So whats new are you a tesco shopper or other big group visitor? I went to Tesco the other day , What an experience????????
Everything you want from your store and a little bit more…” That, if you’re old enough to remember, was the Tesco strap line before the current, “Every little helps…” entered our consciousness. And in an effort to qualify both statements the company has gone from strength to strength in making Tesco a one-stop-shop.
Not only can you buy anything from avocados to X-Boxes but you can underwrite your car; life; house and all your worldly goods. You can get personal finance and internet banking. A competitive mobile phone network is available to you, along with broadband. You can get your eyes checked, your doctor’s prescription dispensed and in some stores your feet massaged. I guess we’re only waiting for the gynaecologists and barbers to take up rooms in the larger stores for a complete life experience.
Outside in the car park – after you’ve filled at the garage – a gang of eager valet-eers will spring-clean your car for you; inside and out. Is there any end to it? Do I need to go elsewhere? Well, I guess the think-tank boyos in the Tesco Command Bunker think so because in an effort to retain my custom my store is now offering the new ‘scan and pack as you shop’ gizmo. An area of store has been set aside for a bank of ‘on board’ computers that you fix to the new gleaming handy holder on your trolley and off you go scanning and packing as you go. When you’ve crammed all you can into your bags you enter the little ‘scan and go grotto’ download your gizmo and part with your hard-earned sausage and mash; simples!
The trouble is the Luddite part of me is thinking, “Is this not doing someone out of a job?” Is some poor sod being off-loaded by this endeavour? Look, don’t get me wrong I like to embrace new technology as much as the next person but I can’t help wondering if the time will come when we wander around doing our shopping without the need for any human interface, erm sorry I mean human contact, at all.
Mind you, if the ‘scan and go’ system is anything like the self-service checkout, an army of trouble-shooters will be needed to oversee it. Picture the scene: Magic is waiting in a long line at the checkout and decides to opt for the self-service option. Four out of the eight machines seems to working and one of those is empty, so in I glide. It starts off well enough. Then I make the mistake of resting my brolly next to my semi-packed groceries. “Unexpected item in the bagging area,” my till announces loudly, with mild irritation. Oh gawd, now what? An age passes as I wait for the self-service trouble-shooter to wander round and trouble shoot. A young spotty oik gives me a withering look and scans a card across the screen to reset it. “The machine weighs ya goods and it’s picked up ya brolly,” he says, glancing at the offending item with a world weariness that tells me he is fed up with old people that do not understand the technology. He sighs, “Just put only ya shopping there, yeah…” “Sorry mate,” I mutter.
Two minutes later he is back. The ginger beer I’m attempting to purchase is of the alcoholic strain, so my age needs to be verified. “I don’t think you’re under-age…” he smiles. “Sorry mate,” I repeat. He sighs his trademark sigh and sloops away to deal with the next middle-aged incompetent. I glance over at the human operated checkout. The man who was behind me in the original queue is already packed and heading for the exit. It reiterates my belief in dealing with people before dealing with machines; even if the person is a young spotty oik.
Magic in Britain, so you don’t have to be.
Toodle pip till the meet
Message Thread
« Back to index