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Contact Vox to learn about how we can help you create a comprehensive Customer Experience that drives bottom-line results dramatically higher.

Jason Dabrowski is a friend of Vox, Inc.  He sent us this great example of how one Chicago Restaurant won his trust. 

Jason writes:

A few weeks ago, on a Friday, my partner and I went to take care of my brother’s dog. No big deal, just stopping in to feed him and take him for a walk.  Costello is in a crate most of the day while my brother and his girlfriend are at work.  This particular Friday night, neither of them was going to be home until the next morning.  So rather than deal with a mess and very, very unhappy dog, they asked us to stop in and take care of the pooch.

 
After feeding the dog and taking him for a nice long walk we went in search of food.  We were very hungry and ended up at his place called Caliente. Rockwell and Fullerton, I believe. From outside it looked pretty casual and inexpensive. When we sat down we quickly learned that it was casual but not cheap! Both of us starving, we decided to stay.  We got a little impatient because it had been a few minutes and nobody had come by to take our order. We have a rule, if we have to wait ten minutes, we walk.  We’ve had that happen at a restaurant, where we’re seated and end up sitting for more than ten minutes with no water and no menus. About 30 seconds after I started the timer on my phone the waiter came to take our order. I was worried the price wouldn’t match the food quality but I was too hungry to worry about that.  We got an appetizer, and two entree’s, not to big a deal, but still more than we wanted to spend.

A few minutes later the hostess showed up.  She placed a plate of homemade guacamole and homemade large, round chips on our table and said, “Here is some complementary guacamole while you wait for your food.”  According to the menu she just handed us $8 worth of food, for free! It was very good, well worth the price, but a little too spicy for me to finish it off. Our appetizer came before we had given up on the guacamole, and our entrees seem to arrive before we finished the appetizer. The waiter apologized for the wait, and the hostess apologized again when she brought us our check.
The food was wonderful, and even though it was expensive, we agreed that it was certainly worth the price. It’s funny, I was getting annoyed and disgruntled while waiting to order, but as soon as that delicious yet spicy guacamole arrived I forgot about being annoyed and really didn’t pay too much attention to how long it took to get our food and the check. The apologies were both unexpected and sincere, they seemed genuinely embarrassed.

It could’ve been a horrible experience, but my partner and I would love to go again and plan on recommending Caliente to my brother and his girlfriend and anyone else who wants a tasty dinner at a restaurant that cares about its clients. All they did was give us something for free that we weren’t expecting, apologized for the inconvenience, and sealed the deal with tasty food!  We were so surprised by the free guacamole that the wait for everything else didn’t even register.  We weren’t looking at our clocks, just marveling at how much these people sincerely wanted to give us a good dining experience with them, despite being short staffed. 

If you have had similar experiences, leave a comment with your story!  

Does the economy feel a little scary to anyone else?  Yes?  I thought so.

It’s more than the economy, however, that drives us to focus on customer reassurance as a tool today.  We are living in a world where we fear our personal data will be swiped off the receipt we casually throw in the waste basket.  We are living in a world where we fear our invoices will overcharge us and nobody will care.  We are living in a world where one small typo could mean we lose our health insurance and have to deal with a cumbersome and painful process to rectify things.

It is difficult to be a customer today.  There is little that works the way it should.  There are guarantees created to cover us only long enough to get us out of the store.  Billing has become a complex and convoluted process.

So imagine my surprise when I received a call from Chase Bank requesting Janet Walters call immediately to rectify a serious credit problem.  Two things you should know:

1.      I do, in fact, have an account with Chase.

2.      My name is not Janet.  It’s Jeanne (or Jeannie) and always has been.

I called back the 888 number provided and heard the man answer “Credit Services.”  He requested my credit card number (didn’t have it in front of me) or my social.  I hesitated, but then provided.  I explained my situation and he put me on hold.  He came back and said “It’s done.  You’re out of the system.” 

It was a brief exchange that left me feeling anything but reassured.  Was this even Chase?  What does “It’s done” mean, exactly?  Is my SSN now floating through space to thieves and crooks worldwide?

I frantically tried to find a way to reach Chase.  I was in my kitchen, so I found the yellow pages.  I found a toll-free number to call and wandered through the maze of choices until forcing the darn system to give me a real person.  What do I select, exactly, to inform them they have the wrong J. Walters and I believe I may have been duped??

I explain my situation and am transferred to the credit department.  “I just need to know if you, Chase, just accessed my account.  Is there a way you can do that?  I have the number I called - can you verify this??”

