It should have been free. When I see a scanning error rather than engaging the ‘innocent’ checker I take the product and receipt to the service desk where they can bring in a supervisor if there is a dispute. I have been the beneficiary of both Colesworths failing to update their price signage. I got the product free and they fixed their sign error at the same time.
I have also experienced local specials ‘in variance’ from their master scanning price database, more free products. It was so bad (for them, good for us) at our local Woolies for a while the same product was free each week for a month because they could not get their pricing right. We even called the local manager’s attention to the ongoing error but seems it was not high on her KPI at the time as on it went.
A query though,
Was it Coles or Woolies? It is worth a complaint to their local management, and if not there through their rewards or store customer service web sites.
Going OT but assume there is $1 billion in the economy as a small rounded number. If the profit of all the commerce within that $1 billion is 5% and owned off-shore, that profit is going off shore per annum. In a dystopian view the economy next year is thus smaller and that is replicated each year.
Of course it is not so simple and international ownership is a 2-way street but does an overseas owner take as much interest in a business as a local one? Sometimes the overseas business can be educational for the locals, and sometimes the locals ignore that opportunity.
In the comparison cited up top, Coleworths launched their own house labels to compete with Aldi that sells 99% house brands, so there was some ‘learning’. Is the quality of each comparable? Not for here and all that being separate conversations to ‘jobs’.
To your post, they do provide jobs and good prices, not always better ones when Colesworths sales are considered.
Hi GHR,
In my previous life I was a “checkout chick” (probably the wrong terminology these days?-too bad as I’m describing myself) and when scanners first came in is when the policy that if it scanned at the wrong price you got it for free. It was to alleviate customers fears of the new scanners and that people would not know if they were being charged the wrong price. Still prevelant today unless you are careful and check your receipts against what is supposed to be the special price.
As for upsetting fellow shoppers waiting to be served, bad luck to them. You shouldn’t possibly not bring up the error because of that or you can do what was further suggested and take your receipt to the service desk for it to be rectified. In a time when we are paying more and more for groceries we HAVE to call out the errors if not for ourselves but to maybe make supermarkets be more aware of what they are doing.
It was my local Coles but I can’t bring the matter up with their management after the time that has elapsed.
In the more recent event, I had paid for a bottle of milk that was shelf-marked at $3.00 but I noticed after leaving the store that I had been charged $4.50. This time I went to the service desk with the shopping and my receipt and, after the inevitable wait while somebody was called to check, I was refunded the $4.50.
I like Pachy’s strategy of taking a photo of the shelf price ticket, but I would have to do that for every special priced item for that to work, I guess. I can’t see me doing that while shopping. So I think I will pass through the checkout next time I notice a discrepancy and do the waiting at the service desk where I won’t be holding up a queue of other customers.
I am keeping Coles’ returns and refunds policy leaflet in the bottom of my shopping bag, BTW.
HI Again,
I tend to check the photo of specials tickets of the more expensive items (like meat) for example. Since I’ve caught them out more than once and twice, lol, I now check meat that’s on special that I wouldn’t normally buy as well. Since I shop on Tuesday (the last day of specials for the previous week) it seems to put more luck on my side for catching them out.
Regarding the lamb, the store I shop at have moved the “on special lamb” to a smaller chilled section. Maybe this is so staff are meant to be more vigilant with the prices?? I still think I’ll catch them out again and the sheer fact it seems to annoy the staff that I’m “just looking to catch them out” (one of thier staffs words") makes ME more vigilant.
Me catching them out weekly for the rest of my life would not put the tiniest nick in thier profits.
Good that you have returned to the original main issue of supermarket price scanning policies i.e. what, if anything, they will do if the scanned price is higher than the price on the shelf label, etc.
IMO the supermarkets that have policies, such as that if the scanned price is higher you get the first item free, should make it much easier for shoppers to know about the policy. Including it as one of the FAQs on a website is not enough. On the website it should be listed as policy and you should be able to click there to get all the information you need. This should include when you should or can report a claim e.g before or after you have paid for the item, or both.
