Supermarket voices

I started writing this on a 2'' by 4'' Ipod screen, which can be tough because the miniature keyboard in much smaller than my finger and this screen is full size when I work on the desktop. But it has the distinct advantage that I can be lying on the couch with my feet up and still key in the text as long as I am within range of the wireless. Uploading photos is tough so I will have to wait until I am back on the desktop......which happens to be now only a week or so later.

The photo here has nothing really to do with what I thought I'd write about but I am sure I can make a connection. Its the latest pickings from our miniature garden. But it is food and I was struck by something the last couple of times I was at Stop & Shop and I wanted a picture. Now I should say I have nothing against Stop & Shop, though I prefer to smaller stores if I can. Not real small but slightly smaller. They are just easier to maneuver around and get in and get out. But again I digress off the subject. The smaller stores actually have people to scan your food even if they don't bag it.


What I noticed the last few times at Stop & Shop was that the voice had changed on the auto check-out. I usually try to sneak up on it and scan in my card before the sensor notices I am there and the voice asked me and thanks me for my card at the same time, almost jumbling the words. Just the same as when you quickly scan things in and it can't keep up. Hey, so I get small pleasures out of confusing machines.

What struck me this time was that the voice was no longer the slow paced monotone using longer vowels, it was quick, concise and a little clip and almost fast enough to keep up. The slow voice had been fired.

Perhaps the slow voice was causing people to scan slower and they focus group tested that they could get us to do what used to be "their job" of scanning, even quicker and move the line along.

It struck me as how very different it sounded and though I use to make fun of it, I missed the voice that was gone.

So are they going to speed up the conveyor belt to get things to pile up quicker at the end and get us moving even quicker? Perhaps the voice could be programed to encourage us to pack things quicker and move on......not.

The other voice is the one that pages people for phone calls or announces that deli orders are ready for pickup. I always thought I was the only person who did a mock salute whenever General Merchandise was paged. That is until someone I work with joked about doing the same thing, first with his kids and now as just a joke. I was amazed.

I didn't ask him if he also sang along with or danced with the music or mocked some of the other pages. I didn't want to risk coming off as too strange, though I have written here about another friend who also does just that and it gives me hope that there really people out there who find strange humor at the supermarket.