20 years ago there were Morrisons stores (mostly Northern England) & there were Safeway stores that were scattered over the UK.
Safeway owners (US) put themselves up for sale & they were bought by Morrisons who thought that this would be a cheap way to gets sites fourther south in England & Scotland. It proved the buying price was not cheap enough & caused Morrisons headaches for some 5 years.
*** (moved to its own thread, as this particular discussion drifted away from talking about bargains from where it originated) ***
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 22 Feb 17 at 08:40
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I seem to remember a bit of a culture clash too. Safeway were fairly upmarket. Morrison's range was more basic with an emphasis on price rather than an extensive range and they upset a lot of Safeway customers who turned to other stores.
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IIRC Bobby of this place was a Safeway employee at time of takeover.
Morrisons certainly bit off more than they could chew as they hadn't got the skills in house to merge the businesses.
While larger Safeway stores were re-kitted/re-branded as Morrisons a job lot of smaller sites, including locally Towcester and Daventry, were sold to Waitrose.
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CGN>>Safeway were fairly upmarket. Morrison's range was more basic
Wow. Safeway was not upmarket at all, IME. Goodness only knows what Morrison's must have been like.
Morrisons is a dump, IMO, even today.
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>>Morrisons is a dump, IMO, even today.
De acuerdo. Been in one, once, and once was enuff.
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The best supermarket in my opinion is Morrisons.
The chain was founded in 1899 and has been a success ever since.
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>>Morrisons is a dump, IMO, even today.
>>De acuerdo. Been in one, once, and once was enuff. >>
The appalling ignorance of you and Dog is breathtaking and your comments appear clearly not to be based on fact.
All the Morrison's store I've visited over many years (covering a large part of the North West) are bright, clean and well laid out - in fact that's even more true now as the company's stores over the last six to nine months have had or having a new design and products layout.
Ironically, one of the most disappointing supermarket outlets I've been in over the past year was a large Waitrose - over inflated prices for a wide range of well known branded goods being most notable and a store layout not befitting what is considered a "superior" chain.
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>>All the Morrison's store I've visited over many years (covering a large part of the North West)
OMFG you know how to live!
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>>OMFG you know how to live!>>
More than you it would seem, especially as I don't need to use unnecessary crude acronyms to get a point across..:-)
Two things. I'm probably at least twice as old as you, so have may well have travelled around the world a lot more.
Secondly, Morrison's has excellent value for money cafes and they are worth a visit, so at my late wife's behest I would check for the nearest store if and when we were out and about in the car for the day.
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>> Ironically, one of the most disappointing supermarket outlets I've been in over the past year
>> was a large Waitrose - over inflated prices for a wide range of well known
>> branded goods being most notable
This is actually a bit of a myth. Watrose price-match all the major supermarkets on branded goods. A can of Heinz beans or packet of Walkers Crisps should cost you no more in Waitrose than in Tesco or anywhere else, and if you find it does, they will match the price. They also have the Essentials range on most canned and pre-packed items which are cheaper, but still of good quality unlike many other supermarket "value" brands which are often all but inedible. You won't get an inedible can of beans for 20p, but you will get a perfectly decent one for 30-something.
If you shop online, they also offer free delivery across all time slots if you spend over £50, unlike all the major competitors who charge up to £7 if you want a weekend or convenient evening slot.
Last edited by: DP on Wed 22 Feb 17 at 12:34
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>>Waitrose price-match all the major supermarkets on branded goods.
>> That is what i find when I compare them with Sainsburys and Tesco.
Some products are cheaper and I make savings on promotions but have to find space to store them.
Sainsburys IMO have significantly reduced the number of special prices.
I find Poundshop has the best prices on several branded products ( not funny sized packs).
e.g. Winegums £2 or £3/4 elsewhere.
They are now stocking £2, £3 £4 items.
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Well, I'm afraid I'm with the others. Rarely go in Morrison's unless desperate. It stems from a time that we investigated a newly built superstore near us, and there were price reductions on meat close to the sell-by date - it was green and rotting. I just hoped that no-one bought it thinking it was edible. Makes me shudder to think of it. I'm sure it wasn't typical, but sometimes that one experience colours your whole view.
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>>Makes me shudder to think of it. I'm sure it wasn't typical, but sometimes that one experience colours your whole view.>>
You truly surprise me. Morrisons have their own farms and produce their own meat, which is renowned in the major supermarkets world. Far superior, in fact, to Tesco or other outlets....:-)
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It was 10 years ago, so things have probably changed. As I said, it was probably a one off, but why in heaven's name would the staff even leave it on display? My parents used to swear by Morrison's, they'd make a day's outing to the same branch.
To be fair, I have within the last 3 years been in a new one with my father, and it was certainly bright with a good selection.
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...but it is fair to say that one bad experience can put you off for life, even unthinkingly... My first ever Kentucky Fried Chicken was truly awful and I have never graced their doors again, but I'm sure that, even at the time, my experience was out of line.
Likewise Skodas, or Fiats, or IBM hard drives - many people would avoid on the basis of long-superseded past experience or reputation.
Mind you, I have been to a Morry's recently and it still wouldn't be my store of choice.
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>>>> Mind you, I have been to a Morry's recently and it still wouldn't be my store of choice.
Mine neither. Only ever been in one (in Witney, but now closed). Can't say I was impressed with it at all. The Co-Op round the corner from there was cheaper and far better laid out.
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I assume the M branch Stuartlii refers to is the one behind the Travelodge and Mecca Bingo at s end of Lord St?
Were in there several times around Xmas as we stayed on Caravan (and Motorhome) Club site in Southport over the festive holiday. A good clean well stocked supermarket, I'd happily use it again rather than faff about finding the Waitrose in Formby.
We have two in Northampton. One very near centre of town on site of old cattle market, co-located with a Dunnes clothing store. Other is a former Safeway across town. Used it when it was Safeway as they sold a few things we liked and they had a supervised play area where we could leave the kids.
Hardly ever use either. Not because they're in some way bad or inferior, indeed the fish and meat is amongst best of the mainstream chains. Both are off our normal routes/territory.
A mix of Aldi and Waitrose suits us. Daventry and Towcester each have both in close proximity and are far easier to access then Northampton where peak traffic and timing of home rugger/football matches need to be taken into account. As I pass one of the town Aldi stores on way home from work it's easy to nip in for anything running short between weekly shops.
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>>I assume the M branch Stuartlii refers to is the one behind the Travelodge and Mecca Bingo at s end of Lord St?
Were in there several times around Xmas as we stayed on Caravan (and Motorhome) Club site in Southport over the festive holiday. A good clean well stocked supermarket, I'd happily use it again rather than faff about finding the Waitrose in Formby. >>
Spot on! The building, which dates back to 1874, is known as the Winter Gardens and was originally an entertainment complex comprising a theatre, opera house, aquarium, small zoo, conservatory, promenades and halls situated under the grand glass domes.
