Advantages and Disadvantages of Waitrose Technology

The Handy scan (quick check) was brought into action in 1995 to improve till efficiency and other promotions. When we look at the handy scan (quick check) we can see that it seams very basic and simple to use and function. We can see that it can bring a lot of advantages internally and externally, but also disadvantages. Waitrose know that there are many advantages that can benefit the company internally. One of these advantages is that it will improve queuing times at the tills.

This means that if more people have the handy scan (quick check) and are going around the store packing their shopping while they are shopping then it reduces the queuing times and provided a more customer efficient till service for other customers that are using the tills. Waitrose also know that many people don’t like filling out surveys and carrying out market research. But the handy scan (quick check) acts as a way of carrying out market research for Waitrose, they do this by looking at the things that customers using the handy scan (quick check) buy and list what is being brought more or what’s not.

This is a good way of carrying out their market research but I think that this is a dishonest way because customers may not want to participate in market research, but they have no choice. Waitrose have placed a lot of trust in their customers to be honest in their shopping and scan every thing they place in their bags.

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Waitrose do this because they know that if the company place trust in the customer then they are building up a stronger customer relationship and customers like to feel valued, Waitrose know this so and that’s why people come back to Waitrose because of the trust aspect.

Another internal advantage is that the handy scan (quick check) cuts staffs from the tills into working somewhere were they are needed the most. Waitrose know that if one till can take 10 people and 10 people have the handy scan (quick check) then they have saved upon one member of staff to be place in the replenishments. Staff can be used where they are most needed. But there are advantages for the customer externally. The first advantage for the customer is that the customer can calculate their shopping while they are shopping.

If they didn’t have the handy scan (quick check) while shopping, as many people don’t at the moment, they wouldn’t be able to calculate how much they are spending is they are on a budget. But with the handy scan (quick check) they have control on the amount they spend. Many customers don’t like spending to much time in the store, when they go shopping they want to be in and out that’s why Waitrose brought in the handy scan (quick check), they did this so that the customer can limit the time spent shopping.

Although the store would benefit from customers being in the store for one hour, Waitrose are placing the customers needs first, which a lot of supermarkets don’t do. Waitrose are mostly interested in the customer efficiency and the store efficiency to make shopping for the customer as less painful as possible. A repeated external advantage for the customer is that the customer likes to feel trusted. The customer likes to feel that they are shopping in trust. Customers want to do their shopping and not queue, but I only see one problem, the problem is that if the customer is dishonest then Waitrose will fall in profit.

One way that Waitrose beats this is by carrying out random bag searches. The key advantage for Waitrose is the fact that the system is completely wireless, communicating directly to the handy scan (quick check) PC over the RF network. The whole store design can be far more flexible because the need for cabling between the PC and the scanning rack is completely eradicated. Once an RF network is installed, it may be used for other equipment, providing the opportunity, for example, for additional temporary points-of-sale.

Scanner racks can be mounted against a wall (not possible with batch handsets); and scanners do not need to be returned to the original location. In terms of service to customers, RF scanners have access to more information because they are not restricted to the product file downloaded to the batch scanner overnight. Information to customers given via the scanner may also be personalised to reflect data provided at time of registering for an account – e. g. allergy sufferers can be alerted to traces of nuts in products they have scanned.

Security (CCTV)- Introduced 1995 With this technology we couldn’t really get a lot of information mainly because Waitrose feel this is a very private subject to discuss because they need to keep certain things private and confidential to the store in the interest of the customers and the staff. Waitrose in Surbiton is a big superstore and it would become very expensive to have security guards to cover the whole store. Waitrose have come up with a better idea, they have chosen to have CCTV (close circuit TV) covering the whole store.

Waitrose have installed CCTV for the customer’s peace of mind and the stores peace of mind. Waitrose will always use CCTV for prosecuting someone who as been caught shoplifting because as we know the camera never lies. CCTV has saved the store a lot of money through not employing physical staff so the money that they are saving from security can be used in other parts of the store. CCTV comes in many shapes and sizes, as we know cameras are getting smaller and know cameras are getting small enough to hide.

This is in Waitrose internally and customers externally benefit, because the store can catch more people thieving from inside the store be it products or personal belongings. Waitrose constantly are trying to look after their staff and customers, Waitrose have a policy of their employees and customers ‘have the right to work and shop in safety and not in fear of being harmed or robbed’. Electronic weighing scales With this technology there isn’t really many advantages and disadvantages to the store internally or externally to the customers.

The electronic weighing scales system was introduced in 1996 (when Waitrose in Surbiton was first introduced) to make the customers shopping more quicker and accurate, Waitrose also introduced the weighing scales because the old fashioned ones weren’t reliable enough and as the 20th century went on so did the stores technology. Waitrose knew that if they introduced electronic weighing scales then store efficiency ratings would rise and this is the main reasons why customers comeback to the store.

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages affecting the store internally. One of these advantages is that it cuts queuing times. When they had their old system of the old weighing scales the till person would have to weigh the produce and type the code in to the till, now all the staff have to do is barcode the produce into the till and pass it on, this way of tilling is more efficient to the staff and customers. Another internal advantage is that it is quick.

With the electronic weighing scales it saves time for till service and customer time. Another advantage is that with the old Weighing scales it used to round it up to the nearest whole number and this could mean that the store could be loosing money or making profit but now with the new electronic scales Waitrose can be guaranteed that they are not going to make a loss if anything they are going to make a profit mainly because they know that the electronic weighing scales are going to round it up to the nearest penny not down.

But with advantages there comes disadvantages. The first disadvantage is that people could deceive the store by placing their first page upon the weighing scales, getting their first price and then adding more produces. This means that Waitrose losses out on profit, the only way that I see that Waitrose can battle this problem is by randomly weighing the products to see if the customer is being honest. But what are the advantages externally, the customer? Well there are many and the first one is that the customer feels responsible and this makes the customer come back.

Another could be that it will save till services and queuing times because the customer isn’t waiting for the till person to weigh the produce and then type the code in. Another would be that the customer can see what and how much they are spending on their shopping because the electronic scales gives out a sticker of the weight and price of the produce so that the customer can see what they are paying. But there are disadvantages externally. Customers who come into the store for the first time may not realise how to use the electronic weighing scales efficiently and safely. I think that if Waitrose are going to carry on with their technology then they may want to give demonstrations to people or new customers.