No.  Again and again.  The credit department; the security department…then they go to transfer me again and I’m left cold.  Nobody can reassure me.  Nobody can tell me anything.

I give up.

I have to tell my husband that I may have jeopardized our family’s financial security because of a call from Chase.

I wait for a few weeks to pass.  Nothing happens.  We get no more calls. 

I’m still not reassured.

My only reassurance?  I’ve told this story to a few people who had the EXACT same problem from Chase. 

Reassurance is all we want as customers.  We want to know our faith in people is still valid.  We want to know someone, somewhere is looking out for us. 

Online, reassurance is more than critical.  In any interaction, it can be the difference between feeling like “Phew!  I made a great choice” to “Oh no.  This is a terrible mistake.”

Knowing what we know - that it’s hard to be a customer; that it’s a scary world - we have to do more to reassure people doing business with us.  What can you do to reassure your customers today?  What ways are you leaving them feeling anxious?  Address those things and you’ll have loyalty. 

Back to the economy: it’ll be fine.  Feeling reassured? 

Me neither.

Or… How Staples lost my Confidence

Brand values are powerful tools that help create an emotional connection with customers.  Focused ad campaigns can draw in customers by the thousands, but how well does your company live by these brand values?  Just as important, how well does your company communicate that to your customers?

I order office supplies for my company - Vox.  When I started working here, Officemax was our office supply retailer.  But, among other issues, I felt they were consistently wasteful with packaging materials, so I switched to Staples! 

Staples had an excellent reputation as a company that cares about the environment.  I was impressed with their products made from post-consumer waste.  They even sent me a brochure detailing their progress in reducing greenhouse emissions.  All very impressive.  Clearly, they were in-line with Vox’s commitment to conservation.  So, I decided I should give them our money.

Now, after a year of regular orders, I no longer feel that camaraderie of purpose with Staples.  Nothing major happened.  It has just been the sum total of many small interactions.

One such detail is in ordering coffee.  I order these great k-cups that let you brew your own personal cup of coffee in Keurig machines.  The problem is that if I order 5 different packages of coffee, they will often be shipped to me individually, from different locations.  This is not only annoying, but wasteful.  I have often wondered if shipping them individually really is wasteful.  There’s a chance it somehow saves resources.  If this is the case, it should be communicated in some way, because to me, it appears to be wasteful!

For every one box of coffee that I order, I also receive:

•          One large cardboard box
•          Piles of plastic inflatable packaging materials
•          A separately shipped, fully detailed invoice
•          TWO packing slips

Why Staples feels the need to include two packing slips in each box continues to escape me.   It is such a small detail!  But it stands out to me.  Every time I open a box, I pull out the two packing slips and think, “Why are you wasting paper?!?!”  This tiny detail has helped to fizzle my enthusiasm for their organization.  I still hope that Staples is making a positive impact on the environment, but my day-to-day perception of them is that they are no different than any other office supply retailer - using their green philosophy as a sales pitch, but then failing to show their real efforts toward this commitment.

The lesson I think we can learn from this is that our customers have reasons for choosing us over someone else.  Every interaction creates a perception that contributes to their overall experience.  To keep customers longer, it’s important to understand those reasons and create a Customer Experience that reinforces brand promises on a consistent basis.  

3 Questions Around Trust

Blogs are abuzz with the news from the Better Business Bureau this week: Consumers have lost faith. 

In the recent BBB/Gallup Trust in Business Index, 13 out of 15 industries showed a decline in customer trust.

For most industries, then, customers have felt cheated.  They are now in the rebuilding phase, like after an affair in marriage.  Think about it.  If customers already lack this much trust, how will they know when to trust again?

Some companies are rebuilding trust already.  Dell took an extraordinary step in connecting with customers through www.dellideastorm.com, where customers suggest ideas and Dell responds to them.  Following this example and others, including the under-reported fact that cell phone companies showed an increase in trust levels, we see a call-to-arms to focus on building trust.

So what to do?  Rebuilding trust is no easy (or short-term) task.  Let’s break trust down to some simple elements from the customer perspective.

• 1. Am I getting value for what I’m paying?
• 2. Is there support when needed?
• 3. Is someone looking out for me?

With any purchase, we want to feel like we are getting value for the money.  With large purchases or long-term, intangible relationships (like insurance), we want to feel like someone is looking out for our best interests. 