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>> Safeway owners (US) put themselves up for sale
Not quite, Safeway UK was not related in any way to Safeway US at the time, and hadn't been for some considerable time.
Morisons headache was not caused by price paid, but by very very poor integration. Of both systems, products and marketing. Safeway was also pioneering the small convenience / petrol station format, one that Morisons dumped, and an action that came back to bite them since.
The biggest problem was Ken Morrison, who assumed his Northern ways would work further south. They didn't.
Today a flagship Morrisons store in the south (say Weybridge) is subtly differently laid out, and very different product lines to one further North (say Tollerton). Only possible because they pushed Ken Morrisons influence out of the company.
I chose those two because of have good knowledge of both.
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>>Today a flagship Morrisons store in the south (say Weybridge) is subtly differently laid out,
>> and very different product lines to one further North (say Tollerton)
>>
Thanks for the details .
I have never been in a Morrisons so may pop in when I am next passing.their door.
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The image of Morrisons was as a low cost pie-selling supermarket. Something had to be done to overcome this image problem and it took time. What made Morrisons successfully wasn't necessarily going to work further south - and it proved it didn't.
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Morrisons had lost the plot IMO.
I used to shop in Safeway when I lived near one - it was quite a nice store, reasonable cafe and appeared to do brisk business. When it re-branded they just went around making everything yellow - the store looked cheap, and the offering was cheap.
Near where I now live there is a fairly affluent small town - lots of oldies with high levels of disposable income. There was a Morrisons and a Tesco - the Tesco is way to small, always busy, and Tesco had tried for years to get planning to expand the store. Last year Morrisons shut their store claiming it was running at a loss????
They entered the convenience store business too late, but the other operators were still enjoying growth so thats OK....only they still managed to bodge that up by buying a load of the ex blockbuster stores which were the wrong size and the wrong locations - I remember hearing a retail analyst saying that when he heard Morrisons had bought them he thought it was a joke. Online shopping - again too late to the party. Baby equipment - lets buy a successful online retailer and run it into the ground in under a year (Kiddicare)
I cant understand how they got it so wrong so often
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Our main Morrison's is a former Safeway store and is hugely popular. It's clean, tidy, has a remarkable range of goods and products and always has many special offers available.
Same for the Ormskirk and Preston outlets.
In 1979 the company completed the takeover of the Whelan Discount stores, then owned by JJB Sports boss David Whelan, a former Blackburn Rovers defender, and has generally made consistent progress from then onwards.
However, the company's roots go back to 1899...:-)
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I guess the pain fact is that there are too many supermarket chains especially in the fiercely competitive middle. Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Morrisons are in a fight to the death.
Asda look in the weakest position as they traded heavily on their low prices rather than quality and have suffered greatly from the onslaught of Lidl and Aldi
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Apart from the odd special promotion, my perception of Morrison's is that it's expensive - particularly in the convenience meal section.
Their own brand fish, breaded or battered, is nasty.
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There's a big Morrisons not near here, but sometimes when we pass we drop in.
We quite like it. We just chuck in the trolley that which we normally would do in Tesco, and it feels like that instead of being £55 to £60 it's nearer £35 to £40 for the same sort of stuff, for some reason.
We'd use it more if it were nearer.
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>>Their own brand fish, breaded or battered, is nasty. >>
You really, really surprise me with that one.
I also find Morrison's cheaper than Tesco and I've been using both for many years; which store to use depends on what products I'm planning to buy.
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You're right that I was at Safeway during the time of the takeover and could write a book about it, from the mad Argentinian who had taken Safeway down a path that we couldn't recover from, to Morrisons deciding that things like Barrs Irn Bru, Tunnocks Teacakes and the like were local suppliers so would not be stocked in the new look shops.
How we all scratched our heads as metres of Irn Bru were taken off the shelves and replaced by Dandelion & Burdock. Or the pallets of pork pies that were delivered in Christmas week because it was apparently a Yorkshire tradition to have pork pies on Xmas morning?
Ken Morrison had a finger in every pie (pardon the pun) right down to the kiddie ride machines that had all to come from the one supplier who happened to be his neighbour.......
Anyway, reason I asked the question originally, at an area meeting I once met a colleague who was manager of the Gibraltar Safeway store and he would tell a lot of colourful stories of how many of the deliveries would land by sea by container and they were then at the mercy of the dockers as to when they received the stock. I think he actually had a line in his petty cash that was specifically for bribes and payments to get his containers released.
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>> How we all scratched our heads as metres of Irn Bru were taken off the
>> shelves and replaced by Dandelion & Burdock. Or the pallets of pork pies that were
>> delivered in Christmas week because it was apparently a Yorkshire tradition to have pork pies
>> on Xmas morning?
It was certainly a tradition to have a "stand pie" i.e. a big pork pie or two at Christmas, not specifically for Christmas morning, more likely to feature in the cold collation on Boxing day or later in the week. Ours, when I lived at home, were always ordered from Brayshaw's butchers in Brighouse for collection on Christmas Eve.
We were at our daughter's this Christmas. I told her I would bring a stand pie. Sadly, she having lived south of the Watford Gap since she was 11, I had to remind her what it was!
Ken Morrison was a legend amongst those who worked for him, mostly in a good way, but there's no doubt the Safeway takeover was a lash up. Systems, especially POS software integration, logistics etc were all major headaches. I'd heard the Irn Bru story before but not the palletloads of pork pies one!
I used to like Safeway, although I thought it had started going down the nick before Morrisons got involved.
Last edited by: Manatee on Mon 20 Feb 17 at 20:06
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> It was certainly a tradition to have a "stand pie" i.e. a big pork pie
>> or two at Christmas, not specifically for Christmas morning, more likely to feature in the> cold collation on Boxing day or later in the week. Ours, when I lived at home, were always ordered from Brayshaw's butchers in Brighouse for collection on Christmas Eve.
Same for us, it was always eaten on boxing day along with a large spread for people to nibble on during the day. The local butchers would have them queuing out of the door on xmas eve for them. I didn't even know that it was a Yorkshire only thing i assumed it was popular everywhere.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Tue 21 Feb 17 at 01:46
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I don't know if it's a Leicestershire thing but in our house, and all of my friends from 'home', it's tradition to have a Melton Mowbray pork pie for breakfast on Christmas Day.
For me, it's the best bit of Christmas!
Pat
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>> it's tradition to have a Melton Mowbray pork pie for breakfast on Christmas Day.
A pork pie is for life, not just Christmas Day ;)
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A pork pie is about the last thing I would want for breakfast on Christmas Day, or any other day for that matter.
