CHENNAI: It doesn’t matter whether the bottle has the coloured liquid inside or not; the tipplers often feel they are at the receiving end. At times, their bottled-up frustration spills over, taking the form of heated arguments.
Raising concerns over the difficulties in collecting the `10 refund for returning empty liquor bottles are tipplers lined up at a liquor outlet in Egmore where the bottle deposit machine was introduced on a pilot basis for a period of one month.
A visit by TNIE to the Tasmac shop found consumers standing in long queues to scan their empty bottles. In many cases, the QR code printed on the bottles failed to scan properly, forcing consumers to wait for assistance from employees. The delays often led to arguments between customers and staff.
“I scanned the bottle with the help of the employee, but the machine did not accept it. I was then asked to wait for another 10 minutes,” said K Arun, a consumer.
Another consumer, M Ramesh, said many had tried to scan the QR code in vain, leading some to leave the spot without the refund. Even after the bottles are scanned, they are being collected in a large bag kept near the machine. If the bottles are being handled manually, what is the purpose of the machine,” he added.
Responding to the concerns, Tasmac managing director K Nanthakumar told TNIE, “The machine was installed by a Hyderabad-based company, Reklaim Ace, which approached the corporation with the proposal. “It has been installed only at the Egmore outlet as a pilot project. Tasmac has not purchased the machine. The company is bearing all related expenses. The collection of empty bottles is also being handled by the company and not by the Tasmac employees,” he said.
Nanthakumar added Tasmac would review the feedback received during the trial period and assess the operational performance of the machine before deciding whether to introduce the system in other outlets across the state.
