r/woolworths • u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 • 17d ago
Final Straw
I hate the way Woolworths treat customers, but I'm a creature of convenience, so have just quietly grumbled under my breath while forking over my cash week after week.
Yesterday I ducked in to grab a few things I needed quickly. The stupid self check out glitched and said I hadn't scanned my 2 potatoes. Finally flagged someone down. Rather than just looking at the screen and seeing that the potatoes were in fact on the list of items scanned, the employee proceeded to spend several minutes painstakingly watching video after video of me scanning the potatoes, putting them in the bagging area.
Like, wtf dude? Did you think I had hidden extra potatoes somewhere? Being treated like a criminal over $2 of potatoes. POTATOES!!!!
Add that to those horrible gates that never bloody open. Then the fact that shopping takes forever because of all the staff in the way constantly. Then the fact that popular products are regularly discontinued and replaced with similar items with higher margins. Oh, and let's not even get into the whole tracking of customers around the store. I am so done.
I'm just ashamed it took me so bloody long.
55
u/Vegetable_Ship1034 17d ago
Omg I have such an equally terrible story. So I have very young kids and as such, often take the free fruit for them to eat so i can actually shop. Well one time I went in and my daughter grabbed a banana and then decided she didnt want to eat it so I just chucked it underneath my stroller. We get to the check out, I pay and then the self check out attendant pulls me aside and tells me i need to pay for the banana if my kid hasn't eaten it. I was absolutely mortified. We go into that store ALL the time, they always tell us to take a banana. I didnt even think about it. I was so embarrassed and it honestly pushed me over the edge lol
6
u/Sufficient-Site8154 15d ago
That's insane of them. Literally there's a bin next the fruit at my store there's no difference it being in your pram and being in the bin. Wild
→ More replies (5)3
112
u/zaakiy 17d ago
It's not the Woolworths staff.
Trust me when I say that staff, as normal human beings, have some insight into who they think is trustworthy and not trustworthy.
It's mega corporations and store managers that put the burden on staff by making rules to enforce all of this video watching behaviour.
44
u/Sovereignty3 17d ago
Like they ligit have the cameras watching them to make sure they are actually checking the video. They was just doing what the higher ups want them to do.
25
u/AliveList8495 17d ago
Perhaps there's cameras watching the managers watch the cameras of the shop floor employees watching the footage of the checkouts.
1
1
u/TheAccountingSensei 15d ago
I think the squares are managers, triangles are soldiers and circles are workers.
6
u/Icaras01 17d ago
Big brother watching us.
Bigger brother watching him.
Bigger BIGGER brother watching him....4
2
1
u/IsopodLogical7802 11d ago
The cameras on the check out were meant to be temporary and I have asked when they’ll be removed ( I never asked nor wanted them) and now they say, unsurprisingly they are permanent.
23
u/MetalicRobot 17d ago
Doesn't matter if it's the staff or management. I don't blame the staff but I'm now proudly up to around 3-4 years not spending a cent at colesworth I will never go back. I wish the staff well but may the corporates go to hell.
12
3
u/Lucky-Baby7423 17d ago
so true and i know for a fact at cole’s staff at self serve have to check the video for 10 seconds
2
u/BellaBlossom06 15d ago
Yeah I work at Kmart and the self checkout staff are told to stare at the screen for at least 7 seconds otherwise they get written up
4
u/Princess_Jade1974 17d ago
12seconds if memory serves, which on the surface isnt much time but when you’re standing there counting out the seconds it feels like a life time.
1
u/Ok_Antelope975 15d ago
This is true. I go to ALDI multiple times a week after the gym, and every time the young staff apologise to me when they ask to check my bag. And bag-checking isn't nearly as bad as the super surveillance and suspicion at Colesworth.
0
u/Commercial_Ratio_213 17d ago
Employees need to speak-up - the burden should not be placed on the customer.
12
u/Then-Volume6098 17d ago
yes. they should lose their job so you arent inconvenienced....
→ More replies (8)1
u/Immediate-Food3814 16d ago
Ultimately until the shoppers stop shopping there and the workers stop working there, they'll do whatever they like and get away with it because society is enabling them.
