Probably one of the worst branches
Sainsbury, New England Road, Brighton. This seems to have been a flagship for the self-service machines. I went yesterday and of the three staffed checkouts, not a single one was actually staffed. No option, therefore, other than to use self-service. Not my choice, and not my preference. I already had a small carrier bag from Boots, but did not want to put it on the floor in case I forget it. I placed it on the packing area. The electronic voice demanded I remove it. I put it on the box that dispenses receipts. Even so, I still did not see it or remember to take it at the end. You may say it's my own fault, but had I been allowed to place it in the packing area, I would assuredly have seen it at the end. Had I been able to use a staffed till, I would have been able to place it in the packing area, no problem. As I exited, I noticed one of the two staff approaching my machine as if she was looking at something. As soon as I realised I did not have the Boots bag, I returned to the store — only 20 minutes after 1st visit, to ask if it had been handed in. The store had not been busy, only a few checkouts had been in use, no queues. Customer Service desk was helpful but had nothing. The staff member I had seen was no longer serving in the checkout pool, but someone found her (apparently, "the one with the pierced nose") and asked her about the Boots bag. She declined to come to me and claimed she knew nothing about the bag. I am trying not to assume the worst. As a final gesture, the person I did deal with, when I expressed annoyance at being forced to use a machine rather than a staff checkout, simply put up both thumbs. A totally meaningless and unprofessional response. The usual untrained 18 year-old, minimum wage staff, with a doubtless high turnover. And a catalyst to me to do more internet supermarket shopping – with other companies.