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Are supermarket snobs the same as car badge snobs or is it a totally different branch of snobbery? :-)
I am confused I have seen Range Rovers in ALDI car parks and Fiestas in Waitrose car parks.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 21 Feb 17 at 12:12
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I think it's more a case of - proper well off people are prepared to spend on what they consider good quality food and don't care what people think of the car they are using. Proper well off people don't tend to drive Range Rovers. :-)
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>> Not new ones anyway.
How true. A well off acquaintance of mine drives a very old one.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Tue 21 Feb 17 at 15:28
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Those who walk around giving the impression there's a bad smell under their noses might think about visiting a Booths supermarket - high quality and quite reasonable prices...:-)
www.booths.co.uk/
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Booths can be quite pricey. Some items you could buy elsewhere are often more expensive. Some nice food products in Booths. We have a few fairly local to us but the one we've used most often is in Windermere (when we've gone self catering somewhere).
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My local Booths is in Settle.
I try to avoid. Very slow service. Supposedly 'express' checkout with 10 items or less is meaningless.. people use it with trolleys and 30+ items without any questioning. Expensive. Especially fruit. I'll stick with Settle Coop.
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>>Very slow service<<
Something must go amiss between Goods In at their Preston Distribution Centre then because they are well known for a quick turn around!
Love to go back there and see all the old crowd again!
Pat
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>>Some items you could buy elsewhere are often more expensive.>>
Precisely the point I made about Waitrose. Booths has been renowned for many years in Yorkshire and the North West for quality and it's well deserved.
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If I buy an identical set of products from two different supermarkets, I rather doubt that there is sufficient difference in price to overcome either the convenience of the store's location or the shopping experience in that particular store.
I truly have no idea what we spend in supermarkets, but its probably £150 odd a week - obviously much more if I go, as I buy food whereas my wife buys ingredients.. So if one supermarket was 5% cheaper across the board (or at least on average) then that'd be a saving of £7.50.
Goodness knows there's been times in my life where I'd walk a long way for a lot less, but these days that really is insufficient to drive me to any level of inconvenience at all.
I liked the Morrisons in Aylesbury, I disliked the Tescos in Bicester (intensely). But the Morrisons in Banbury was very annoying whereas the Tescos in Brackley was great. No brand consistency at all that I can see.
The local shopping experience seems to me to be much more important that the specific price of a particular product.
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Yes I would avoid certain supermarket for reasons other than price. I hate those really big stores where you walk for miles wondering where the marmalade is. A nearby Tesco fall into that category. Our local Sainsbury's has a car park that is a nightmare to exit and is always congested so I avoid that. We have a small local coop nearby with a good car park so that is the shop of choice for small purchases midweek
By and large we normally to Waitrose because we like the quality of the food and the range of choice although the 15% discount my wife gets does help sway the issue. We still buy a lot of our food from small shops and Norwich market because we enjoy shopping that way. It's much more personal than a supermarket. l hate the idea of online food shopping although I accept of course that for many it must be very useful. Seems a bit dull and boring
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>> I don't know if it's a Leicestershire thing but in our house, and all of
>> my friends from 'home', it's tradition to have a Melton Mowbray pork pie for breakfast
>> on Christmas Day.
>>
>> For me, it's the best bit of Christmas!
>>
>> Pat
>>
Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire Pat; it was a tradition my own father followed for many years.
As to Morrisons; when I first moved to Carmarthen in 2003 we had a Safeway, which was disorganised, scruffy,over-priced and a total waste of time. It took a while for Morrisons to turn it round, but it's now our supermarket of choice, we only use Tesco for a few things and never for fresh or chilled foods.
I have only one real dislike regarding Morrisons, and that's their self-scan check-outs; the "voice" seems to hector and rush you and has a tone which to be quite honest would result in a sharp rebuke if one of their "real" staff spoke to me like that!
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Because I often work from home and don't like food waste, I usually do a daily shop in my lunch hour. Okay it's a waste of fuel and bad for the environment but it gets me away from the home office and we don't need to plan a few day's eating ahead.
I tend to go to a large Tesco Extra because it's one of the closest supermarkets, I know the layout and they probably have all I need.
Although for some reason Tesco seems to have stopped stocking Taylor's of Harrogate Yorkshire Gold loose leaf tea.
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>> I have only one real dislike regarding Morrisons, and that's their self-scan check-outs; the "voice"
>> seems to hector and rush you and has a tone which to be quite honest
>> would result in a sharp rebuke if one of their "real" staff spoke to me
>> like that!
I think B&Q use the same one. Tells not to forget your receipt in tone of a Primary School teacher instructing five year olds to behave.
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I always knew there were people here who could pick and argument with an inanimate object:)
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My argument with the inanimate machines is each supermarket chain uses different hardware and software. Old duffers like me actually have to concentrate when using unfamiliar self checkouts. It distracts from appreciating the young female shoppers, or they distract me from working the machine, I can't remember which. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Wed 22 Feb 17 at 08:59
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>> My argument with the inanimate machines is each supermarket chain uses different hardware and software.
>> Old duffers like me actually have to concentrate when using unfamiliar self checkouts. It distracts
>> from appreciating the young female shoppers, or they distract me from working the machine, I
>> can't remember which. :-)
>>
Old duffers like me keep themselves fit, clean their ears and talk to the young - and not so young - female shoppers..
Just saying :-)
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There are check out voices then there are M&S checkout voices. Even though I rarely darken their door.
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We utterly refuse to use self-service checkouts.
Why should WE faff about scanning stuff when there are actual people employed to do just that?
Mind, you, I do believe our local Sainsbury's is pushing the use of self checkouts by never, ever, having sufficient ordinary checkouts manned, however busy the shop is.
Come to think of it, Tesco's and Morrison's are much the same.
I actually like the ALDI system, where the checkout is at lightning speed, with no old gossipers holding up the queue, while they mumble and search for points cards, or offer coupons, inevitably after all has been scanned and packed in bags.
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I prefer them to the staffed checkouts, for smaller purchases. Get my my stuff and get out of the place and on with my life.
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"We utterly refuse to use self-service checkouts."
It the future Roger.. resistance is futile.
Presumably you are also not using ATM's, automated car parks, self service machines in libraries and post offices, ticket machines at stations not to mention the internet.
Automation and robots are destined to take over everything because they are cheaper
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I remember the company I worked for in the 80s were touting that we'd all have more leisure time due to automation.
They were right, though there are a lot more ways to fill that leisure time.
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Like posting messages on here!
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>> I remember the company I worked for in the 80s were touting that we'd all
>> have more leisure time due to automation.
>>
Most of the people anticipating that in those days were thinking in terms of reduced working hours
Not sure that has quite worked out :-)
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I think it probably has, in many cases. Lots more people are working part time by choice, retiring earlier and working shorter working days. I am also fully aware that there are plenty still having to work forty-plus hour weeks to pay the bills but I suspect their burden has reduce too, compared to people in a similar state "back in the day". I'd also imagine that generally the standard of living, and expectation, is considerably higher than that time for those people.