I’d also like supermarkets to display the policy on signs in store, as was the situation many years ago when the policies were first introduced, and as still happens in Canada. Plus, supermarkets with a policy should ensure that their staff fully understand, and can implement, it.
Hi Jarratt,
Whilst I think your ideas would be helpful and informative, I think the extra dollars they spend on implementing these (being a small or medium cost) would then be passed onto who?? The customer.
It seems supermarkets as with many, many other companies only include such info when they are forced to and then said info is buried deep in thier website in print only an ant could read. They get away with “hiding” info because it’s included on thier site. T’s & C’s are another example. They are long and can contain jargon you could never begin to understand without a law degree.
I think all these things are sad and make customers not want to approach staff or make “an issue” when things are priced incorrectly etc. Back in the dark ages when I worked in supermarkets, customer service was something you took pride in and you WANTED to help a customer, this doesn’t seem to be the case a lot of the time now.
I think the cost passed on to consumers would be negligible and the businesses would benefit from increased consumer confidence, trust and satisfaction. And, the initial increase in consumer claims should result in action to greatly reduce the causes of differences between scanned and displayed prices.
This snip from the week’s Woolies catalogue demonstrates the psychology used to introduce what appears to be about a 13% price increase. The full prices were recently $2.20 and not too long ago $2.00, and before then … The regular price is now $2.50.
No price increase mentioned or implied, just half off.
Uncle Tobys Weeties was $6 for 700gm family pack. The supermarkets suddenly stopped supplying the family pack but raised the standard size to the family pack size. So the 510gm pack is now $6.
I only have a sample of a single Aldi and their relatively fewer staff compared to Colesworths but they mostly seem to have a more genuine friendly and personally relate-able attitude. Those at Colesworths have a few standouts but most are too obviously going through the motions as ‘scripted’.
My conclusion, as yours, is Aldi may simply be a better place to work, at least when comparing only 1 of each store to their locals.
I completely agree with you. Not withstanding the issues staff have with me and my carer getting free (incorrectly) priced items, the staff at Coles (I find) seem to be 'put out" whenever I ask is there more of something out the back. The answer is “no, everything we have is on the shelf and if there’s none there, we don’t have any out the back”. Coles and Woolworths have deliveries multiple times a week which I think is reason enough to for them to at least check. Woolworths staff I find, will either go and look or get someone with a hand scanner, to come and scan the shelf ticket. That either tells them there is more or not, something Coles could adopt? Aldi staff in my area ALWAYS go and look and more often than not, retrieve the item you want. The times this doesn’t happen the staff say they put out the last of the item out and they’re next delivery will be…and they specify the day. Again “in the dark ages” when I worked in supermarkets, you were there to serve the customer. You were trained and expected to follow the stores policy in how customers were treated. Granted the saying “the customer is always right” should never have been stated. This gave some people the thinking that exact thing and therefore could be abusive to staff. I also think though with the size of supermarkets (which I think may be part of the cause) that these days, staff are being verbally as well as physically abused more often. This is evident in the fact some supermarkets are giving staff body worn cameras. It’s really sad that has become a necessity. Regardless of what is going wrong with your shopping experience, you have no right to abuse staff or other shoppers. Have some RESPECT, not just for the workers or other shoppers but FOR YOURSELF. Be kind, it will get you a lot further and people will treat you accordingly. Remember the “you’ll catch more flies with honey” saying?.
I’m pleased that my Coles (& other Coles I’ve shopped at) have always given me an item free if a mistake was made by Coles. It happens more than you would think so be vigilant with prices and check receipts . Never had a problem with money back. Customer service has always been better at Coles rather than the competition (& not just for this kind of thing) which is one of the reasons I like to shop there. I also find that the prices are better (for the things I purchase anyway).
I’ve had fantastic experiences and also less than desirable customer service at all of the supermarkets. I think it seems to really depend on the individual’s conscientiousness and/or mood.
