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Jonboy
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Never seen or heard of that in our local store of the same name. The employees all seem to enjoy being there and there certainly isn't  a 'get it down the chute faster attitude', in fact if you look like your having trouble they will help at your pace.

 

As an employer, Having such a policy and it being visible,  breaks so many employment laws it would take too long to quote them

 

I'll call that as b*llshit 

 

 

Crispy

 

Certainly was the case at one time for check out assistants working for some of the larger supermarkets, others se the benefit of chatting to their customers making a friendly atmosphere. Think thought are a bit different now.

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This is my favourite thread on RMWeb, just when you think it couldn't get any better it does! :jester:  I think we should take some inspiration from SLW and their Type 24 poll and vote where we want the thread to go next, my proposed options are:

 

A) Why the youth of today aren't as good as my generation and why I hate people wot are more cleverer than I am

 

B) Why those two poor Russian souls were poisoned by the illuminate and the Vatican to stop them telling the world that Sadam Hussein is alive and well and living in a convent in Argentina with Adolf Hitler and Elvis

 

C) Why anybody with more money than me is a complete (insert expletive of choice here)

 

D) Cornwall should vote for independence and then join a political union with Vanuatu

 

Vote now and then we can talk about the subject of choice before altering course again tomorrow.

Edited by jjb1970
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I wanted a tin foil hat but couldn't get one as the local Maplin had closed!

Edited by ian
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D) Cornwall should vote for independence and then join a political union with Vanuatu

 

 

Rather than Vanuatu (which I'm sure is a lovely place) I hope Cornwall will seek to re-join the EU.

 

...R

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Hang on, I'll just straighten me tin foil hat out...ah...that's better. Now what was I saying?

 

Rather than a moulded tin foil hat I would have thought that the calibre of people who take part in this sort of topic would be into printed titanium by now.

Bernard

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Never seen or heard of that in our local store of the same name. The employees all seem to enjoy being there and there certainly isn't a 'get it down the chute faster attitude', in fact if you look like your having trouble they will help at your pace.

 

As an employer, Having such a policy and it being visible, breaks so many employment laws it would take too long to quote them

 

I'll call that as b*llshit

 

A quick Google shows that some retailers do 'encourage' Checkout staff to scan as fast as possible, and some report being 'let go' for being too slow. Indeed there is an entire Facebook page/site dedicated to overly speedy checkout assistants at Aldi. It is a thing. Edited by ruggedpeak
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Rather than a moulded tin foil hat I would have thought that the calibre of people who take part in this sort of topic would be into printed titanium by now.

Bernard

 

Nay nay and thrice nay, the illuminati microwaves can penetrate titanium and Fox corporation have scanning devices for which titanium is completely transparent. No, you need tin foil.

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A quick Google shows that some retailers do 'encourage' Checkout staff to scan as fast as possible, and some report being 'let go' for being too slow. Indeed there is an entire Facebook page/site dedicated to overly speedy checkout assistants at Aldi. It is a thing.

 

 

I think you find there is a balance which is needed, the average consumer dislikes waiting in a queue and expects to be served instantly, where as the shops try to match numbers of staff to expected customer flow, which in practice means at peak moments there will be queing. There are also some customers who like to have a chat whilst making their purchases (may be the only person they see all day). During slack periods this normally is not a problem, but when the shop is full all the tills being used it can be quite frustrating if the cashier slows down to have a good chat.

 

The other factor is not just cashiers are monitored on their efficiency so are the other staff and managers within the company. With the cost of employing people escalating the time and motion folk are having a field day. This is true in all industries, employees are expected to do more and more as time goes by. 

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The other factor is not just cashiers are monitored on their efficiency so are the other staff and managers within the company. With the cost of employing people escalating the time and motion folk are having a field day. This is true in all industries, employees are expected to do more and more as time goes by.

 

Previously, an employer would cut the cost of staff wages by not employing that person at all. Now they're chasing smaller cuts by paying someone for what they do, instead of what they know- this will soon affect me because suppose myself and four other empowered multi-role manufacturing employees fix things 20% of the time, they'll remove that flexibility and employ one person at a higher maintenance rate and four others at a lower operators rate.

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Along with "Name and Shame"  the institutional Americanism  the  "Six Monthly Performance Appraisal System" is another example of poor management  by which managers inflict their ill-informed  attitudes opinions  and prejudices upon their "hires".

