Sainsburys etc no staff to bag up at checkout V poor effort imho

[KidKruger]

Internet down Foxy ?!

[pop9770]

Well I've worked around most of Europe SE Asia and the east coast of the USA checkout packers are standard in most if the world's supermarkets especially during busy periods,.

In the UK it's crap service as standard Imho

It's probably because as seen above people here think it's not needed and most have not ever experienced it so are clueless..

Sad because the supermarkets make big money and don't spread any pay to many young people who would benefit from some pre Christmas paid work..

[Pickle]

In NZ its standard for your shopping to be packed for you at supermarkets. There is a cheaper supermarket (the aptly named "Pack & Save") where you do it yourself to save some money.

I found, many years ago when heavily pregnant, Sainsbury's were good at offering to help pack, but switched to home delivery a long time ago so don't tend to go there for large shops any more. It would be a nice touch at this time of year.

[Loz]

I've always preferred to do my own packing since the time I bought a lovely French stick and the packer looked at the bread... looked at the bag... looked at the stick, realised one was much bigger than the other so neatly folded it in half and placed it in the bag. I was too stunned to say anything,

[pop9770]

that's

hilarious

I guess with the level of edumacation these young people get today anything is possible

My best guess at why Sainsburys don't have young packers working at tills its that 99% of these young people in this country are simply incapable of packing bags as highlighted by Loz's experience and they don't want the potential damage to their customers impacting their reputation as mentioned there'd be a thread titled "Sainsburys packers destroyed my Christmas food".

What a mad world we now exist in ..

[Pugwash]

When I go to Lidl - they scan items so quickly that even with 2 of you packing is not easy. I now put every thing in the trolley and pack into bags in the car boot which saves lifting heavy bags from trolley into boot and I can segregate items as I wish in terms of weight etc.

[Sue]

Loz Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've always preferred to do my own packing since

> the time I bought a lovely French stick and the

> packer looked at the bread... looked at the bag...

> looked at the stick, realised one was much bigger

> than the other so neatly folded it in half and

> placed it in the bag. I was too stunned to say

> anything,

I know I shouldn't laugh, but :)) :)) :))

[cella]

I quickly do my own packing and then pay. Particularly in LIDL this should be better reinforced I feel.

[Loz]

Pugwash Wrote:

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> When I go to Lidl - they scan items so quickly that even with 2 of you packing is not easy. I now

> put every thing in the trolley and pack into bags in the car boot which saves lifting heavy bags

> from trolley into boot and I can segregate items as I wish in terms of weight etc.

As I pointed out in another thread, Lidl and Aldi expect you to chuck everything back into your basket/trolley and pack on the tables/benches at the front of the store. Works a treat in Germany/Austria, but they never quite got around to telling the UK clientele that this is the way they expect you to do things.

[titch juicy]

What's to stop you just taking your time packing it at the checkout in lidl?

People pack into their own bags at the checkout in lidl in germany. We use it a lot in germany.

[tomskip]

There were fundraisers packing for charity at the checkout in M&S on Christmas Eve - much appreciated.

[uncleglen]

I have used the self-checkout twice in the last week because it is much quicker and more fun than trying to compete with the checkout staff . As soon as you finish the assistants are on the ball- at your side to sign off on items needing approval.

[Pugwash]

All the Lidls I have been in usually have a very large number of customers behind me and they can get very impatient. Also the speed that the cashier goes at is treble the speed I can pack. If I have only a small amount - no problem or if the items are approximately the same weight and size, I pack myself. However if I have large cartons of fruit juice plus cakes and more 'fragile' items I like to pack in separate bags - so putting everything in the trolley is better for me. Also I frequently have to shop for others and their goods need separate bags so much easier to do this in the car.

[cella]

LIDL are great in theory and have brilliant offers. However, as I've raised before their customer service is lamentable. This morning in the Peckham branch customers were forced to use the self service tills as they refused to open the others. As I was in a hurry I complied after complaining but the last time they did this I had a lot more time and said I would only use an assisted till and they opened one, much to the appreciation of other customers.