Let’s start with value - beyond the initial “is this worth it” internal discussion, we have to justify if this relationship is worth paying for again and again.  How companies charge for their services is a prime example of a simple, direct way companies can rebuild trust.  How often have you received a bill with a new charge and not received any explanation to go with it?  Phone companies are often the culprits here, but I’ve seen it in healthcare, education and even dry cleaning!

Panera has a sign up in their cafes right now to explain some recent price increases.  It caught my eye near the register.  I’m paraphrasing a bit, but the idea is this - We understand the cost of fuel and food is higher now, and we appreciate you as a customer.  We are starting to face those same increases and ask for your patience as we work through this.  We have raised the price on some items, but are dedicated to continue to serve high-quality items.

What I like about this: it’s a straight-forward, we’re-not-hiding-from-this approach.  It’s easy to raise the charges on an item here and another over there.  It’s hard to look a customer in the eye and say you’re doing it, and here’s why. 

Have you tried to decipher a medical bill lately?  It’s painful.  Who knows who owes what when it is written in a different (but somehow angry) language?  I’m not sure when going to the doctor became my fault, but clearly the invoice senders (often not the docs) think I owe them an apology of some sort.

And what about support?  I dare you to call your medical insurer and ask for help.  Seriously, I dare you.

Finally, with such a low level of trust in the companies we interact with, how is it possible to think that anyone is looking out for us?  Remember those Citibank commercials from the 90’s?  Citi would call customers to alert them to unusual activity on credit cards.  This quickly became an industry norm, as I know my husband and I have received calls after traveling to Europe and using our cards.  Although there are some who say it’s intrusive, I feel like at least someone is watching out for me.  Providing upfront choices about customer preferences would help make this really powerful. 

Trust is such a big issue.  It really affects every piece of the customer experience.  Perhaps we should start a column, “Can this customer relationship be saved?” 

A 50-cent piece.  A half-dollar.  What do you do with it?  It doesn’t fit into vending machines or parking meters.  But it’s worth 50 pennies, just like two quarters.  To some companies, customers aren’t even worth this much.

Recently, I received a half dollar coin as change at a local book fair.  I accepted it, but have found myself frustrated by its presence.  I park at meters.  I covet quarters. 

I know what it’s like to work retail.  You can’t just open the cash drawer for anyone who asks.  But if a customer asks at that perfect moment of giving change - “Do you mind giving me two $5 bills instead of a 10?” - you accommodate.  It’s the least you can do.

I asked for 2 quarters in exchange for my shiny half-dollar.  The employee took the offensive coin to the owner to ask.  “He said no.”  That’s all she said as she handed it back.

The owner was about 4 feet away and couldn’t look up to acknowledge me or the situation. 

They lost a customer.  (Remember…50 cents!)

A few observations of the ridiculous refusal to turn 50 cents into 50 cents.

1. The clerk seemed completely baffled by the coin. She clearly didn’t recognize it as real money.
2. The owner did not provide a reason.
3. There was no apology.

Why highlight this small transaction?  Because time after time our clients ask us what are THE most important customer experience issues to tackle?  I often remind them it’s the little things.  Experience comes down to things like this.

What’s the first thing I did back at my desk?  Post to Twitter and write this blog.

The little things are FAR more interesting to engage in real-time conversation than the big things. 

A few BIG things to consider as ways to tackle the little things:

1. Empower your employees to solve problems for customers. Just like that. Say “you can solve their problems.”
2. Understand that customer feedback is swift and furious across networks like Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc. Momentum across these networks has the potential to cause nightmares for companies. On the flip side, positive experiences are shared, too.
3. If you can’t accommodate a request, just explain and apologize. For example, I understand retailers can’t give me all their quarters. Others have said “I’m sorry, but we can’t keep up with the demand for quarters in this area. There’s a bank down one block that provides change.”

More than ever, it’s a customers’ world.  We will decide where we spend based on how we valued we feel.  Don’t let your customers feel worth less than 50 cents.

Have there been little things that have driven you away from being a customer?  I’d love to hear about them.

“Enough, already!”  We UNDERSTAND that Customer Experience matters for all sorts of reasons. Now, please, somebody tell us what to do first!”

We recently met with a smart group of corporate executives at a large, successful company. They’ve been exploring all sorts of ways to improve their customer experience. They have dedicated team members, full-time research personnel and investment in strategic planning around CE.