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>> I think it probably has, in many cases.
I'm not particularly convinced of that. People nowadays tend to have to commute longer and further, and the classic "nine till five" day only really exists in businesses which are high street office-based. It also has to be said that whilst the advent of the minimum wage is in many ways welcome, it's also reduced pay differentials between worker grades which means that many people have to do either extra hours or extra jobs to make up the shortfall.
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Not really disagreeing but there are also many people who work from home, either occasionally or virtually permanently which balances it out a bit.
The commute depends a bit on where in the country you are. People living around and working in London have often had commutes of well over an hour, in unpleasant overcrowded trains - I know I did - whereas quite a few people away from the biggest cities often have shorter and often more scenic journeys to work. (btw I have travelled and worked away from home extensively, so I do realise that there are delays around cities around the country, but often to be suffered in the comfort of your own vehicle!)
In many cases the extra hours only really equates to what used to be a normal working week (48 hours if you go back to the 50s), and when I was younger many people had second jobs to service essentials like mortgages and living costs, not Sky and holidays! :-)
So I certainly wouldn't say that things are any worse than they ever have been.
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>> So I certainly wouldn't say that things are any worse than they ever have been.
>>
I agree that things are better in work/life balance terms than in the 50s but, apart from working at home sometimes (usually Fridays) my work/life balance is worse than the 80s.
The advent of laptop computers, the internet, and mobile phones has been a plus and a minus. Yes you can work from home at times but you are now available to work or contact 24*7.
My wife's work/life balance is far worse as a secondary school teacher than it was in the 80s with far more time in preparation, marking and ensuring that student progress is recorded in detail at frequent intervals.
What do others think, is your work / life balance better than it was in your early years?
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I've never been busier in my life. Have to make a real effort to get free time. I'm paid quite well if you look at it annually I suppose, but if I were to divide it by hours worked it doesn't look so shiny ! Way of the modern world I guess. Don't like it much though.
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...my work/life balance is now exactly how I always wanted it to be..... ;-)
(However, if I live to be a hundred, then my average across my life is still likely to be considerably worse than many...)
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>> I've never been busier in my life. Have to make a real effort to get
>> free time. I'm paid quite well if you look at it annually I suppose, but
>> if I were to divide it by hours worked it doesn't look so shiny !
>> Way of the modern world I guess. Don't like it much though.
In my last 18 months of "work" (pffftt -- Spit) I was averaging 50 hours week on site, 10 hours week traveling, and 21 hours week working at home (inc sat and sundays) Whats that, errr an 81 hour week. About £12.50 an hour. And a company car and private medical insurance. So after tax it was about £7.50 an hour, Minimum wage is what, OH!
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>>I was averaging 50 hours week on site, 10 hours week traveling, and 21 hours week working at home
I rarely work. But if I do, it is most certainly around that level. Though whilst I will travel on a Sunday, I do not work on them.
>>Whats that, errr an 81 hour week. About £12.50 an hour. And
>> a company car and private medical insurance.
I rarely get benefits of any kind, so no sympathy there, but £12.50 an hour?? That's brutal!
Really, working that hard is one thing, but it does need to be compensated for adequately.
Though time management is a skill, and with it expectation management. All too frequently people work excessively long hours because they don't know how otherwise to be considered effective.
If you cannot perform your normal job within your normal hours, then there is an idiot involved. It remains only to work out whether it is you or your boss.
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>>
>> If you cannot perform your normal job within your normal hours, then there is an
>> idiot involved. It remains only to work out whether it is you or your boss.
>>
In the haulage industry they're usually known as "planners". ;-)
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>>
>> Though time management is a skill, and with it expectation management. All too frequently people
>> work excessively long hours because they don't know how otherwise to be considered effective.
>>
>> If you cannot perform your normal job within your normal hours, then there is an
>> idiot involved. It remains only to work out whether it is you or your boss.
>>
abso-blinking-lutely, I've always been baffled by colleagues who were prepared to put in an extra 10-20+ hours a week on a routine basis to make a poor project manager / boss look better. Whilst I was never a clock watcher in 30 years of being a permie I really wasn't going to screw my work/life balance on a regular basis for somebody else.
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>> abso-blinking-lutely, I've always been baffled by colleagues who were prepared to put in an extra
>> 10-20+ hours a week on a routine basis to make a poor project manager /
>> boss look better. Whilst I was never a clock watcher in 30 years of being
>> a permie I really wasn't going to screw my work/life balance on a regular basis
>> for somebody else.
It depends where you work. I've come from an environment where people who worked 70 hours a week and delivered nothing were more valued than those who worked 40 and nailed it. Some guff about "commitment". Not only is it unpleasant to endure, but it doesn't get the best out of anyone. The best people get fed up and walk out to another job. For everyone else it becomes about perception rather than reality, so they become disillusioned and sink into a rut of fudging reports and saying and doing what the boss wants to see and hear, rather than actually contributing. A select few find a nice little niche where they are all but invisible and stay for life, but do so for an easy life rather than actually achieving anything.
An interesting side effect is a culture where, whenever something good happens, about 20 people try to claim the credit for it, because looking good is all that counts. Equally when something bad happens, the environment is almost murderous. In these environments, the extra 10-20+ hours is cultural, and people do it because they need the job security.
I got out of there last year and now work for a company where the management style is the complete opposite. I manage a small team of 3 (soon to be 4), we have our objectives in terms of business growth, delivery and KPIs, and it is completely up to me how we deliver them. I manage my own diary, and can work from home, or from any office. Our last team meeting was in a Costa roughly equidistant from our houses.
My boss is supportive, but light touch. His boss (who I've worked for at a previous company) is similar. I work the odd long day (14 hours yesterday, coincidentally) but I don't begrudge it because I can balance it out. I have a conference call with a customer on Friday and some reports to do, so I will work from home and probably have a cold one cracked open by 4. Nobody will care, so I don't have to sneak around. The team is delivering 30% quarter on quarter growth, and I've just been given the green light to recruit a new head. Some of that is down to me, most of it is down to the individuals in the team who actually delivered the results. The point is, it's not the kind of environment where I need to boast and shout because the people running it can see it, and are measuring us in the right way. Nobody is routinely expected to sacrifice their personal life for business.
It's not perfect. Nowhere is. There are some complete idiots who make life unnecessarily difficult, and there are situations that arise which make me want to tear what's left of my hair out, but on balance, it's a good place to be. A healthy work-life balance, a bit of empowerment, and good supportive management.
Last edited by: VxFan on Thu 23 Feb 17 at 12:47
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>>
>> It depends where you work. I've come from an environment where people who worked 70
>> hours a week and delivered nothing were more valued than those who worked 40 and
>> nailed it. Some guff about "commitment". Not only is it unpleasant to endure, but it
>> doesn't get the best out of anyone. The best people get fed up and walk
>> out to another job.
