Service with a smile

Afriendly chinwag with a local shopkeeper over the groceries used to be one of life’s small joys. Then came self-service checkouts and contactless payment, and the process of buying one’s milk became an anonymous, business-like and thoroughly speedy affair. Now, in the name of saving yet more time, Mastercard is injecting some personality back into the shopping experience: under new plans unveiled by the company, customers will soon be able to ditch their cards altogether and pay by smiling or waving at checkouts. The possibility that customers will feel thoroughly ridiculous grinning at unmanned machines appears not to have occurred to anyone. Let us hope, at least, that the sight brings a smile to the faces of fellow shoppers: that way everyone will get their groceries.