Chocolates to pacify customers

Press, 24 October 1980, Page 1

Chocolates to pacify customers

Shoppers in the Merivale Mall Supervalue food store were treated to free chocolates yesterday after* noon after the store’s new computer check-out system broke down. It was the second time that the new system, which has been working less than two weeks, had broken down.

The shop’s manager, Mr S. F. Fraser, said that a malfunction ih the system stopped the nine check-out terminals about 3 p.m. yesterday. The problem had not been finally identified, although it seemed to be caused by overheating. Adding machines and the old cash registers were brought out to do the checking-out.

As the breakdown occurred on a late-shopping night, Mr Fraser said “quite a few customers were delayed. Although there were some complaints from customers,

most had been very good about it. “We rushed round madly giving them chocolates to keep them sweet,” Mr Fraser said. One woman who telephoned “The Press” said it took her 45 minutes to get through the check-out. She said some shoppers abandoned their laden trolleys in the aisles because they became tired of waiting. Mr Fraser said he hoped there would be no more problems with the system, although four old registers were being kept on hand just in case. The system had been working in South Mall for 2\ years without any problem. Under the new system every item has a code number which is keyed into the check-out terminal. The item and its price are automatically printed on the customer’s docket.

Mr Fraser said the system had the capacity to keep a count of stock levels in the store.