Coles customer outraged over shocking checkout demand
- Replies 27
The modern shopping experience is constantly evolving, with technology and customer service practices continually adapting to new standards and expectations.
However, sometimes these changes can lead to unexpected confrontations and customer dissatisfaction.
This was recently the case with a Coles shopper in Sydney's Waterloo suburb.
The incident, which has sparked a broader discussion about the nature of self-service checkouts and the autonomy of shoppers, occurred when a regular customer was taken aback by a staff member's insistence on a specific bagging order for their items.
This approach to customer service raised eyebrows and prompted an apology from the supermarket giant.
The shopper, who was scanning and bagging their grocery haul, was interrupted by a Coles employee.
‘Went through Coles Waterloo (in Sydney) for the thousandth time with a basket of groceries and two 24-packs of Pepsi Max,’ the customer narrated.
‘This isn't an unusual shop for me—the soft drink was on “special”, and the girlfriend is a Pepsi Max fiend.’
‘I started scanning the way I always do: Bag the loose groceries first, since the Coles self-serve checkouts tend to chuck a fit if you add your own BYO (Bring Your Own) bag midway through a purchase. I'm a few items in when the assistant swoops in and informs me that I'm self-serving the wrong way,’ they continued.
The shopper also claimed that they were told by an employee, ‘the drinks needed to be scanned first’, then ‘proceeded to swipe her card, and void the groceries I had already scanned myself’.
‘Then [they] said I needed to enter the two Pepsi Max cartons.’
‘“Fine,” I thought, and picked up the first carton to put over the scanner. “No,” she says, and forces my hand down, “Let me enter them for you.” She then proceeded to painstakingly enter my drinks, one by one, through the manual menu,’ the shopper added.
According to the customer, on the way out, they ‘asked the supervisor if that was standard policy’. Apparently, it was.
‘You must scan the big items first,’ she said. ‘That's the way Coles says you have to do it now.’
‘Forcing us to use self-serve checkouts by taking staff off the regular checkout was one thing. Installing those ridiculous automatic exit gates was another. But now, we can't even scan our own groceries in the order we want at the self-serve checkout?! This has gotten completely out of hand,’ the customer lamented.
Coles has since responded to the incident, stating that while staff are encouraged to assist with bulky items to expedite the checkout process, they should not override the customer's actions without good reason.
The spokesperson for Coles extended an apology to the affected customer, and clarified that there is no official policy dictating the order in which items must be scanned.
The incident at Coles Waterloo is not an isolated one. Last year, there were similar incidents in Coles stores in Melbourne and Western Australia.
This has led to speculation and theories, ranging from loss prevention to the optimisation of the self-service experience.
Have you encountered similar issues at self-service checkouts? Do you prefer the traditional cashier-led checkouts, or have you embraced the self-serve revolution? Share your experiences and opinions in the comments below.
However, sometimes these changes can lead to unexpected confrontations and customer dissatisfaction.
This was recently the case with a Coles shopper in Sydney's Waterloo suburb.
The incident, which has sparked a broader discussion about the nature of self-service checkouts and the autonomy of shoppers, occurred when a regular customer was taken aback by a staff member's insistence on a specific bagging order for their items.
This approach to customer service raised eyebrows and prompted an apology from the supermarket giant.
A Coles shopper shared their experience with an employee telling them there is a correct way to scan their items in the self-service checkouts. Credits: Shutterstock
The shopper, who was scanning and bagging their grocery haul, was interrupted by a Coles employee.
‘Went through Coles Waterloo (in Sydney) for the thousandth time with a basket of groceries and two 24-packs of Pepsi Max,’ the customer narrated.
‘This isn't an unusual shop for me—the soft drink was on “special”, and the girlfriend is a Pepsi Max fiend.’
‘I started scanning the way I always do: Bag the loose groceries first, since the Coles self-serve checkouts tend to chuck a fit if you add your own BYO (Bring Your Own) bag midway through a purchase. I'm a few items in when the assistant swoops in and informs me that I'm self-serving the wrong way,’ they continued.
The shopper also claimed that they were told by an employee, ‘the drinks needed to be scanned first’, then ‘proceeded to swipe her card, and void the groceries I had already scanned myself’.
‘Then [they] said I needed to enter the two Pepsi Max cartons.’
‘“Fine,” I thought, and picked up the first carton to put over the scanner. “No,” she says, and forces my hand down, “Let me enter them for you.” She then proceeded to painstakingly enter my drinks, one by one, through the manual menu,’ the shopper added.
According to the customer, on the way out, they ‘asked the supervisor if that was standard policy’. Apparently, it was.
‘You must scan the big items first,’ she said. ‘That's the way Coles says you have to do it now.’
‘Forcing us to use self-serve checkouts by taking staff off the regular checkout was one thing. Installing those ridiculous automatic exit gates was another. But now, we can't even scan our own groceries in the order we want at the self-serve checkout?! This has gotten completely out of hand,’ the customer lamented.
Coles has since responded to the incident, stating that while staff are encouraged to assist with bulky items to expedite the checkout process, they should not override the customer's actions without good reason.
The spokesperson for Coles extended an apology to the affected customer, and clarified that there is no official policy dictating the order in which items must be scanned.
The incident at Coles Waterloo is not an isolated one. Last year, there were similar incidents in Coles stores in Melbourne and Western Australia.
This has led to speculation and theories, ranging from loss prevention to the optimisation of the self-service experience.
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