And yeah COVID-19, you are featured too!
Our nation’s largest supermarket (ever been to The Netherlands? The blue one) has implemented a “loyalty” card years ago. For some while, it was required to disclose your full personal data but pressured by data-protection laws they now also offer an ‘anonymous’ card (that still has a unique number).
Promotion and adaptation of this card were done simple and smart; you receive nice discounts after letting them scan your card.
In recent years they started to implement ‘self-scanning’, where you could take out a scanning device after letting them scan your card. More recently devices have been placed where you can simply scan the contents of your basket in one go (respect to the cashiers, some products are a b*ch to scan!)
I’ve always opted not to use either their card or scanning tech. I’d like to keep my data to myself and I hate seeing jobs like cashiers being robotized.
Due to COVID-19 though (there you are!) only half of the checkout lanes are open. Of which less than half accept cash.
The line accepting cash is filled with shady shoppers that need to get rid of their untaxed money, which seems to be a problem since COVID-19 (last time, promised!)
The other line is just as full. Often filled with (painfully slow) elderly people who aren’t able to use the self-scanning technology.
Normally when you would use a regular checkout line the cashier would offer you to use her “loyalty” card so you would still be entitled to the discount.
Everybody who knows me, knows I have no patience.
So more and more I shamefully find myself paying my groceries at those self-scanning devices.
I’m doing my utter best to avoid them, however, I do often seem to end up with one of their ‘special deals’.
During checkout, I have to scan my “loyalty” card to be eligible for that deal. I have no card, so are forced to pay full price.
So for not giving away my data, I am being charged higher prices than customers that do? Or is this simply the price I have to pay for my lack of patience?
There is one single employee in the area (let’s call it the self-checkout-area) that contains the checkout devices. She’s there to help people operate the machines, do random checks if you did your scanning properly/honestly, probably press the reset button when there is a BSOD plus she will greet you upon departure.
Working from home (no, C*****, not gonna mention you!) There are days she’s the only person I talk too.
Most of the self-checkout-areas can accommodate 4–6 customers. What happened to the employees that would normally service those customers?
Plus, who can tell me if, based on my payment-card info, my digital shopping profile still isn’t being created?