>>
Japanese (or maybe it's more generally Far Eastern) based companies seem particularly bad for that, judging by the experiences of many of my colleagues; thankfully I've managed to avoid working for any companies where this daft practice was deeply ingrained in the corporate culture.
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,
>> apart from working at home sometimes (usually Fridays) my work/life balance is worse than the
>> 80s.
>>
>> The advent of laptop computers, the internet, and mobile phones has been a plus and
>> a minus. Yes you can work from home at times but you are now available
>> to work or contact 24*7.
Worry not CD, I understand your caring employer is planning to stop all WAH, everyone not present on a customer site, will have to attend a designated work place of their (not your) choice.
It is of course purely for efficiency, team building, work life balance and not a resource action by the back door (even if your designated work place you must attend is 250 miles away from your home)
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>> Worry not CD, I understand your caring employer is planning to stop all WAH, everyone
>> not present on a customer site, will have to attend a designated work place of
>> their (not your) choice.
>>
There is some idea of that, but its a bit of a non starter from the expense point of view, IMHO there will have to be exceptions.
Anyway, pretty soon, when they p** me off enough I am out of here. 40 years in September must be about enough, now I am past 60 there is no early retirement reduction, it's only a matter of time.
While I still enjoy the people I work with & the interest in the job I am here, if that stops, I am gone.
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>> There is some idea of that, but its a bit of a non starter from
>> the expense point of view, IMHO there will have to be exceptions.
There is no expense. You dont get paid to travel to your designated place of work, if its too far to travel you have to move or leave.
But its not a back door RA.
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>> You dont get paid to travel to your designated place of work,
You do if it moves more than (I think) 14 miles.
Well, *probably* paid, or redundant, or time in lieu, or some other consideration, at least for a year or so.
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>> But its not a back door RA.
In the USA they are doing this as you know - and they could tell you have to move from West Coast to East Coast and pay minimal relocation. How many would actually move!
There's no option for commuting when the distance is measured in thousands of miles and you need to fly.
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resource action
is that the latest buzz word for budget cut?
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>> resource action
>>
>> is that the latest buzz word for budget cut?
Resource Action is corporate slang for redundancy, but that carries a minimum legal pay off. So the new trend is to force onerous conditions or consequences upon the employee, so they leave without a payoff. Those conditions or consequences are becoming very creative
Last edited by: Zero on Thu 23 Feb 17 at 08:28
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>> Resource Action is corporate slang for redundancy, but that carries a minimum legal pay off.
>> So the new trend is to force onerous conditions or consequences upon the employee, so
>> they leave without a payoff. Those conditions or consequences are becoming very creative
And they can do all this at the same time as saying they want to be the Employer of Choice.
Never, ever trust "HR":)
Loyalty is for people, not companies. Expect to do a fair day's work for what you are paid.
Putting one's faith in a construct with no actual mind such as a big company is almost bound to end in crushing disappointment. My voluntary overtime was usually because I wanted to do a job to my satisfaction, or to help people who deserved my support - probably because they were working hard too or they were senior people who supported me.
I worked myself out of a job with my last employer towards the end; IMO there was a lot I could and should have been doing but general retrenchment and forced austerity capital budgets post-2009 ("nothing gets done if it isn't essential or in the top-down plan") meant that only the least significant of my proposed projects made the cut and I was working at a lower level than I was being paid for. It didn't suit me to leave and, despite some fairly careless treatment, I did the best job I could until a dubious change of role definitions made my job redundant which was no surprise at all by then. I was released into the community at 59. My former assistant effectively took my job, deservedly so because I always recruited the best people I could find. I was lucky, I got the pay off.
From the point of view of the company this made total sense. Cost reduction is the biggest opportunity for increasing profit in a fiercely competitive business and it is seen as a way of life. Two quite well paid people have been replaced by one well paid person and an oompa loompa, the cost of offloading me and numerous others has been taken outside the operating line, and life goes on.
I am still very much associated with the business and bear it no ill-will. I have a vested interest in it doing well.
If you can't love a company, you can't hate it. Neither can it love you or hate you. It just is, and you have to consider your own needs. Do a fair day's work and a bit extra now and then while ever you are taking the money, give loyalty to people who deserve it, and put family first is the advice I gave myself.
A cynic might say "expect to be shafted if you stick around long enough and you won't be disappointed".
I'd rather say "be realistic, try to see things as they are, and if you can't find enough to enjoy, make a plan".
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>> The advent of laptop computers, the internet, and mobile phones has been a plus and a minus. Yes you can work from home at times but you are now available to work or contact 24*7.
Depends hugely on your job of course. It works if you're an office wallah or white collar job, of course there are many who aren't. The work at home idea is a none starter for many.
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 22 Feb 17 at 18:36
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>> The work at home idea is a none starter for many.
>>
For some people you are right.
For my wife and most other teachers, who are in school during the day, and working at home several evenings during the week, they wish it was a non starter.
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"For some people you are right"
Only "some people" ?
How about bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, bus drivers, cleaners, all types of hospital workers, couriers, post men/women, shop staff, tube drivers, building surveyors, Pat and her lorry drivers and so on and on and on . . . .
I raise this to emphasise how well irritated I get when those commentators in the media - newspapers, radio, TV keep on about working from home is an option for example in bad weather, train stikes etc.
Rant Over.
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> I raise this to emphasise how well irritated I get when those commentators in the
>> media - newspapers, radio, TV keep on about working from home is an option for
>> example in bad weather, train stikes etc.
It doesn't irritate me, but you are right there seems to be an assumption amongst many on the media that virtually everyone works in an office or is in a white collar job. And those that aren't are in a tiny minority of about 3.
Of course many are in the former and increased over the years however there must be millions in the latter.
Last edited by: sooty123 on Wed 22 Feb 17 at 19:03
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For my wife and most other teachers, who are in school during the day, and
>> working at home several evenings during the week, they wish it was a non starter.
>>
My SiL used to be a teacher, i remember how much work she had to bring home. Ended up with a room full of teacher stuff in the house.
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Likewise the daughter of one of our friends. She was always working in the evenings and often part of the weekend. I know she got fed up with it all and left the profession after a few years and joined the sales force of an educational book supplier. She never regretted leaving teaching.
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>> For my wife and most other teachers, who are in school during the day, and
>> working at home several evenings during the week, they wish it was a non starter.
That's why my daughter gave up teaching. The pressure led to depression.
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I always preferred working in the office. A bit of office banter made the day more enjoyable, combined with a bit of visual entertainment as well.
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>> I always preferred working in the office. A bit of office banter made the day
>> more enjoyable,
You don't need to be inside for a bit banter.
combined with a bit of visual entertainment as well.
>>
Aye, I'll give you that one but sometimes you just need to keep your eyes peeled.