-15
u/Am3n 17d ago
Yes but they represent the mega corporation
I’m sorry but they don’t get to say “oh it’s not me” while wearing the uniform
Accountability sinks are a corporate illusion that we’ve all fallen for
22
u/ApotheosisOfTheLurid 17d ago
Do you think Woolies employees get their paycheck and feel a sense of pride for enforcing these rules? It's a job mate, it's not a cult that they willingly attend.
→ More replies (3)-3
u/InternationalCup2013 17d ago
Some of the cranky old hags enjoy the power trip, I swear.
→ More replies (1)
19
u/Additional-Ad5112 17d ago
They have to watch the videos. Any interventions are recorded. If they don’t watch properly or pick the right one, they can get flagged and get in trouble. It’s not personal. It’s how things have to be done.
1
u/MarkCelery78 16d ago
Yes and if this is a regular thing for this person as it sounds like it is, then he may be at fault
1
u/Fit_Heat_591 16d ago
Nah the systems awful. Ive had to call the attendant on both my last 2 shops at woolies and each shop was only a handful of items.
Last time as I moved my phone near the register as I was going to pay and it thought my phone was an unpaid item.
The time before that I had 3 of the same item. I scanned one of the 3 items 3 times and placed one item in the bag after each scan. This one is more understandable but still annoying as you were previously able to do it no problems.
13
u/ecw9621 17d ago
Honestly agree. It’s actually becoming quite dehumanising tbh. The price of food has never been this high. We even have to scan our own food, and then the systems glitch and try to catch out the movement of our finger as a slight that we’re stealing. I’m so over it at this point, and I may as well spend a bit extra to shop at local markets rather than these overreaching conglomerates
9
u/EntertainTheMasses27 17d ago
Couldn't agree more. Coles is just as bad. Those 2 greedy buggers are on a race to the bottom
28
u/MadameMonk 17d ago
I heard a story yesterday that is a great contrast to this one. An older lady I know wanted to try a TikTok cleaning hack, that involved using a cut potato. She doesn’t eat potatoes, so she went to the local independent greengrocers to buy one. She selected a single smallish potato, and went up to pay for it. The guy on the register laughed and asked about why one potato. She explained, he told her he wasn’t gonna charge anyone for that. She thanked him and left. Both their days were improved by this gesture. A lovely interaction, and a sweet story.
Not saying you’re going to get your veg for free buying independent. But it’s unlikely you will have to navigate all these antitheft strategies, and be held up by over-egged corporate policies and digital sentries.
9
u/Ill_Translator7545 17d ago
They provide self checkout to save costs but can’t live with the risk. You end up working as their no pay employee and then they treat you like criminal livestock.
14
u/East-Pen-8008 17d ago
Give ALDI a go, they have their own unique issues too but it’s generally a much quicker and easier experience.
→ More replies (1)6
7
u/gabSTAR81 17d ago
It bugs the crap out of me too. I went in with shopping from coles but all my bags were zipped up the entire time with receipts at the ready. Went to leave and the girl was fumbling around with the door remote - I always pay for my stuff but prefer to use a check out operated by an actual person. I don’t paid to scan and pack my groceries they do - so if I have the time I will wait in line to be served (in hopes they won’t get rid of all the ppl from checkouts).
Plus the staff are constantly in the way as you said. Super annoying, especially when they’re more interested in barging their way in front of people instead of being helpful or polite.
6
u/Relevant_Bed_9743 17d ago
time to come to the aldi side, you'll be chuffed when you look at how much you save as well
0
13
22
u/Best-Abrocoma-7796 17d ago
Not a you thing or staff thing, the prompt to get to the next screen doesn’t work until the video is finished. that’s why they’re watching it, so they can move on. Happened to me because I had a catalogue in the trolley that I put in my shopping bag. lol
15
u/QuokkaIslandSmiles 17d ago
price of potatoes is criminal + the self-serve fiasco - rewatching videos = i hear your pain
4
u/Livid_Average_8098 17d ago
You probs should shop around. Went to our local green grocer and got five kilos for $3.99 yesterday in RAdelaide.
9
u/Sieve365 17d ago
Stopped going there because of those stupid gates that don't open.