Like many of the executives we work with, they have a clear understanding of why customer experience matters. They get what it influences – retention, cross-sales, loyalty and business success.  They also understand when it’s important – attention right now will influence factors in the future.  What they’re missing is the HOW.

Part of the how is brutal, unflinching honesty which can hurt. So for all you fearless executives looking to make an impact NOW with customer experience, here’s my advice. I recently wrote an article about the 5 keys to a Successful Customer Experience, which although I have never seen your business, I’ll take from and make some recommendations for you. The assumptions I’m making are:

• You want long-term, profitable and loyal customers who refer other customers to you
• You have a product or service that can be seen as a commodity – and usually is
• Your brand promise, while nice in advertising campaigns, isn’t lived throughout  your organization
• Your customers would describe you in all sorts of ways – anywhere from a necessary evil to just plain evil
• When asked about your company, a person on the street may come up with a well-known jingle or slogan, but not much about your actual customer experience

Just to review, the 5 Keys of Customer Experience are:
1. Know Your Best Customers
2. Review Your Customer Communications
3. Listen to All Customers
4. Create Happy and Customer-Centric Employees
5. Reflect Your Brand Values

Ok, so that’s all great, but what should you do first?

Here’s the one thing I would recommend you do today. Now. Right now.

Listen to your customers. Listen to your competitors’ customers. Learn. Improve. Repeat.

There are ample ways to do this.
1. Provide feedback mechanisms. Everywhere a customer looks, they should see you asking. Not asking “are you satisfied”, but “please tell us what you think.” Question customers about employee behavior, not just transactions.  “Did someone greet you?” is a better question than “Did you feel welcome?” Then get ready to act on that feedback – quickly. Don’t get bogged down in big ideas with cross-company committees. When you hear a good idea – act on it.

2. Eavesdrop on call center calls for the sole purpose of listening as a customer. How would you feel? How would you answer those questions? Did the company representative do whatever he or she could to make the call exceptional?

3. Watch social media. Customers talk. Do some searches, join the groups and pay attention. You can even ask the group directly for feedback. Trust me, they’ll tell you.

Armed with this knowledge, you can conquer the world. Don’t get bogged down with years of research to tell you about things in the past. Act now and act fast.

There is a time and place for research, committees and long-term solutions. We love companies who look long-term. But we have seen way too many companies drown in their own bureaucracy before taking just one baby step to improve. Don’t let that be your company.

p.s. Need help with step 1 or step 101?  Email me at Jeannie.walters@voxinc.com and let’s talk.

In celebration of World Usability Day, I kicked off my Woman v. Machine last November 8th. Since then I’ve spent the past nine months testing and exploring the self-service world. My Woman v. Machine experiment has taken me to exotic locales such as the Jewel supermarket check-out counter, the White Hen deli and the American Airlines kiosk. This has certainly been an interesting and eye-opening experience. So what have I learned about this industry? What are the pros and cons of self-service? Will or can machines really replace human beings? Here are my thoughts, recommendations and predictions.

The Pros
There’s no doubt the convenience factor of self-service machines is huge. While I don’t consider myself anti-social, for some things it really is nice to just go up to a machine, punch in a couple orders and get my money, pay for my gas or print my boarding pass. These are self-service machines I’ve used for years and feel comfortable and familiar with. I enjoy the sense of control and self sufficiency I get from using kiosks to perform these tasks and I like knowing what to expect – the process is consistent and nearly second nature. From a business perspective I can see that using kiosks for these types of tasks saves money. After all, does it really make sense to pay someone to punch my name into a machine and hand me a boarding pass when I can easily and quickly do it myself?

The Cons
If only every machine were so easy and intuitive to use. The truth is, self-service works a lot better for some things than others and some machine experiences are designed a whole lot better than others. Take the White Hen deli kiosk. Initially, it is confusing and frustrating to the user. The design was poor - I wasn’t sure what to click, what was going to end up on my sandwich, or what to do after my order was “complete.” I watched other customers stumble through the process and look equally confused, so I knew it wasn’t just me. The fact is poorly designed self-service machines, or self service machines employed in ways we’re not familiar with, can really be frustrating. After all, if something isn’t clear I can’t ask the machine a question. Most machines don’t have a “help” option and, because these machines are designed to replace human beings, there’s rarely anyone within earshot to help you troubleshoot.  When I encounter a problem with one of these machines I feel completely helpless and angry. After all, this cold and impersonal little machine is staring me down, not allowing me to do what I need to do, but also not giving me any help or options.