 

The revealing   Red Bead  Experiment video was shown to a group of managers  of  one long defunct  major computer company where I drew an impressive salary for 10 years,  of  the junior management audience,  few were unable to hide  their emotions  when the error of their thinking was exposed  .

 

https://deming.org/explore/red-bead-experiment

Edited by Pandora
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A quick Google shows that some retailers do 'encourage' Checkout staff to scan as fast as possible, and some report being 'let go' for being too slow. Indeed there is an entire Facebook page/site dedicated to overly speedy checkout assistants at Aldi. It is a thing.

 

True.  Many have a minimum "items per minute" scan rate (which can vary in different stores even when the same company). At Sainsburys Stevenage it is (was?) 16 items per minute (maybe 18?  Can't remember now).  All monitored by big brother, and it's a trip to the manager if you're not up to speed.  So poor checkout girl keeps the speed up to avoid a b*ll*cking; little old lady can't keep up with the packing so complains to customer service.  Checkout girl gets a b*ll*cking from manager.  Too many and you're out.....

 

Source:  A friend and ex-Sainsbury's Stevenage employee  (though not "ex" due to till work....)

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Rather than Vanuatu (which I'm sure is a lovely place) I hope Cornwall will seek to re-join the EU.

 

...R

My contribution to keeping this thread off topic:

From what I understand Cornwall was

one area where the majority voted to leave.

Then when it was too late they remembered

all the EU grants and subsidies they'd been getting.

 

Brian (a Cornish exile)

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England was another place. Why not use the Irish referendum system "If the people vote the wrong way, have another referendum so that they can get the right answer next time"

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-eighth_Amendment_of_the_Constitution_of_Ireland

Edited by Colin_McLeod
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Going back to the subject of Maplins, has anyone been in any of the stores recently and if so do they have much stock left? I need to go to Lakeside at Thurrock tomorrow and I believe there is a Maplins store there so thought I might pop in and see if there are any bargins to be had.

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Going back to the subject of Maplins, has anyone been in any of the stores recently and if so do they have much stock left? I need to go to Lakeside at Thurrock tomorrow and I believe there is a Maplins store there so thought I might pop in and see if there are any bargins to be had.

 

Lakeside? Are you up to date on your jabs? ;)

 

A bit of a tangent, but related to how staff are treated - we had a meal in TGI Friday's yesterday. There appeared to be a meeting between presumably a mananager and another member of staff at a nearby table. The staff member was in tears for a lot of the meeting - all on show to the punters. We have sent a complaint to their head office as that's NOT acceptable.

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Going back to the subject of Maplins, has anyone been in any of the stores recently and if so do they have much stock left? I need to go to Lakeside at Thurrock tomorrow and I believe there is a Maplins store there so thought I might pop in and see if there are any bargins to be had.

Have a look on the web site, it still is showing stock levels if you put in Grays (for Lakeside) which seem to up to date as my local store has sold out now of an item at far too much ££ for me to be bothered going in (had 3 a week back)
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Going back to the subject of Maplins, has anyone been in any of the stores recently and if so do they have much stock left? I need to go to Lakeside at Thurrock tomorrow and I believe there is a Maplins store there so thought I might pop in and see if there are any bargins to be had.

 

Birmingham's small component stock is getting a bit low but most other items seem in plentiful supply especially those with only 20% off (no extra discounting since last week.)

It doesn't seem to be shifting as quick as the stock when the original Modelzone went.

 

Keith

Edited by melmerby
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Have a look on the web site, it still is showing stock levels if you put in Grays (for Lakeside) which seem to up to date as my local store has sold out now of an item at far too much ££ for me to be bothered going in (had 3 a week back)

The stock level computer is reasonably accurate for Maplin Lakeside where I purchased their  entire stock of Arduinoi Mega ADK boards for £21 each,  It may have been Lakeside which had a collection box for customers to donate towards  the staff break-up meal. Staff seem to b e keeping a positive attitude to their situation, ( it is not their fault after all)

Edited by Pandora
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The stock level computer is reasonably accurate for Maplin Lakeside where I purchased their  entire stock of Arduinoi Mega ADK boards for £21 each,

I cannot remember ever seeing those in Birmingham! In fact the Arduino stuff has always been very poor, stock wise. It is not a particularly large store for a city centre.

 

There are just 22 ADKs left scattered around the stores now @ £17.99 ea.

 

Keith

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