Aldi customers slam new self-serve checkouts for being loud

Customers have slammed a key detail about Aldi’s recently expanded self-serve checkout service, which was first trialled in June 2021.

Customers of a German supermarket chain are complaining about the noise level from new self-serve checkouts.

Aldi first began trialling self-serve checkouts in June 2021 after previously stating it had “no plans” to bring the option to its Australian supermarkets.

But in a Reddit thread, customers have begun to complain that the new checkouts are too loud.

One social media user complained: “I love self checkouts, but the Aldi ones are LOUD, and I don’t need to immediately be told to bag every. f**king. item.

“If they don’t offer a volume control, I’m going back to real-human checkouts.”

Customers have complained the checkouts are too loud. Picture: Reddit

“Can confirm. They’re loud,” another person said.

“And they have an annoying sequencing difference whereby you have to press the ‘I have my own bags’ BEFORE you put your bag in the bagging area.

“If you put it before pressing the button, it gets really offended.”

One person added: “They’re loud, and they give you no time to act before they bark out the instruction.

“That said there’s never any queue to use them. I discovered the other day that you can’t use the self serve to buy alcohol, which is a bit lame.”

The supermarket is also offering shoppers baskets as part of the trial after previously only having coin-operated trolleys available.

When introduced at the Parramatta store, in Western Sydney, one shopper said: “They should be called ‘self ridiculous service’.”

People have said the check-outs are too loud. Picture: Benedict Brook/news.com.au.

However, the checkout choice is currently under fire from frustrated shoppers who feel retailers are making them do work paid employees previously performed.

One woman went viral after an experience in Kmart where she served herself and then was forced to participate in a receipt check at the exit.

She argued retailers should either trust customers to be honest at the self checkout or reinstate staffed checkouts.

“You can either trust me to do self checkout, or you can put your cashiers back in place like it used to be. I’m not interested in proving that I did your job for you,” she wrote.

“You want me to be a cashier with no training then that’s your problem not mine. Don’t audit me for a position you refuse to employ any longer.”

In less than 24 hours, her post had attracted comments from thousands of people, many agreeing with the original poster.