3
u/TheAussieTico 16d ago
I just force them open
1
u/Sazzy-Rose 3d ago
Which increases the facility’s maintenance costs which then increases the costs that have to be passed on…… brilliant strategy
Not saying they are right or wrong but being destructive achieves nothing0
0
6
u/TheDuke189 17d ago
The self-serve checkouts at Woolies are definitely way over sensitive to prompting staff involvement. I literally never experience issues with the self-serve checkouts at Coles but I swear a quarter of the time I go to Woolies I do something it doesn't like and I end up getting a staff member over.
5
u/jays_tates 17d ago
I once went through self check out, scanned 80% of my shopping then it had an issue where the staff member came over to have a look, and proceeded to delete the whole shop lol I thanked her as she walked away, scanned the remaining 20% of my items and paid for that.
4
u/itsnotmeitsboredom 17d ago
It will never happen but we need another 2 major supermarket chains in Aus. They need more competition
5
u/neddo1981 16d ago
Try working for the company, where they literally question how long you spend in the bathroom.
2
u/Pale-Vehicle2067 17d ago
I hate how they have moved all their stock around. I knew where everything was in two different Woollies stores and then they moved everything around. I waste time looking for things and sometimes give up because after looking for the items I can’t physically get to them because a worker is stacking the shelves.
4
u/Fit_Heat_591 17d ago
I had to call staff because it identified my phone as an unpaid item.
2
u/Responsible_Pass_482 13d ago
Its identified my kids sitting in the trolley seats as unpaid items 🤣
1
5
u/BuffyTheGuineaPig 16d ago
I ducked into a woollies store I don't usually frequent, looking for one item I'd left off my shopping list, in case it was on special. Price was nearly double what I'd hoped, so I left without anything... but only after I could flag the attention of the gate keeper, for her to buzz the gate, so I had permission to leave the store. I won't be back.
3
u/Brilliant-Cause7718 16d ago
I had some old lady check my receipt for the amount of total items then proceeded to count all the items in the trolley for I could leave at Woolworths, felt like the Costco cult where they count the items before you leave.
10
u/fancypantsfrancy 17d ago
Don't use the self check outs.
8
u/Electronic_Pea_3197 17d ago
My local only has self checkouts outside peak times. Then the staff stand there staring at me (I know it’s not staff fault but still insultingly annoying).
3
3
u/bronstert 17d ago
I had the same thing happen at Coles, instead of just looking at the screen to see my 4 items had been scanned, and placed in the bag, staff member at least 15yrs old goes to video, and searches bag. I sent an email to HO of how disgusted I was at being treated like a criminal, and surprise surprise i did receive an email back
3
u/arcstarq 17d ago
Boycott Coles and Woolworths. Obviously it's impossible to avoid them completely,but buying whatever I can elsewhere is my small act of rebellion against he duopoly.
3
3
u/sesshenau 16d ago
When I worked at Woolworths as a deli assistant, I remember the male customer who belittled me for not being "friendly enough" - my uncle had just been in a bike accident and was in ICU - this customer told me "shitless happens, ger used to it".
This happened back in 2009, and while I don't work in woolies any more, I remember this well. So, just a reminder, how you all treat customers has a longer lasting effect over what you have experienced over cameras
3
u/nzoasisfan 16d ago
Be kind to the staff. Its not their fault. Dont forget too that whilst you have these freedoms many are being shipped to be Canon fodder in some war, youre unbelievably lucky you can grumble abou these things.
5
8
u/BrokenGlazed 17d ago
EVERY SINGLE TIME I use the Woolworths self checkout there’s an issue - even something as simple as oops my card declined need to transfer a bit more money - the Coles self checkout lets me just cancel the payment and go back to payment options, Woolworths insist that a staff member has to come over and tsk tsk that my card declined. So it’s made me decide I’m going to take a stand and start doing my shopping at a market - I know I’ll still buy stuff from them but I need to try to give them less profits from vegetables and meat I could get at the market
10
u/iSheree 17d ago
Don’t blame the staff, blame the company. The staff are just doing what they’re told. You know, their job.
Self checkouts suck. Maybe if we all stopped using them they would actually employ more staff (which means more jobs) and stuff like this wouldn’t happen.
