Tesco end “unexpected item” checkout alert with friendlier voice

James Dewen, Self Service Checkout Operations Manager at Tesco, said: “Customers really like the convenience of our self-service checkouts but for some the voice leaves them a bit frustrated”.

The infamous phrase was introduced in 2003 and is a staple of Tesco’s 12,000 self-service checkouts.

“We’ve listened to customer feedback and opted for a softer and friendlier voice which most importantly has fewer phrases”. The only issue is, they often bark at you about unexpected items when all you did was fart near the bagging area.

Check the quick video below to hear what the new voice sounds like compared to the old one. “Remove this item before continuing”, has been replaced by: “This can now be placed in your bag”. “Notes are dispensed below the scanner”, has become: “Please don’t forget your change – especially notes”.

LONDON, July 30 Tesco will drop “Unexpected item in bagging area” and other phrases from its self-service check-outs after shoppers told Britain’s top supermarket they found the messages “shouty” and “irritating”. Thankfully Tesco hopes to change that by introducing a much more friendlier checkout voice to their Self Checkout terminals.

Best of all – the new replacement will be “less talkative”.

Announcing the changes, Tesco revealed that it was already trialling a nicer version at a small number of stores in Hatfield, Kensington and Edinburgh.

He added: “The gender of the voice happens to be male, but this was not our main consideration”.