Elaine chose the quiet self checkout because the other machines kept giving advice.
This one stayed silent through bread, milk and biscuits.
At the end, the screen asked whether she wanted help.
Elaine pressed no, but the machine finally spoke.
Elaine liked doing her weekly shop early. The aisles were calm, the bread was fresh and nobody had parked a trolley across the tea.
Her only problem was the self checkout.
The machines always sounded disappointed in her.
Unexpected item in bagging area.
Elaine would look at the bag. The unexpected item was usually the item she had just scanned.
One machine asked her to remove it. Another asked her to put it back. A third called an assistant because Elaine had bought a lemon without official supervision.
That morning, she noticed a machine at the end with no sound coming from it.
Perfect, she said. One that respects privacy.
She scanned bread, milk, eggs and a packet of biscuits. The machine did not complain once.
Elaine grew confident. She scanned a reduced pie. She weighed three apples. She even placed her handbag near the bagging area and heard nothing.
A young assistant watched from a distance.
Elaine smiled at him.
This one understands experienced shoppers.
The screen asked whether she had her own bags. Elaine pressed yes.
It asked whether she wanted a receipt. She pressed no.
Then it asked whether she wanted help.
Elaine pressed no again.
For the first time, the machine spoke.
Please wait for an assistant.
The young man came over and tapped a code into the screen.
Elaine asked what was wrong.
Nothing, he said. This machine only calls us when a customer has been doing too well.
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