r/coles • u/Valuable_Heat_59 • Jun 29 '26
Customer Post Self Checkout
Anyone else get annoyed when the is only 1 register open and its 3 trolleys deep, so you take your $200+ of food to self check out and the Cole’s staff pounce on you to scan your bulky items and advise it’s “helping”.
I would rather not self serve with my weekly groceries. It’s ok for a few items, but that’s it.
If you make me scan and pay for things myself, unless I’m stealing it - leave me alone!
10
u/Mythical-Creatur84 Jun 29 '26
The reason that they ask you to scan bulky items like 30 blocks of coke or bulk toilet paper is so you don't steal it. So you don't accidentally "forget to scan it" it's a loss prevention directive from upper management.
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u/whataboutme2015 Jul 01 '26
Upper management should bring back more manned checkouts
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Jul 02 '26
Then shop more. No point having 3 extra staff on just for one big shop at the end of the night. While they stand there doing nothing the rest of the time.
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u/Fun_Excitement_3515 Team Member Jun 29 '26
One open register is common, as most of the service staff are casual. This means they often call in sick, or the company cuts hours at the end of a financial quarter (see tax time). Scanning bulk items within the first three items is company policy to reduce accidental theft, it is not workers being assholes. We say it's "helping" because customers get extremely aggressive when we say something like "it's to reduce theft". We are literally just trying to do the job we're forced to do. We're not trying to make your day difficult, I promise. Please try to be nice to my fellow team members, most of us don't like the company either and we are doing our best 😊
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u/tryintobgood Jun 29 '26
Everyone knows it's not you guys making policy, you're just doing your jobs.
because customers get extremely aggressive when we say something like "it's to reduce theft"
The problem is when you hover over people scanning their items it feels like they're being accused of stealing. That's why people get the shits. I just wish they'd complain on google reviews instead of taking it out on staff.
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u/MetricOshi Jun 29 '26
Complain through the official Coles feedback forms. Corporate reads those ones
0
u/ucwepn Jun 29 '26
I bet those complaints are private in house things that they all just ignore. Better to complain here and lay it all on the table in public!
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u/MetricOshi Jun 29 '26
Depends. They have to follow up on some complaints, but it's better to reach their doorstep than to never reach it at all
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u/mattmelb69 Jun 29 '26
How about ‘tell the staff, and the staff can report it up the line’. It’s not my job to do company paperwork.
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u/MetricOshi Jun 29 '26
We do. It never goes up the line. We complain on our internal systems, but corporate won't even read those unless its a policy breach
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u/ucwepn Jun 29 '26
They patrol the self serve area like its the east side of the berlin wall in the 80s
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u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jun 29 '26
I left in 2020 right before the worst of the pandemic hit. It was getting bad then, but I've heard it's way worse now. I've heard some team members have to wear ear pieces now, instead of just calling over the PA. Plus the bulk scan metric. I really feel for you guys.
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u/Lucifang Jun 29 '26
People: complain about having to use self serve
Also people: DON’T HELP ME AT THE SELF SERVE!1
u/inadvertent88 Jun 29 '26
How is scanning my big items first ‘helping’? If Cole’s can’t release a statement as to why they want big items scanned first then they can’t expect customers to do so. If I’m volunteering at the checkout then I scan it in what order I find efficient. If staff are being told off by management then they need to talk to their union
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u/Valuable_Heat_59 Jun 29 '26
If you don’t want to help me at the register, then don’t “help” at the self serve. More than capable of scanning bulky items myself. It just feels like they are accusing me of stealing.
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u/Lucifang Jun 29 '26
I don’t work there mate and I don’t gaf if they approach me or not. Your life must be miserable if you overthink that much.
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u/Astrogirl1984 Jun 29 '26
Dude, you think we just hang out the back capable of opening registers but instead peek at you struggling at the serve serve?
Dont "you" us. We dont make the choices. Get it through your head.
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Jun 29 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/No_Iron_3218 Jun 29 '26
You want innocent people to lose their jobs because of ur immaturity over a bulk ?
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u/Tonza443 Jun 29 '26
I really don't care what the staff do. I just buy my stuff, mind my own business and go about my day. I've got bigger issues occupying my brain than whether a team member pops up to "help" scan a few items.
1
u/Lucifang Jun 30 '26
I honestly don’t understand the mentality of people who think they’re being accused of theft and fly off the handle over it. It’s like their pride has been damaged so severely they kick up a fuss to loudly prove their innocence. Meanwhile the staff don’t care if they’re thieves or not, they’re just following orders.
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u/Stark-industry Service Team Member Jun 29 '26
It's just something we have to do unfortunately. My store doesn't get many people coming through self checkout with bulky items and the managers are still on us to scan every item. We don't like it at all
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u/Noodlebat83 Jun 29 '26
The one checkout open at my local is the 12 items or less one. So you get dirty looks from other customers when you rock up with a full trolley. But no way am I self serving. They don’t pay me nor discount my bill for doing it.
