Hello Friends

I don't know how to download a video - but please go to the original Tesco's petition and the video is there for you to see. It's not perfect, but its a starter for us all. 

You,  all of you,  have been fabulous. Thank you to all those who have responded to my recent update  about what you can do by way of action, moving forward.  You've told me all about your experiences around the country and that Tesco's are not the only supermarket going 'digital'.  Thank you for telling me.   I have learnt so much.  I promise I will come back to you by email as soon as I can. 

As I've said, I promise I will come back to everyone who has emailed me about your personal experiences of shopping with self-service-card-only tills and I'd love to hear from you about what is going on in your area regarding automation towards a 'card-only' cashless shopping nightmare. I've even heard how one high-street name is going to introduce Robots into the shopping experience - as some high street chains seemingly prefer machinery over people. What a nonsense. I want people first before profits. 

Yesterday Tesco's announced 4,500 redundancies - no doubt as a result of the increased digitalisation of how they expect people to shop.  We, actually you,  are their customers and we have a right to decide how we shop -  240,000  of you don't want - a new fangled super-duper automated shopping system. It's a nonsense.  I don't want it and I will never, use it.  But sometimes I have had no option than to go to a self-service operated till.   I hate the 'voice' that tells me I have or the scanning machinery has mucked up (more the latter than the former - its unidentified item in the bagging area)  and I need to get a customer-services-assistant to help me!  Boy, have I waited, only to find I need their help again, and again, and again.  It's actually made me feel guilty - and why should l? I really am not the 'customer from hell' I am just me! It seems to me that a whole generation of wonderful, mainly women workers are going to be minimised in the future as they work in the frontline. Put people before profits... and Tesco's are in my view putting profits before people. 

In the Netherlands Jumbo supermarkets  have reversed the trend of the self-service -card-only-tills (SSCOT's) and have gone back within 200 stores to having check-out lanes that make a difference to our social community - you can actually speak to someone!  You can even shop without having to have a debit or credit card (what a relief).  You meet someone who knows how to interact with you and wants your shopping experience to be great as against 'the shopping nightmare' I have experienced. 

Let's move forward dear friends - help me if you can, give me the name of the shop, and where you live and whether you would like to help in this campaign. My email address is pmccarthy940@gmail.com - Thanks - you are fab! 

With the kindest of regards

Pat