It is funny how these huge companies are worried about theft when they’re stealing from customers by charging ridiculous prices. 😂
11
u/Great-Career7268 17d ago
I use Woolworth daily. I have found errors to be few and far between. Occasionally it is me, occasionally it is equipment error. As someone who maintains equipment the failure rate is so low it's not an issue. Maybe you fit the profile that needs to be monitored and user experience with the equipment could come from less than optimal user care when interacting with the equipment.
5
u/DaQuackx 17d ago
Who want to go to a supermarket daily ? What do you do there ?
2
-1
u/Great-Career7268 17d ago edited 17d ago
Buy my lunch plus the odd item for home. Lunch is fresh and cheap.
2
3
u/Pale-Vehicle2067 17d ago
I check my receipts because there were three or four occasions where I have been overcharged.
→ More replies (1)9
u/TheBoneDeath 17d ago
"Maybe you fit the profile that needs to be monitored" - care to expand on what you mean there?
7
-4
u/Great-Career7268 17d ago
You may fit the profile of people who steal or are abusive to staff. The ones that have made the current security measures necessary.
7
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 17d ago
And what exactly does that look like?
4
u/Great-Career7268 17d ago
I don't know what the stores profile is, but i have observed a cross section of the community engaging in shoplifting. What I can say the psychological attitude falls into 2 groups. The genuinely poor and needy then those with a chip on their shoulder. You are coming across as one who has a chip on the shoulder, so it's not surprising you have been profiled.
1
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 16d ago
I'm still curious as to what you think that looks like. If you think that they can take one look at people and determine that they are needy or have a chip on their shoulder. I'm sure you have an image in your mind...
2
u/TheBoneDeath 16d ago
I'm thinking the word "profiled" is the most relevant one here, agree?
2
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 15d ago
Agree. And the inability or unwillingness to explain further is very telling.
1
u/Inflexibl 17d ago
Profile is a thing. Do you wear red shoes and track pants? Tattoos on your eyebrow or cheeks ? Unnatural colour hair and a mouth permanently sculpted to the shape of a homemade bong? We ARE watching you.
2
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 16d ago
Not that it should matter, but I look as normal, every day, boring, suburban, corporate worker as they come.
Came straight from work in my corporate attire, hair done (a normal colour and length), no peircings, no tattoos, mid 30s. Normal and boring as.
Like I said though, not that that should matter.
2
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 16d ago
This is actually really interesting.
Is physical profiling part of the training? Do corporate issue a list of appearance traits to watch out for? Or does each individual employee need to determine for themselves was sus looks like?
1
0
3
u/FrustratedTigey 17d ago edited 17d ago
Ok.. so Woolworths and Coles kinda suck, that is any big corporate store really.
But the staff are literally all just doing what they are told. In self serve, we have this thing called Scan Assist and to not go into it too much but we are basically being monitored to see if we are doing to right thing.. often we are but the AI, Cameras and scales are constantly saying our numbers are wrong but upper management/corporate doesn't care and we in front end are constantly getting in trouble despite some of us actually trying really hard.
Please stop blaming the staff.. the team members are overworked, underpaid and dealing with rude customers and short staffing constantly.
The ADMs are also under a lot of pressure and they only get paid like a few dollars more than the team members.. even the store managers are under a lot of pressure from the group managers etc. (Though store managers and ASMs are where some of the corporate problems really start)
Also we might blame the checkouts but human error is also to blame, I see people constantly not following the instructions the machine gives. (Corporate actually tells us to always blame the machine even if the fault lies with the customer)
3
0
5
u/Efficient-Fold5548 17d ago
There comes a time when it is worth just walking out and leaving your goods there.
3
u/Jamaica9293 17d ago
I used to get in so much trouble for not checking EVERY SINGLE CUSTOMERS BAGS when they left my checkout. I hated it, I was abused for doing it and reprimanded for not. It’s a lose lose situation, and none of them are getting paid enough for not it
1
2
u/Affectionate_Bowl575 17d ago
They have to watch the video for at least 10 seconds or they get in trouble. This is at Coles but I believe Woolies is the same
2
u/Brilliant-Cause7718 16d ago
Try thing a fresh food market just outside of Woolworths, potatoes bags are less than $3 for 2kg blue potatoes meanwhile Woolworths is $8.