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>>I always preferred working in the office. >>
I did a bit of freelance work when I retired, but always found it difficult to work in the home environment as there always seemed to be far more other interesting things to do..:-)
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The office certainly has its attractions. I know I've mentioned this before but it always brings a smile to my face when I think about it:
Many years ago, about 1989 I think, I was late back from a conference and needed to call into the office on the way home to pick up some papers for a meeting the next day. It was quite late in the evening and winter, so the whole block was dark. As I walked down the corridor to my office I could hear noises of sexual pleasure coming from the secretary's office. The corridor was dark so I could peep through the glass in the door without being seen. The Head of Sales, a married man of church-going leanings, was giving the secretary a good banging. Judging by the papers on the floor and hastily removed clothes and knickers I imagine it was a fairly rapid and spontaneous act. I gathered my papers from my office and left the building. For some time afterwards, I found it hard to keep a straight face in meetings but decided best to keep quiet about it all. The Head of Sales left the company a few months later, he was good at his job and left for a bigger and more lucrative role in a larger company. Whether the secretaries in his new company were any better we shall never know.
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Was that on time and a half or double time I wonder? :-)
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holding up the queue, while they mumble and search for points cards, or offer coupons, inevitably after all has been scanned and packed in bags.
>>
That's why i try and use self service. Much faster than manned tills, down to the type of customer. Too many faffers, who stand around gawping and look completely stunned when asked to pay.
Although there are bad self service tills, last time I was in sainsbury they were rubbish, slow, fail to recognise items in the bag etc. Tesco are pretty bad as well. Asda's on the other very good, don't really use any others now.
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>>I actually like the ALDI system, where the checkout is at lightning speed
>>with no old gossipers holding up the queue, while they mumble and search for points cards
>> or offer coupons, inevitably after all has been scanned and packed in bags.
>>
I too like the speed of Aldi check out.
In conversation with my son, who is implementing new procedures and systems that use bar coding etc,
he showed me an Aldi pack of cloned cereals.
The noticeable difference was the bar coding on the box.
ALL sides except for the front face had a large bar code on them.
No more hunting for the location of the tiny bar code, just throw it at the scanner.
Simple and clever. It must reduce check out times and I wonder when other products will copy it.
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>> I too like the speed of Aldi check out.
I hate it. I like to be able to pack my trolley properly and not just chuck my purchases in it. Despite putting all the perishables like fruit and veg toward the rear of the conveyor belt and things like tinned stuff and boxed items in front of it, somehow the till operative still manages to scan all the perishable stuff first. Give me a long run off area for stuff to be put to one side any day of the week.
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>> >> I too like the speed of Aldi check out.
>>
>> I hate it. I like to be able to pack my trolley properly and not
>> just chuck my purchases in it. Despite putting all the perishables like fruit and veg
>> toward the rear of the conveyor belt and things like tinned stuff and boxed items
>> in front of it, somehow the till operative still manages to scan all the perishable
>> stuff first. Give me a long run off area for stuff to be put to
>> one side any day of the week.
>>
Each to his own: We prefer the Aldi and Lidl method.
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German rules !
Unload trolley on to belt.
Goods Scanned - Put in trolley.
Walk over to packing area & fill your bags.
Simples.
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Better still avoid check out completely
Use self scanner and put goods in bags as you shop
Pay at machine
Go
Not sure why anybody who uses a supermarket with self scanning would want to use a checkout.
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My exact thoughts too CG.
I rarely go into a shop at all but when I do I always head for the self checkout.
If you have fumbly fingers and can't grip the packages quick enough it's bad enough hearing yourself sighing in exasperation, let alone the rest of the queue and the look of utter disdain on the Aldi/Lidl checkout operators face as she sits still and watches you.
Pat
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>> Not sure why anybody who uses a supermarket with self scanning would want to use
>> a checkout.
To keep staff in employment.
To engage in verbal intercourse.
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Cos
I am not in a hurry.
i can sort my buys onto a nice convenient belt.
I can then pack my bags easily into categories ready for ease of unpacking/storage at home.
I can obtain my two coffee cartons without any further queuing.
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Actually I was referring to hand held scanners as offered by Tesco and Waitrose where you scan as you shop. This enable you to pack everthing as you shop and avoid having to remove everthing from the trolley at the checkout whether human or mechanical. Just scan a barcode and pay. Surprised there is no a greater uptake of these when available. So much more efficient.
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>> Just scan a barcode and pay. Surprised there is no a greater uptake of these
>> when available. So much more efficient.
But is it? What happens when the shop staff question your purchases, you then are taken to one side and everything gets taken out of your trolley to verify you have actually scanned everything?
Apart from the embarrassment of other shoppers watching and sniggering at the potential thief, is it really more efficient to be delayed like this?
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>> To keep staff in employment.
>>
>> To engage in verbal intercourse.
>>
I agree with Duncan, but would also add:
While I'm paying Waitrose prices, I'll have Waitrose service.
Pack my own bags. What a cheek...
;)
Edit: Slight thread drift. Thanks for the Sorbothane recommendation some time ago. Cost mush less than the last insoles that I bought, and are equally good.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Fri 3 Mar 17 at 12:42
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>>
>> >> Not sure why anybody who uses a supermarket with self scanning would want to
>> use
>> >> a checkout.
>>
>> To keep staff in employment.
>>
>> To engage in verbal intercourse.
>>
Also, to avoid standing around like a lemon waiting for the one member of staff who's overseeing half a dozen self-scans, to work their way round to you; or if there are two members of staff, for them to stop nattering.
Perhaps it would also be an idea to scrap the "ten items or less" checkouts, and divert there instead all the OAP's who have nothing better to do than faff about finding the essential two pence in the bottom of their purses so as to give the assistant the correct change. That alone would probably speed up the flow through the rest of the tills by half again.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Sat 4 Mar 17 at 11:30
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Perhaps it would also be an idea to scrap the "ten items or less" checkouts, and divert there instead all the OAP's who have nothing better to do than faff about finding the essential two pence in the bottom of their purses so as to give the assistant the correct change. That alone would probably speed up the flow through the rest of the tills by half again.
>>
I'm surprised they haven't brought in cash only tills at the supermarkets yet. Few people pay with cash that i see at the supermarket.
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"divert there instead all the OAP's who have nothing better to do than faff about finding the essential two pence "
...and the mothers juggling kids and shopping and many people, mostly younger, using their phone or facebooking while they could be getting on with it, and anyone who doesn't have their payment method ready to hand (all ages)
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Such impatience at others less able than some of you.
The reason we try and give the correct change for an item is to prevent the checkout operator giving us 28 assorted small coins in return for a note.
This would be acceptable if she/he had the patience to wait until we'd managed to pick up the items and bag them and place the coins in our hand.
Sadly they insist upon putting them down on the stopped conveyor belt and we can't pick them up without a struggle, or hearing the impatient sighs from all around us.