[Loz]

cella Wrote:

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> LIDL are great in theory and have brilliant

> offers. However, as I've raised before their

> customer service is lamentable.

Lidl cuts its margins to the bone, so something has to give. If you want service, go to Waitrose.

But you'll pay Waitrose prices.

[cella]

Can't agree. Good customer service is a basic requirement for any business and their brilliant marketing prides itself on the really mixed customer base it attracts. The wall outside the shop details the ways customers can make their views known but it's here where they let themselves down. They are not interested at all in my experience so it's the gap between what they promise and what they actually deliver.

[Seabag]

Many of LIDL shopper look as if the HAVE to shop there, and if they had a bit more cash they'd shop elsewhere.

Be honest, it's quite a sh1t shopping experience, specially the 'at the till bit' and yes, customer service is woeful.

So great as it seems, I rarely ever shop there.

[Otta]

Totally agree with Loz's post above. You want great customer service, go somewhere that caters for that (and charges). Lidl is one step away from cash n carry, a warehouse like experience.

I love lidl and aldi.

[intexasatthe moment]

I have had nothing but excellent customer service from Lidl's - the Peckham one .

The staff are friendly,helpful and efficient .

What examples are there of poor customer service there ?

[cella]

Have posted before with examples e.g. Goods marked at different prices round the store, trying to actually find a responsible staff member to deal with issues, picking up customer credit cards and inserting them into the machine while you are packing, rotting fruit & veg (I pointed it out to a disinterested staff member and when I went round again later it was stil there) etc etc When I reported another bigger issue to head office they never bothered replying despite chasing. So, they should keep doing what they do well, but, to keep their wider market share they must stop being so cynical and provide a higher level of customer support. BTW not sure what is meant by shoppers looking like they need to shop there?

[Loz]

I love Lidl and often shop there. But you have to take the experience as it comes. They are thoroughly useless with stock rotation, so all the new stock goes at the front - any bread, veggies, etc at the back is usually is poor condition. You have to able to decode their date stamping, as they have no best before dates. There is never any staff around. What they actually have in stock is really quite variable.

But the prices are amazing and the food (well, what isn't rotting on the shelves) is of a good standard. And they are finally getting the hang of opening new tills when the lines get too long.

And, if you are a Sloe Gin maker, their gin is really cheap and of good quality!

[cella]

If they can't do the business basics like stock rotation, not having rotting food on shelves (unacceptable on any level) etc then may be they should market themselves as something different. It flies in the face of attracting a wider clientele who will expect some sort of customer support. If they get too arrogant then the very people they have worked to attract will desert them.

[TheArtfulDogger]

JohnL Wrote:

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> I don't pay until I'm fully bagged :) so surely

> it's in their own interest.

>

> There were some children helping out last year

> IIRC

I have just seen this thread and the packing of bags issue is one of poor planning in my opinion

Ladies, plan ahead for Christmas 2022 now , seduce your husband or boyfriend tonight get pregnant and produce one or two spogs, train them in the art of bag packing over the next five plus years and when Christmas 2022 comes your problem is solved

Stop whinging because you didn't plan ahead in 2010 as it's not the supermarkets problem if you fail to provide your own packing team now is it 😉

[tomskip]

I often pick up a few items in Lidl. It isn't the greatest experience of my life, tbh, because of the awful scruffiness and the queues. I can't say I love it.

There's a lot to be said for shopping in a clean and welcoming environment. Possibly lulls you into a benign mood where you spend even more than you intended?

In Peckham Lidl just before Christmas, I saw an opened box of tissues on the shelf! For some reason that really rattled me. Someone going round the shop obviously had a nose blowing emergency and instead of just buying the whole bloody box for 95p or something, they thought it was ok to open the box for a handful of tissues and leave it there.

[Otta]

And yet everyone still goes because they're cheap.

And they know it.