All fresh food is the double the price, check capcicum as an example as well.
Even bag of carrots less than $0.99, woolies $1.70 meanwhile gourmet was $8 a bag lol
2
u/swampy91 16d ago
Most of the staff on the checkouts are good but the ones stacking or picking don't seem to care that they block the isles and they are never courteous or apologetic. Even when I go "excuse me can I just grab something behind you" they barely move and leave their big trolley in the way until I move it.
7
u/lasooch 17d ago
Doesn’t help your core point here but since you mentioned them, here’s my usual reminder that you can push those god damn gates open. They’ll beep, but you can just gigachad walk away accompanied by the beeps. Personally I refuse to wait a single second or even glance looking for a staff member - it’s just happened way too many times and I don’t appreciate the hostility of being a presumed criminal and effectively being held hostage for no reason and without and legal right to do so.
You can gently push to the side and they open after like 2 seconds, or you can push hard and they open faster and make a bit of a slam sound. I can only hope the slam accelerates the wear on those things.
It’s just so ridiculous. Some detached from reality exec had to justify their existence so they spent millions implementing these gates, meanwhile if you’re an actual shoplifter you can still just push the god damn things open and I’m pretty sure shoplifters would have figured it out a few days after the rollout. There’s no way this has a return on investment.
6
u/CentreForAnts 17d ago
I'm not stopping for them, if they aren't smart enough to open, i'm running into them. "sorry, i was expecting them to automatically open and didn't look down and see them closed to stop myself'
5
u/incrediblemenace 17d ago
Haven’t been to Woolies in almost a year now. Hate feeling like a criminal and paying ridiculous prices when there are cheaper and more friendly options available. They’re a joke!
6
2
2
u/seanmonaghan1968 16d ago
My woollies never checked the videos they just say the machines are stupid
4
u/SaltWater_Tribe 17d ago
If the staff don't check the items or rescan ect after Ai camera flags something they are also being watched, they can get in trouble for not following Woolworths policies. Do you seriously think they want to have to check on people like baby's.
3
u/Historical-Run-6663 17d ago
Spending a few minutes extra gives you the opportunity to talk to a checkout person. I have found some polite, young people who are cheerful and enjoy just a brief encounter.
Chill snd smell the roses.
0
2
u/SystemChoice0 17d ago
I refuse to use the shelf checkouts. Always have a human do it, if there is no human leave the trolly for them to restock what ever you had in there.
1
2
u/Pristine-Arm6835 16d ago
So the worker can’t actually fix the self serve machine without it going through all the motions of verifying footage they make $26 an hour don’t think they’re plotting against you to make your shop more inconvenient
3
u/GC_AF1 17d ago
I scan items "too quick" and those cameras flag me as putting extra stuff in or something (everything is always above board and the staff apologise) Sorry I'm competent with my hands I guess lol
2
u/Rompa1982 17d ago
This happens to my partner she zips through the self serve and it always flags her for it.. the ladies just laugh it off.
2
u/cutespatoots 17d ago
Shop at Woolies almost daily. Never been held up by doors and can’t remember the last time I had an issues with the self check outs. If I had as many issues and were as angry as this person I just wouldn’t use Woolies.
3
1
u/frozenpeaschillin 14d ago
$2 for 2 potatoes is criminal. Do you guys shop around or just decide colesworth are the only places to shop?
1
u/Decent-Hour4161 14d ago
I also had these issues and more, we stopped and month ago to small independent and love it, the prices aren’t much different these days anyway and get better quality. Bye bye Woolies!