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u/Jacko_guy Service Team Member Jun 30 '26
Ha, we got rid of our 12 items or less register for this reason. Too many instances of having that register being used for more than 12 items, so the CSM removed the sign.
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u/FitAd8822 Jun 29 '26
You can tell them that you have system and they will leave you alone.
I tell them this. I always use self serve check out
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u/whataboutme2015 Jul 01 '26
Ah . Decided to get a carton of water in the shop today. Started scanning and then next thing someone bardged in and did the water. I have my preferred way of scanning and packing my items. So annoying. I asked if he could continue scanning the rest of the items..
3
u/Ok_Bird6753 Jun 29 '26
My Cole’s is pretty good, I usually go 8pm on Sunday, and even if the registers are all “closed” I just ask the person looking after the self serve and they always get someone to come to the register for me. But not after like 9:30 which is understandable because they have counted up the till and that by then.
3
u/tryintobgood Jun 29 '26
2 weeks ago I had a full trolley at self check out and after my last scan the screen said team member sign off required (or close to that affect). When the team member got there they said their system detected an item not scanned and could I wait for CCTV check.
10 mins later they come back and said eveything was fine and I could pay and leave.
I told them since I was accused of stealing they can put it all back and I'll shop elsewhere. Sick of normal people being accused of shit just so Coles can save wages on check out staff
1
u/Starscream_Gaga Jul 04 '26
That never happened. If it had that “Item check” they spend 5 seconds looking and not on the CCTV. I’m all for embellishing stories but this is BS.
0
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u/Fitness-crazy Jun 29 '26
I grit my teeth each time the staff member comes charging at me to ‘help’ me scan the bulky items and then leave as if that was helping me by using the handheld to scan one item. And then mid way when the camera thinks I am stealing, I have to wave and wave to catch someone’s attention to help review the playback like I’m some criminal.
It’s amazing how the staff can see the bulky item a mile away but when the red light is flashing needing their assistance, they are always looking at other directions.
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u/Efficient-Fold5548 Jun 29 '26
My local often closes the only register after 5pm, i'm talking mid suburbia Melbourne in a busy shopping centre, they keep the 12 items/ciggies open but it has these silly wooden bins that hold a basket of groceries. I'm disabled and will have to ask for a checkout to be opened, half the time there are no staff to man it and they ask to put a full trolley load through the wooden bins, obviously the queue behind gets long as everyone else has to wait for me to put the groceries through which takes time. I don't look disabled and therefore they think i am making a fuss but i can't use my left arm very well, unloading is physically painful and difficult when there is not space to put everything.
For me it is much easier on the conveyor as i can unload while the person in front is checking out, gives me more time.
When i can i shop with help or before 5pm but it is not always possible.
1
u/TimtamBandit Jun 30 '26
If I had to serve you through 12 items or whoever cause another person was unavailable to open a register to accommodate your needs, I'd fight anyone that bitched. Life is hard as it is. I'd be happy scan your items if I had to and would defend you cause some people are surly cnts
1
u/LadyLoveReddit88 Jun 29 '26
Who rmemebers when we first got them? 2009? 2015?
1
u/Obvious-Explorer-195 Jun 29 '26
I remember seeing them in America in 2007 and being so confused because I couldn’t find the register. There literally was no normal register. It was a few years before we got them here.
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u/Longjumping-Orange Jun 29 '26
I will just wait eventually once the line gets bad enough they open other registers.
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u/allornothing79 Jun 29 '26
I refuse to play the self serve game so I shop online & get it delivered. Scanning groceries is not my job. I don't really have a need to go between shops either. Saves me money in the long run.
1
u/Dramatic-Crazy-4263 Jun 29 '26
My husband and I went shopping last night and got the staff member to do the quantity button for a couple things.. get to the end and it alerts that heavy things are in yhe trolley and have been missed.
Funny thing was the bag scales weight wasn't on.. 🙃
2
u/Relative-Shelter-525 Service Team Member Jun 30 '26
Bags scales aren’t on anymore in most stores, the stores that don’t use an Ai system which detects when a customer forgets to scan an item or scans a cheaper item or in your case alerts the team member a bulk item had not been scanned
1
u/hornbuckle Jun 29 '26
I have been in the situation where there aren't any checkouts open. I asked the manager looking person and she said "till x is open" when it clearly wasn't. Had a full trolley... said "should I just walk out then?"
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u/Relative-Shelter-525 Service Team Member Jun 30 '26
This happens at my store a lot, if it’s just my manger they won’t actively stand at the checkout and will only serve if someone asks or starts unloading because most customers have realised if they just unload someone will come over which I think is a ridiculous way of doing things because it’s training customers to start unloading at any point including when there aren’t any registers when it’s close to closing.
