bundy I only have to ask and they open an extra checkout. Yep, it took years of training to become this good at being a grumpy old woman
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Cheers, Marianna.
The more I learn about people, the more I like my dogs (Mark Twain)
Oh dear, they're pretty licketty split where I mostly go. Can't buy everything there, so go every few weeks, then just go wherever, Coles, woolies, IGA or little shop.
I used to complain about woolies...then bought a few shares...so now they work for me. I also would have many shares in my Super Pension so they all...WORK for me. Many many other people as well in their Super Pensions.
I used to complain about woolies...then bought a few shares...so now they work for me. I also would have many shares in my Super Pension so they all...WORK for me. Many many other people as well in their Super Pensions.
Gday...
And just a little off topic, but following on re the above ... Commonwealth Bank is another perfect example (or most large corporations).
If you have $10,000 in a fixed term with "which bank" it is returning about half the return (interest) than if you had $10,000 in "which bank's" shares (dividend) ... and that's apart from growth in share price.
As with Woolies (and all other large corporations) they look after their shareholders much better than they ever look after their customers.
Cheers - John
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2006 Discovery 3 TDV6 SE Auto - 2008 23ft Golden Eagle Hunter Some people feel the rain - the others just get wet - Bob Dylan
We regularly shop at an independent grocers when we are at home, occasionally going to Coles in the next town for items we cant get locally.
Such a culture shock when we were away and had to shop in big-city Woolies or Coles... so many self-serve check-outs, so few operators, and such long queues. Also very noticeable was the huge amount of stock but so few brands, its all their own brand!
At least Woolies has some Australian ownership, unlike Aldi, and not sure who/where Coles is owned?
I hate shopping, so the quicker I can get it over and done, the better. Aldi's checkouts are like a production line, which suits me just fine. Contrast this to Coles or Woolies where the checkout operators move like constipated snails. IMHO all checkout staff should do an apprenticeship at an Aldi store, or at least go on a fact finding mission to study German efficiency.
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"No friend ever served me, and no enemy ever wronged me, whom I have not repaid in full."