To those who show such impatience and intolerance, you will get old one day and you will get less able.
You will also notice the nice people who offer a bit of help or at least recognise your need for a bit of independence and ignore your embarrassment.
You will never forget those who sighed and moaned about you inabilities.
....hopefully when it happens to you, you will remember these words and feel a pang of guilt.
Pat
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>> ....hopefully when it happens to you, you will remember these words and feel a pang
>> of guilt.
>>
>> Pat
>>
The only way you'd get anything near 28 assorted coins is if you'd tendered a £20 note for in item costing pence, and the cashier was clean out of notes. Said cashiers are usually geared to accept the notes and have probably already got thecorrect change ready; your messing about for tuppence just makes things worse and holds the queue up further. Buy a bigger purse. ;-)
In any case, isn't that a bit selfish of you? Holding busy working people up just so that you can keep your purse clear of change; which you'll probably need when you want to pay for parking or bus fare anyway. One of Mrs HM's banes is people tendering a £20 note for a two quid bus fare; she doesn't carry anything like the amount of float that a supermarket till has, and two or three of those first thing in the morning can stuff her whole day up.
As to feeling guilty;I doubt it. When I get old I shall be fully aware that my time on this earth is very limited. I shall therefore endeavour not to waste my time or that of others with unnecessary faffery.
I shall also do my best to retain my sense of humour.
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>> I shall also do my best to retain my sense of humour.
>>
I don't care in what form me change arrives but I hate this method of putting the note in your hand then putting your change on top of it. I end up just clenching my fist round it all and stuffing it in a pocket.
I now won't let them do it....I take the note from the outstretched hand and take the change with the other...simple.
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>>I shall also do my best to retain my sense of humour.<<
I thought I'd done that....but obviously it went over your head:)
Must try harder HM!
Pat
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>> Perhaps it would also be an idea to scrap the "ten items or less" checkouts>>
Yes - and replace it with "10 items or fewer"!
Signed,
Pedant of the day.
Last edited by: Roger. on Sun 5 Mar 17 at 12:49
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>>Not sure why anybody who uses a supermarket with self scanning would want to use a checkout.>>
Apart from the fact that it helps to ensure employment for a large number of people, why should anyone apparently want to use scanners, mess about at self-service tills, be shouted at by a shrill female voice if you err, sort out a payment method and, at the same time, have to pack the bags?
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>> Just give it a try.
>>
Found the hand scanners at Waitrose really good - if I have my youngest with me in her pushchair I can just scan and drop in the under basket as I wonder around. Much easier than trying to manage a basket and the pushchair and speed through the payment till at the end. Had a price query once - was advised by member of staff to just pay the wrong price then she would refund me after - apparently the system remembers if anything is subject to a price override and increases your chance of a re-scan on the next visit, although I've never had one, and don't know anyone who has
I hate the Lidl / Aldi throw things at you philosophy as I often just use a basket which I have deposited by the conveyor so I have no option but to try and chuck it into the bag as its thrown at me
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Glad to read a response form someone who has actually used one. I've been using the Waitrose self scanners since they were introduced - about 18 years ago I think. During that time I suppose we have had half a dozen or so re-scans.
All that happens is the scanner shows "rescan" and you go to the desk or a normal checkout and they will rescan and repack your bags for you. You are therefore in no worse a position than you would be if you usually used the checkouts
No shrill ladies screaming or embarassment as has been suggested in another post. I suppose there is some sort of algorithm that determines who will be re-scanned but have never ascertained any pattern to it. A great system and as you say a lot easier that the checkouts if you have children in tow.
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They put the scanners in our "secondary" Waitrose some years ago. At that time, I think I looked and you had to register in some manner to use them, and I never got around to it.
Our "primary" Waitrose is smaller and doesn't have the scanners, I don't think (or if they do, I've mentally blanked them because of course now my brain says "you have to register and I've never got around to it."
This also means that when our giant Tesco introduced scanners, I didn't give them a second glance because this time my brain says "you're bound to have to register and I'll never get around to it".
Anyway, I get pleasure and value out of chatting to the till staff, so not inclined to scanners or self service things in any shops, unless it's one bag of crisps.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Fri 3 Mar 17 at 15:54
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" I think I looked and you had to register in some manner to use them, and I never got around to it."
You just need their "My Waitrose" loyalty card. You probably have one already to claim the free coffee and newspaper!
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Ah, got one of those. Not interested in the coffee but do grab the paper. The vouchers you get in the post aren't anything like as well targeted or useful as the Tesco equivalents, we find though. 90% are useless and get chucked.
Thanks for that heads up, as they say.
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>> Just give it a try. >>
I have. Once. More than enough.
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I issue the one in the local Tesco most visits. They're not that popular judging by how many are always available.
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>>be shouted at by a shrill female voice if you err,
Not in Norwich, apparently.
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why should anyone apparently want to use scanners, mess about at self-service tills, be
>> shouted at by a shrill female voice if you err,
A condition known to most of us as "marriage".
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Do you have to register at tesco to use them? I've never used them before I might give them a try, but i don't shop to much at tesco.
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>> Do you have to register at tesco to use them?
You have to complete a short registration process.
youtu.be/lUK4IX3TuA0?t=23s
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 4 Mar 17 at 17:36
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>> I always knew there were people here who could pick and argument with an inanimate
>> object:)
>>
The clue is in my screen name! ;-)
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Our nearest supermarket is a Morrison....ex Safeway. It's on the site of our old railway station although there is now a tram station there. It's rubbish......too small and the aisles are too narrow. They put mesh bins with offers in your way and there's always someone stacking shelves.
Still, we have 3 Co-ops, 3 Tesco expresses, a new M&S food and a Costcutter in the village. plus a load of indys. Our choice is the big, new Tesco Extra a ten min car ride away. Huge store with hardly anyone in it apart from on-line order pickers. We try not to go when the students are out of college for lunch or the kids are out of school buying sweets and stuff.
There's an Asda not too far away who do some exotic West Indian stuff in greengrocery but the place is usually stuffed. Morrisons have recently bought and demolished the local petrol station on the tram bridge and built a new one from scratch with a mini-market.
We won't go hungry round here !
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The Coop in Settle has two self check outs, which I use a lot. Booths in Settle has none. I have often suggested, via their suggestions box, that they install a few. However, I can appreciate why they don't. Many of their customers are 'older' folks who don't care what they pay, and would get confused on self check outs and clog up the system. My 89yo amumMums is smart and nough not to even try! The store runs on a skeleton staff and have no surplus manpower to keep an eye out on self check outs. I have complained about specific staff members on the '10 items or less' checkout who think it acceptable to chat about the weather/ holidays/ children whilst leaving people queuing and being the sort of bloke who can be blunt, interrupts these conversations and to some might appear rude.