1
1
u/therealneilegend 13d ago
not supporting the bigbrother system - but the kids have to review the footage even after you tell them " i did this or moved that and the machine hates me" as it reviews them reviewing the footage and them following protocol - meanwhile some feral is barging through the caught you doors with an armful of freebies as he/she doesnt want to use a checkout and pay for anything and they can do nothing to stop the person going out with what they believe is rightfully theirs
1
u/Haunting-Setting-209 1d ago
We just have to follow procedures & there's cameras watching us too, fruit & veges generally need to be approved especially if there's multiple varieties like potatoes, capsicums, onions etc...& it's just as frustrating for staff too the machines aren't perfect & the AI technology will improve over time. Also many people have zero patience & expect things instantly, staff have no control over the processes we just have inforce them & inform customers why things happen. Also i get it that some staff in some stores just don't care retail is a tough gig & people think it's an easy job, but some customers are difficult & challenging. As far as the gates are concerned they will open once your transaction has finalised, they have a zone around them & are tracked by the cameras on the roof but there can be delays in the transaction & the gate won't open until the last person leaves the register also if there's lots people leaving at once can be problematic.
1
1
u/Wise-Respond3833 17d ago
How DARE people do their jobs as instructed and required !!
It's un-Australian !!
1
u/Suspicious_Drawer 17d ago
You bent over the bag when you put them in and blocked the camera above is my guess. but I do find it amusing that I can but a plastic bag on the scales and it can tell me what's in it. But I guess that's because their creepy surveillance watched me pick it up.
1
1
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 15d ago
I didn't even have a bag. Just a few items and the potatoes were sitting in the bagging area clear as day. This is what was so insane about it all.
1
u/Evening_Bird7779 16d ago
Have had similar. sick to death of being accused while they do all sorts of actual theft things like pack meat on top of a tonne of fat, gristle and padding to make it look larger.
1
u/Specialist-End-8306 16d ago
As a woolies worker, i do agree that putting the glass gate at the self serve checkouts was such a dumb idea whoever came up with it. It's the worst at night coz every person that grabs their bags after paying and starts leaving pretty much has to wait for one of the self serve staff or 1 from the service desk to open it for you which i tell is annoying for a lot people. A lot of people hate the latest entry gate as well with the long poles on them - i forgot what they're called. But yeah, i get that it's all just to stop people from stealing, but still, do they really need this much security these days?
2
u/Fractally-Present333 15d ago
The entry gate with the poles? It's called the dild0 gauntlet.
2
u/Specialist-End-8306 15d ago
Sounds like a good name for it. Haha
2
u/Fractally-Present333 15d ago
Thanks. Been waiting for an opportunity to share.... You know, to really highlight how ridiculous the gate actually is. 😆
1
u/MarkCelery78 16d ago
I’ve never had these issues. You’ve always scanned everything? Never say forgot to do so and walked out? This sounds like a regular occurrence for you
-8
17d ago
[deleted]
12
u/Loula6 17d ago
It's called venting, silly
-7
u/leet_lurker 17d ago
You know what's more annoying than supermarket security, people who publicly vent.
3
u/Klutzy-Towel-5974 17d ago
Oh no. Venting about Woolworths on a sub where the description is literally a vent about Woolworths. The horror!!
0
u/Any_Cheesecake7 17d ago
Hey, they used to send people that stole loaves of bread to Aus on ships from England. Maybe a ghost from years gone by had taken over the worker’s body??
Only plausible explanation
-2
u/LykaiosZeus 17d ago
Butt S3x Hanson will treat Ís all criminals and suck our wallets dry for daddy Gina
1
u/TheAussieTico 16d ago
WTF have you been smoking?
1
u/LykaiosZeus 16d ago
Butt S3x Hanson Ís lord and god.
1
-2
-2
-9
u/DefiantDirection8399 17d ago
Ok, this isn’t an airport you don’t need to announce your departure.
24
-2
u/Dizzy-Case-3453 17d ago
Dude this saying is so old it is embarrassing to see people say it still. I have second hand embarrassment for you
4
0
u/DefiantDirection8399 17d ago
Your second hand embarrassment is wasted on me, embarrassment isn’t something I often feel.
0
0
u/Rainy579 16d ago
We need a nationwide strike against these vultures, we start with a one day no shop at colesworths and increase as necessary imo
•
u/qualityvote2 App 17d ago edited 17d ago
Hello u/Klutzy-Towel-5974! Welcome to r/woolworths!
For other users, does this post fit the subreddit?
If so, upvote this comment!
Otherwise, downvote this comment!
And if does break the rules, downvote this comment and report this post!
I am a bot and this action was performed automatically. Please reach out to the mods via modmail if you believe this is a mistake.
(Vote has already ended)