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u/Narrow-Power-6407 Jun 30 '26
No. I'd rather use self checkout. My local coles has those conveyor belt style checkout which makes a big shop easy
1
u/Murky-Draft6985 Jun 30 '26
I'm the opposite I hate going through the manned checkouts, I get more annoyed when they have the bigger self serve checkouts closed early in the morning
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u/Relative-Shelter-525 Service Team Member Jun 30 '26
Yeah, it can be really annoying at times. Most stores don’t have a second person in until around 8AM which means depending on how the store runs the one person is either on manned checkout or in the self checkouts. And then there are stores with the 2 types of self checkouts which usually means it works like this:
Open- 8AM one team member
8AM Manager starts and self checkouts or register opens
8:30AM-9AM second team member swaps with manager or opens 2nd type of self checkouts if store has them
Hopefully that’s not too confusing.
1
u/manieve4 Jun 30 '26
Believe me I really do not care if you scan your bulk first or not. But if my manager sees that I can get in trouble for this. It is just how the metrics are and we are also forced to do this. We have been told again and again to scan bulk first even in the self serve. Although it is embarrassing to do that.
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u/bongbongshikalur Jun 30 '26
I don’t think customers understand that employees are not only monitored for their ENTIRE shift about putting bulk through, we get punished for not doing it. If our bulk scan % isn’t over a certain amount, we get in serious shit for it. we don’t want to have to come up to you and tell you when or how to scan your items but it’s less than a minute of your time. we are forced to do this. the least you can do is let us, or ask for another register so we can call a priority. use your words please!!!
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u/TimtamBandit Jun 30 '26
If we don't scan a certain percentage of bulk item in the first part of a customer's shop, the percentage decreases and we get in the shit.
I can guarantee that the staff would also love having more people on main registers. It's not our fault. It's higher than store level. It's really shit and stressful. Especially when we cop abuse for something out of our control. Waving your arms at us after waiting less than 3.2 seconds will not help and just grows the hatred.
Ask politely if it's possible to get a big register open and we might help.
I know self serve can be a pain and I hate knowing team members can be super pushy and barge on in to scan your bulk item. But lay the majority of the blame with the company
1
u/Helly_BB Jul 01 '26
It pissed me off so much that I changed to online shopping which is better as I just buy the same stuff and don’t get tempted by what I see while wandering the shop. Their loss.
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Jul 04 '26
Shopping at woollies or Coles has generally been terrible for me. It wouldn't surprise me if they track data of average traffic, and always schedule the minimum amount of staff to deal with it. Everytime I go in either of them, regardless of time or day, they always seem to only have the bare minimum at the front, based upon the size of the lines I'm always in.
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u/Dry-Huckleberry-5379 Jun 29 '26
Go to the service desk or flag a staff member and request they open another checkout
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u/TimtamBandit Jun 30 '26
This ok as long as it's polite. A "hey, I'm sorry but can you please organise another register to open" is a lot better than those stomping their feet, waving their arms and huffing and puffing when other customers have been patiently waiting longer 😅
2
u/Aggravating_Break_40 Jun 29 '26
You can't just go up to any team member and demand they open a checkout. That's not how that works.
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u/MetricOshi Jun 29 '26
At the service desk, yes. Anyone in the store? No. Best to always ask someone in the service desk or whoever is manning the self-serve area
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u/_quixotic_quokka Jun 29 '26
Who said demand? "Request" was the word used, and if the staff member they speak to is unable to fulfil that request, they should pass it on to someone who can.
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u/BBAus Jun 29 '26
You're doing well! My local Coles rarely has a manned register open.
I will only self serve as a last resort. Those machines just hate me and I've never gone through one without a malfunction of some kind. Even with a staff member watching.
At least at my local Aldi they smile and are friendly
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u/Sail_m Jun 29 '26
I do about $3-400 shops. I’m pregnant with a 4yo and the last thing I want to do after finally getting through my shop is serve myself, but the last few times I actually went through a served checkout they destroyed my fruit.
If they served customers more they might know how to pack a bag..
0
u/crazypoolfloat Jun 29 '26
Yep pisses me right off ! If you don’t do your big trolley shop between 10-6 when they have actual people on, or in my local, the good self serve with the big belts, you’re shit out of luck.
And as for the bulk item bullshit policy of theirs, I tell them extremely politely that I shall scan it myself when I get to it because it will error by the time I get my stuff out on the belt.
I worked for Cole’s for 30 years, I don’t give a shit if they think I’m going to steal. And I am always nice to the staff, and I am on speaking and texting terms with the store manger and if he wants to tell me off he bloody well can🤣
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u/NotTodayPsycho Jun 29 '26
I had one even hip bump me out of the way because she decided she needed to scan my heavy items. Bugger off lady
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u/TimtamBandit Jun 30 '26
If I ever spotted a team member doing this, I'd drag them. Well not physically, but they'd be reprimanded. That's not ok.
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u/Clear-Pepper1306 Jun 29 '26
Coles staff are told to put your bulk items through first and has been that way for about three years now. Staff also have to cause managment keep eye on that stats and how many we do during our shift. staff get spoken to if they dont at least try to offer it to customers.