Problems in Supermarkets in Germany

[snowingagain]

Since we are on the topic...

One thing that annoys me at the supermarket here in Germany is that it is by expected customers do not by default pay by card but rather by bargeld. Unless I specifically inform the cashier that I intend to pay by card (well, phone), the card reader is not engaged.
Why??????

I agree this is now changing, but until no long ago when I told them they reacted almost surprised.

Not sure I can grasp this. The time saved (10 seconds?) seems kind of minor compared to the time of the whole shopping thing. Writing the list, getting to the shop, the actual shopping, the actual queuing at the till. Packing the shopping. Getting the trolley back. Getting home. I could go on. But?

[Franklan]

Unless I specifically inform the cashier that I intend to pay by card (well, phone), the card reader is not engaged.
Why??????

Imagine someone withdrawing money from your phone without your authorization. You would call that theft, wouldn't you?

That's why the withdrawal function of the checkout is only activated after you requested it and thus have given your consent for this transaction.

[snowingagain]

Tbh I hate the no PIN needed thing. 2 of my children lost bankcards and had stuff bought at their expense, not a lot but annoying. And banks are keen to raise the amount you can spend this way. In the UK, you can actually opt out of this feature at your bank, ie PIN always needed. I think for the more scatterbrained among us, having to use it everytime is helpful....

[Fraufruit]

I've never noticed the cashiers expecting cash as most pay with card and it is always faster than cash. I'm one of the few cash people left but I pack my things before I pay. Always have. Nobody seems to mind. Except when my change purse doesn't close properly and all of my coins go rolling around. They all laugh WITH me, I'm sure.

[LeonG]

My point is that any cashier will be doing their best to serve you correctly, and to not get in trouble, so it would be very much appreciated if you don´t make their work even more difficult!!!

I actually like to go through as fast as possible because if everybody does, it also cuts down on the time I have to wait in line.

One thing that annoys me at the supermarket here in Germany is that it is by expected customers do not by default pay by card but rather by bargeld. Unless I specifically inform the cashier that I intend to pay by card (well, phone), the card reader is not engaged.
Why??????

Why would they engage the card reader if they don't know you are going to pay with a card? If they did and then you pull out cash, they probably have to do some backflips on the cash register which also takes time, especially if they end up needing to call a manager.

[LeonG]

I've never noticed the cashiers expecting cash as most pay with card and it is always faster than cash. I'm one of the few cash people left but I pack my things before I pay. Always have. Nobody seems to mind. Except when my change purse doesn't close properly and all of my coins go rolling around. They all laugh WITH me, I'm sure.

I would guess it's about 50/50 where I shop but mostly older people in my neighbourhood.

[Fraufruit]

Side note - why is everyone in such a manic hurry?? That drives me crazy. I see retired people like me rushing around like crazy and trying to carve 20 seconds off of everything. I let rushing people go in front of me almost every time I shop. Not just the ones with a couple of items. The ones that have their cart up my ass.

[Alberto]

Unless I specifically inform the cashier that I intend to pay by card (well, phone), the card reader is not engaged.
Why??????

Imagine someone withdrawing money from your phone without your authorization. You would call that theft, wouldn't you?

That's why the withdrawal function of the checkout is only activated after you requested it and thus have given your consent for this transaction.

I more or less expected this reply.
In the UK they don't need to engage the card reader, it just works straight, no need to request it. And no theft from my card either.

[Franklan]

Unless I specifically inform the cashier that I intend to pay by card (well, phone), the card reader is not engaged.
Why??????

Imagine someone withdrawing money from your phone without your authorization. You would call that theft, wouldn't you?

That's why the withdrawal function of the checkout is only activated after you requested it and thus have given your consent for this transaction.

I more or less expected this reply.
In the UK they don't need to engage the card reader, it just works straight, no need to request it. And no theft from my card either.

And this means what?

[Fraufruit]

I'm going to guess that "engaging the card reader" takes about 1/10 of a second. Don't they just push a button? It's not like they have to dig it out from under something and plug it in and boot it up.

[LeonG]

Side note - why is everyone in such a manic hurry?? That drives me crazy. I see retired people like me rushing around like crazy and trying to carve 20 seconds off of everything. I let rushing people go in front of me almost every time I shop. Not just the ones with a couple of items. The ones that have their cart up my ass.

Retired people are the worst. They are the ones that will shove you into the discount bin in a heart beat if they think it will get them through faster. Where I live, they are hurrying on home to sit on their balcony and spy on the neighbours. Not talking about us, of course. I don't even have a balcony

[Fraufruit]

I hurry home so I can sit on my PC another 4 hours.

[kiplette]

However the time taken to scan and weigh all my items is the same regardless of where they are placed on the conveyor. Either the cashier weighs all my fruit and veg at the end, or they weigh my fruit and vet in between scanning other items. The bottleneck isn't the cashier's scanning speed; it's the speed of the scales.

This is true - they can't all be processed at the same time, so I don't think it is necessarily harder/less efficient for the cashier but it does mean the extra time to load the shopping is spread out throughout the goods.

I am a fan of the self-checkout, although I guess that's not cashier friendly either since it is an active replacement of those jobs.

[Alberto]

I am a fan of the self-checkout, although I guess that's not cashier friendly either since it is an active replacement of those jobs.

Technology replacing workers that are then left without work is an economic myth that died very long time ago.

[Alberto]

Some more on the DE UK supermarket comparison.....

I like here that half-price offers are rare.
In the UK instead they are very common. Not sure how many shoppers think "it's good to pay half", but I rather think "they charge me TWICE for most products, those not formally on offer".

[Fraufruit]

Technology replacing workers that are then left without work is an economic myth that died very long time ago.

Tell that to my translator friends who are being replaced by AI right now.

[Alberto]

Technology replacing workers that are then left without work is an economic myth that died very long time ago.

Tell that to my translator friends who are being replaced by AI right now.

Sorry to your friends
But unfortunately it is not how it works.

Some time ago 90% of the workforce was in agriculture. Otherwise we would not have lived. Eventually technology came along and nowadays much less than 1% works in agriculture. Does this mean the different, so over 89% of the workforce, is now out of work? No. As much as technology made some jobs vanished, it created more.
Not saying this is not a tragedy for those, perhaps like your mate, that invested training effort time passion whtaver in building their career.
They will "just" have to do something else. I agree this is possibly not easy, a tragedy to many involved.
But saying they will be left out of work for long, is just not true.

Sympathy to your friend.

[Fraufruit]

"AI could replace significant portions of jobs, with estimates suggesting 30% of current U.S. jobs could be automated by 2030.

The automation of mid-skill tasks is eroding the stability of middle-class careers that provided predictable income and benefits.

Clerical support workers, where women are over-represented, face higher exposure to generative AI, potentially impacting their employment more severely."

The above brought to you by google AI.

[Franklan]

They will "just" have to do something else.

We do have handicapped people in Germany, mentally handicapped.

They once were integrated in the German labor market, for example, the guy who worked in a supermarket at the Pfandflaschen-counter, or the lady who pushed the shopping cards back in place after people were finished shopping.

Every supermarket had those people...

All those people cannot be integrated anymore, because there are no more jobs for them.

It is true that technical advance kills jobs, and it is a tragedy for those people.

But saying they will be left out of work for long, is just not true.

I do not share that opinion, and what I see looking around me is also different.

[Alberto]

All those people cannot be integrated anymore, because there are no more jobs for them.

I have the opposite opinion