A Lidl customer has sparked an online row after claiming staff at a UK supermarket refused to serve him at a manned checkout, directing him to use self-service instead.
Customer's Frustration Erupts Online
The shopper, named Ronald, took to social media platform X on December 17 to voice his anger. He tagged the official @LidlGB account, alleging that team members at his local store were asking customers to use the self-service tills "because you're not using cash."
Ronald described seeing staff "doing nothing, just wiping the conveyor" at the traditional tills. His annoyance was compounded because he was purchasing age-restricted items. "When you have alcohol, it needs Age Verification, either way!! Annoyed? Yes!!," he wrote in his post.
Supermarket's Swift Response and Apology
Lidl's social media team responded promptly. A representative named Lauren initially apologised for "any upset caused" and asked for the store location to investigate.
Ronald identified the branch as Farnborough in Hampshire. In a follow-up message on December 18, he stated, "I found it incredulous, the guy would not use the till." He added that the store was not particularly busy at the time, citing a receipt timestamp of 21:13, and claimed another shopper present also couldn't believe the situation.
Feedback Passed for Internal Review
After receiving the store details, a second Lidl spokesperson, Farrah, replied on X. "So sorry about this. Thanks for confirming and making us aware," she said. The company confirmed it had passed the customer's feedback to its regional management team to be addressed internally.
The incident highlights ongoing customer tensions around the retail shift towards self-service technology, particularly for transactions requiring staff intervention, such as age verification.
