Cash-paying customer erupts in anger after outrageously long checkout delay at Coles

In an age where digital transactions are becoming the norm, many of us hold fast to the traditional ways of handling money. Cash, as some would assert, remains 'king'.

However, a recent incident at a Coles supermarket has left one cash-paying customer fuming and vowing to shun self-service checkouts for good.


The incident unfolded when the customer, preferring the tactile certainty of banknotes over the impersonal swipe of a card, approached the self-serve checkout at her local Coles.

To her dismay, she found no manned registers open and was compelled to use the automated service.

After feeding cash into the machine for her groceries, the machine jammed, refusing to dispense the required change.


Coles.png
A shopper expressed frustration over a 30-minute delay when using cash at the self-checkout counter at Coles. Image Source: Facebook / Coles



The shopper's frustration was palpable as she recounted the ordeal on social media, detailing how the machine's malfunction led to a standstill that lasted nearly half an hour.

‘Went to Coles. Nothing else open in town. There was no one at the registers, so I had to use self-checkout, which I never use,’ she recounted.


‘I put in (three) $50 (bills), then (the) machine stopped. I refused the offer to (redo) the transaction on a card. They had my money! So, almost 30 minutes later, they finally gave me change out of the till.’

The situation was only rectified after the intervention of two Coles staff members, who had to open the till to manually provide her with change.

She added, ‘Never again, under any circumstances, will I use self-checkout! Cash is still king.’


Coles self checkout.jpg
The frustrated customer’s issue was finally resolved when two employees manually opened the till and gave her her change. Image Source: Facebook / Call Out Cashless Businesses


The customer's post struck a chord with social media users, sparking a heated debate about the merits of self-service technology versus human cashiers.

‘I point blank refuse to use robots, I’ll always go manned,’ said one commenter.

‘Should charge them for the time wasted. What a joke,’ another user lamented.

A third user said, ‘You live and learn. Self-serve checkouts never worked for me, now I always use manned checkout with cash.’


Despite the uproar, it's understood that Coles has no intention of phasing out cash options at their self-service checkouts.

This isn’t the first time Cole’s self-checkout policy has frustrated shoppers. Many prefer manned checkouts, lamenting customer service’s ‘death’.

This one shopper even believes that the added ‘security’ measures in self-checkout policies imply shoppers are potential thieves. You can read about it here.
Key Takeaways

  • A Coles customer expressed frustration over a nearly 30-minute delay at a self-serve checkout when paying with cash.
  • The incident occurred because the self-serve machine failed to dispense change after the customer inserted $50 notes.
  • Coles staff eventually resolved the issue, but the customer vowed never to use the self-serve checkout again, preferring manned cash transactions.
  • The shopper's experience sparked heated debate among social media users, with many expressing a preference for manned checkouts and cash payments.
Have you had similar experiences with self-service checkouts? Do you prefer to pay with cash or a card? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below.
 
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I use a Coles Credit card and only use self serve when I have a couple of things to get.
 
🤣🤣WOW!! here we go again..outraged little snowflake that had to get empathy from strangers! You failed to mention if the store was busy? You failed to thank those that did help you? You failed to make a complaint...but instead chose to put it on social media.....🤔🤔🤔🤔 and from an ex staff member YOU have no idea of the procedure it takes to get money out of those machines...next time I suggest that you think about it BEFORE going for sympathy votes with strangers
 
Im happy to pay by card but dislike the self service checkouts, the staff in store want you to do there job then dont trust that you have scanned everything and you cant get straight out because they have stupid security gates that the staff need to open. I refuse to go to Coles the staff are extremely rude at every Coles store
WOW What an angry person you are....no wonder staff are rude to you...next time check YOUR own entitled behaviour before going shopping!!😗
 
🤣🤣WOW!! here we go again..outraged little snowflake that had to get empathy from strangers! You failed to mention if the store was busy? You failed to thank those that did help you? You failed to make a complaint...but instead chose to put it on social media.....🤔🤔🤔🤔 and from an ex staff member YOU have no idea of the procedure it takes to get money out of those machines...next time I suggest that you think about it BEFORE going for sympathy votes with strangers
Apparently there were no staff visible to assist.
 
🤣🤣WOW!! here we go again..outraged little snowflake that had to get empathy from strangers! You failed to mention if the store was busy? You failed to thank those that did help you? You failed to make a complaint...but instead chose to put it on social media.....🤔🤔🤔🤔 and from an ex staff member YOU have no idea of the procedure it takes to get money out of those machines...next time I suggest that you think about it BEFORE going for sympathy votes with strangers
How dare you. If it makes you feel any better I made a complaint and the store manager is now no longer at this store. The moral of the story is "IF STORES WANT YOU TO DO THERE JOB MAYBE TRUST THE CUSTOMER" and read the whole story before you comment back
 
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How dare you. If it makes you feel any better I made a complaint and the store manager is now no longer at this store. The moral of the story is "IF STORES WANT YOU TO DO THERE JOB MAYBE TRUST THE CUSTOMER" and read the whole story before you comment back.
I'm not quite sure what whole story you are talking about.
You don't give any details about what the manager supposedly did.
Your wide spread comment about ALL Coles staff are rude is a bit OTT. I have never had a problem with any Coles staff.
Have you ever thought it could be the way you either approach or speak to them that is the problem.
If you bounce the ball at someone they'll usually bounce it back.
I don't know, only you know that, but I have only seen polite staff having to deal with some very rude customers.
Whether I have asked for help or had a complaint I have always been treated with respect.
If you don't like self serve, don't use it, I don't.
If there isn't a manned checkout open ask them politely to open one and they will.
 
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I don't believe in putting the all the blame on the "boots on the ground" staff. If anything, it is upper management at fault they sit in their ivory towers and come up with really stupid ideas without listening to the minions and customers.
 
I've never been in a Coles store where there was literally no staff on the floor. I don't believe her.
What a shoplifters paradise that would be.
Just another entitled snowflake seeking her 10 seconds of fame.
I can never find staff on the floor ,I even wait at the entrance to the storeroom to no avail so I just dont buy the item in question
 
I don't use cash at supermarkets but mostly use self serve unless a person is available to serve me straight away. I have no problem using self serve regardless of the number of items, I find it easy and simple to use
 
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I'm not quite sure what whole story you are talking about.
You don't give any details about what the manager supposedly did.
Your wide spread comment about ALL Coles staff are rude is a bit OTT. I have never had a problem with any Coles staff.
Have you ever thought it could be the way you either approach or speak to them that is the problem.
If you bounce the ball at someone they'll usually bounce it back.
I don't know, only you know that, but I have only seen polite staff having to deal with some very rude customers.
Whether I have asked for help or had a complaint I have always been treated with respect.
If you don't like self serve, don't use it, I don't.
If there isn't a manned checkout open ask them politely to open one and they will.
What he did is none of your business
Thought we lived in a country were we could express ourselves, obviously I'm wrong and wont let it happen again.
HAVE A NICE DAY
 
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Reactions: freedy50
What he did is none of your business
Thought we lived in a country were we could express ourselves, obviously I'm wrong and wont let it happen again.
HAVE A NICE DAY
You requested Liz to read the whole story, which you didn't write and then say it is not our business. I think I may have been right in my comments, you do appear to have anger issues.
When you post on here you have to expect to get return posts, good, bad and indifferent.
I definitely intend to have a nice day
 
Not good enough Coles there should be at least one person on the checkout. But with Coles money is the only thing that matters

Not good enough Coles there should be at least one person on the checkout. But with Coles money is the only thing that matters
Lol thats so funny THERE IS ALWAYS A PERSON IN SELF SERVE!
 

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