First Hand Experience
I decided to begin my Aldi shopping queue research by
experiencing the queuing process first hand.
After selecting my items I joined the back of a rather long queue for the only checkout line available. With four other customers in front of me, three of which who had a rather lot of items they wished to purchase, I felt that I was in for a long wait. Fortunately the cashier recognised that the queue was building up and rang the buzzer to inform other members of his team working around the store that he required another cashier at the purchase area. He then informed the queue that cashier one would be opening up. A number of customers who had not unloaded their trolleys or baskets, myself included, made our way to the soon to be opening checkout. This increased my hopes for a quicker checkout process. Knowing that the cashier recognised and implemented a solution to the growing queue made for a more pleasurable experience.
After selecting my items I joined the back of a rather long queue for the only checkout line available. With four other customers in front of me, three of which who had a rather lot of items they wished to purchase, I felt that I was in for a long wait. Fortunately the cashier recognised that the queue was building up and rang the buzzer to inform other members of his team working around the store that he required another cashier at the purchase area. He then informed the queue that cashier one would be opening up. A number of customers who had not unloaded their trolleys or baskets, myself included, made our way to the soon to be opening checkout. This increased my hopes for a quicker checkout process. Knowing that the cashier recognised and implemented a solution to the growing queue made for a more pleasurable experience.
The bagging area was very shallow, forcing me to pack my
items as quickly as I could. I felt
uncomfortable, as though the patience of the queue and those waiting in it
rested entirely on the speed at which I could pack. Because I was packing quickly, I could not
fit all of my items into the bag the first time around, so I was left with most
of my items in the bag and some tucked under my arm. I moved over to the side where I unpacked the
bag and then packed it again, utilising the bag space, enabling me to put all
of my items into the bag.
What Worked?
Although a little primitive in its execution, the method of
one cashier calling for backup is an effective technique Aldi employs to
increase the speed of which customers can move through the checkout process.
Problem Areas
I noticed that the cashier, and in turn, the queue, ceased
to move while the customer being served finished packing their shopping into
the bags they would use to transport their goods home. This is due to the fact that the bagging area
available for scanned items is very small.
The customer has to pack their shopping almost as quickly as the cashier
scans the items. This can prove very
difficult for elderly customers or customers who suffer from disabilities such
as arthritis for example.
If the bagging area becomes too crowded with items then the cashier has to cease scanning items and in turn holds up the queuing customers further.
There is a small period of time where the cashier has no duties to perform in-between when the last item is scanned and payment process. This occurs because the customer is still packing their shopping and then has to locate their cash or credit card for payment. This holds up the entire queuing process, which over the course of a day could potentially mount up to a significant amount of time, creating additional potential for a customer to become agitated.
If the bagging area becomes too crowded with items then the cashier has to cease scanning items and in turn holds up the queuing customers further.
There is a small period of time where the cashier has no duties to perform in-between when the last item is scanned and payment process. This occurs because the customer is still packing their shopping and then has to locate their cash or credit card for payment. This holds up the entire queuing process, which over the course of a day could potentially mount up to a significant amount of time, creating additional potential for a customer to become agitated.
Observations
The majority of customers were shopping alone, with the
exception of a mother and daughter during the lunch period, and a few
male/female couple in the afternoon.
There was very little, if any interaction between individuals in the
queue. Some customers said thank you to
other customers when they placed the 'next customer please' marker down on the
conveyor belt. Interaction with the
cashier was also very minimal, even the courteous 'hello' and 'how are you?'
phrases sometimes went ignored or unnoticed.
Customers
Time: 1300-1330
Location: Aldi - Catford, Lewisham
Customer age: 30-60 years of age
Gender: Mixed, predominantly female
Class: Working, unemployed
Ethnicity: Mixed
Customers: Individuals, Mother and daughter
Customer age: 30-60 years of age
Gender: Mixed, predominantly female
Class: Working, unemployed
Ethnicity: Mixed
Customers: Individuals, Mother and daughter
Time: 1800-1830
Location: Aldi - Catford, Lewisham
Customer age: 25-40 years of age
Gender: Mixed
Class: Working, unemployed
Ethnicity: Mixed
Customers: Individuals, couples
Location: Aldi - Catford, Lewisham
Customer age: 25-40 years of age
Gender: Mixed
Class: Working, unemployed
Ethnicity: Mixed
Customers: Individuals, couples