Some of my immediate neighbours shop online. Other, like myself, prefer to visit the nearest W Yorks town with adjacent Asda, Sainsbury's & Aldi, plus a decent M & S.
To be fair to Booths, their management have contacted me after specific complaints & suggestions, so it's a balancing act.
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I quite like Booths, as much as anyone can like shopping. The Cumbrian ones are OK but our nearest one is in Media City and seems to cater for all the yuppie types who only have a microwave and a big collection of wines.
They do often have some decent, reaonably priced gottles of geer though...sometimes.
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Agreed Ted. Booths have a great selection of beers.
No use to me though. I only drink alcohol with friends in the local pubs. Probably far too often.
When friends buy me beer, wine & spirits I end up giving it away because I'm a social drinker... help the Local economy, preferring my dinner to be poured.
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I was in a Supermarket the other day, just got to the checkout with my two trolleys loaded up with Booze, when a little old lady appeared behind me, with just a pint of Milk - So I did the decent thing. I asked her if that was all she wanted, and she replied yes, so I said to her " if that's all you've got, you'd be better off going to a different till - I'll be here ages"!!
(borrowed from elsewhere! )
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The most helpful thing, for me , would be the banks upping the contactless limit from £30 to, say, £50.
I always try to settle up by Android Pay if possible.
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>>..would be the banks upping the contactless limit from
£30 to, say, £50.>>
Two points. The limit is low because it's intended to help those buying items such as groceries, cigarettes, newspapers etc that don't add up to big sums.
Secondly, the very fact that it's contactless means that if the card is stolen it's easy for a thief to use it several times before the card is/should have been blocked.
Last edited by: Stuartli on Sun 5 Mar 17 at 13:29
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I think it'll only be a matter of time before it goes up again. It was £10 originally.
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>>be shouted at by a shrill female voice if you err,
>>Not in Norwich, apparently.
Loud and very clear on a rare visit to Tesco. Just too much for my delicate lugs on a Sunday morning.
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I haven't bin in a supermarket for nigh-on 20 years. Am I normal [Answers on a postcard]
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I'll have to go to Asda for a post-card though
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>> I haven't bin in a supermarket for nigh-on 20 years. Am I normal [Answers on a postcard]>>
But have you been in a supermarket during that time?
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Bin means been. Inglish is obviously not your first language.
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>>Bin means been. Inglish is obviously not your first language.>>
Looks like it.
Perhaps his trolley has bin laden before he even got to the checkout?
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>> The most helpful thing, for me , would be the banks upping the contactless limit
>> from £30 to, say, £50.
>>
Here in Austria, there's no upper limit on contactless, but if the amount is over a certain amount (over 30 euros?) a PIN is always needed. Makes life easier.
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>>.. but if the amount is over a certain amount (over 30 euros?) a PIN is always needed. Makes life easier.>>
So no difference to Chip and Pin then?
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>> So no difference to Chip and Pin then?
>>
Touch & PIN vs Poke & PIN & " don't forget your car Sur" ?
From various reports some touch cards were used for weeks after being reported as stolen to the bank.
www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/cards/2016/09/card-lost-or-stolen-beware---you-could-be-the-victim-of-contactless-fraud-months-after-youve-cancelled-it
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One claim made by the Android Pay (and presumably Apple Pay, too) is that as your real card number is not used in transactions, it is more secure.
Obviously you have to make sure your phone is not nicked, but for Android Pay at least, the app. will not work unless you have a PIN secured locked home screen enabled.
My auto lock time is set to kick in after 10 minutes of non-activity.
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>> One claim made by the Android Pay (and presumably Apple Pay, too) is that as
>> your real card number is not used in transactions, it is more secure.
>> Obviously you have to make sure your phone is not nicked, but for Android Pay
>> at least, the app. will not work unless you have a PIN secured locked home
>> screen enabled.
>> My auto lock time is set to kick in after 10 minutes of non-activity.
>>
I use android pay most days, but the screen lock thing is a bit miss leading - my phone only needs to be woken up and android pay works - no need to use the pin to unlock first
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I use Barclays Contactless Mobile and that does not need the phone to be unlocked either. It will apparently let you enter a PIN for payments over £30 but I've never tried that.
Occasionally it will fail - it will work after logging into the app. Possibly a security thing. But annoying.
It creates a new virtual debit card number which you associate with your bank card of choice. If you have multiple cards (e.g. a debit and credit) then you select which one is associated with Barclays Contactless Mobile.
Barclays does not support Android Pay but they have to support Apple Pay.
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>> So no difference to Chip and Pin then?
>>
No, but personally I find it easier and quicker than faffing around sticking the card in the slot.
Last edited by: Mike H on Tue 7 Mar 17 at 10:00
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>> No, but personally I find it easier and quicker than faffing around sticking the card in the slot.>>
Ditto.
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>> No, but personally I find it easier and quicker than faffing around sticking the card
>> in the slot.
If you're a regular Tesco shopper, they've recently rolled out PayQwiq nationally. You link a credit/debit card (or cards) to the App, and it automatically also links up your clubcard too. No minimum payment, but allows up to £250. So in some respects better than Android Pay, Apple Pay, and contactless where it's only £30.
www.payqwiq.com/
And you get 50 extra Clubcard points with each of your first 10 transactions until 7th May 2017 (i.e. 500 points total, which equates to £5 for free).
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Yeah I signed up for this but oddly enough, you cannot link their own Tesco Clubcard Plus as a payment method. That's the one where you stick a monthly amount on then spend in Tesco. It never really took off for them and I don't think they even offer it now.
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>>It never really took off for them and I don't think they even offer it now.>>
They most certainly do. I've had a Clubcard Plus card since 1977 and regularly use it at Tesco/RBS ATMs or to pay for purchases in Tesco or its petrol stations...:-)
A particular advantage is that you can save time if withdrawing cash at the tills by being able to withdraw up to £100 rather than the usual £50.
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Neat, it wasn't offered till 1995 :-)
I meant they don't offer it now i.e. you can't get one if you've not had one before. I have one too.
It is a major PITA in that it isn't chip and pin as the only ATMs which accept it are those on Tesco sites, and you can't use it for any purchase other than Tesco. You also can't change the PIN as far as I know.
But it does pay a modest amount of interest and it used to be beneficial on the Clubcard points.
Last edited by: smokie on Fri 10 Mar 17 at 14:01
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All quite true, but it does make paying for goods and services, plus getting cash if necessary, much easier.
My main use with the card was to buy Momentum fuel, but now there's a new Shell garage just half-a-mile from home rather than some six or seven miles away (just one in a large seaside resort until then), I can get V-Power on a regular basis....:-) But Momentum is still good.
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>>Momentum fuel
Left wing, is it?
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>> Left wing, is it?>>
Headed by 99 RON, a known troublemaker...:-)
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Bombay Sapphire Gin 1 Ltr - CGNorwich