Recommendations
Whether you love them or hate them, self service machines are here to stay. Businesses realize the cost saving advantages these machines offer and plan to expand their use in a variety of ways and industries. Given my experiences, I have a few recommendations for improvements.

1. First, incorporate “help” options into the process. Either trigger the help option to notify an actual human being or, when appropriate, give the customer a phone number to call. At the very least, help links as part of the application or helpful instructions close by should be part of the design.  Nothing turns a customer off more than apathy. Not providing a way to answer questions or to provide assistance is a major negative of the self service industry.

2. Second, make these machines more intuitive. Employ better design by limiting the number of clicks and use of graphics and pictures unless they actually serve a purpose – otherwise they only confuse users. Also, provide clear directions and indicators as to “what to do next.”.

3. Third, make these machines more personal and human-like – ironic I know. Have them say or spell hello, thank you and goodbye. In some cases it may be nice or make sense to incorporate more human-like qualities such as voice activation and give customers more language options. I live in Chicago where there is a large Polish-speaking population, but the only language options I’ve ever seen are English and Spanish.

And the Jeannie Factors
1. Cleanliness – Provide hand sanitizer and screen wipes and please make sure these machines get cleaned - preferably every day.

2. Feeling Secure – Make sure areas around these machines are well-lit and have an alarm option to signal for help when something goes wrong. In many cases, users are asked to provide personal information, insert a credit card and/or collect cash.  It’s easy to feel vulnerable.

3. Convenience – Make sure the number and location of these machines meets the needs and expectations of your customer-base.

4. Environmental Factors – Provide better signage and clear directions for usage. Also, consider the actual physical space around the kiosks. In some cases, it feels as if they were shoved into a floor plan without thought to personal space, line queuing or guiding the user to the next physical space–like the checkout counter or security line.

What’s next? …
So where is this industry headed? As more businesses realize the cost-saving benefits of self-service, we’re sure to see more and more choosing to employ machines over employees. Soon customers will be seeing self-service kiosks at their favorite fast food establishments and retail stores. Kiosks also provide more opportunity for tie-in purchases for consumers, such as buying auto insurance at a car dealership or paying your utility bill where you buy light bulbs. Retail is full of ways to leverage these types of connections. Buying golf clubs at the local sporting goods store? Arrange your tee time and pay your greens fee at the handy kiosk nearby. Buying some hair products at the local beauty supply store? Don’t forget to schedule a haircut at your favorite salon via the kiosk in the aisle. The security limitations at airports create even more opportunities. Being able to use a kiosk to order toiletries upon arrival would make security lines a bit easier.

Stay tuned, we’re sure to see a lot of new and innovative uses for self-service machines as we continue on the voyage of becoming a self-service nation.

I was recently in Houston, TX meeting with a potential client to see how we can help with their overall customer experience strategy. I flew in that morning and my return flight to Chicago was booked for 5:40 p.m. I arrived at the airport at 3:19 p.m. and noticed a 3:30 p.m. flight, so I hustled to E17 – of course the last gate of the wing – and arrived at the gate around 3:25 p.m. I was greeted by an attendant who said I was too late for the 3:30 p.m. flight. She also informed me that unfortunately, she wouldn’t have been able to help me anyway. Turns out, as of June 19, Continental Airlines doesn’t allow you to go directly to the departure gate and attempt to get on an earlier flight. If there’s room on an earlier flight, you have to go to the Service Center (way back at the entrance of the concourse), pay a $50 change fee and get a new ticket issued. 
 
I thought about this for a few minutes. On my morning flight to Houston, the attendants were begging passengers to give up their tickets because they overbooked the flight. They were offering a $250 flight voucher and a breakfast voucher for any passenger willing to take a later flight.
 
So here’s the deal…

Airlines intentionally overbook flights, making them painfully crowded, (with the new checked baggage fee on other airlines, the overhead bin situation is ridiculous) and then reserve the right to bump people at will. Then, they routinely offer $250+ in compensation to those willing to switch flights. Yet airlines charge passengers wanting to switch to an earlier, and not fully booked, flight $50.
 
Yep, makes perfect sense.
 
The irony is that I was happy with my Continental experience on the way to Houston – nice people, didn’t seem to be charging for strange things like a muffin or checked baggage…
 
But guess what I’ll tell people about now?
 
I’d like to sit in on some of the board meetings where they make these decisions. “You know what?  We could charge $50 to all those travelers who use up empty seats on earlier flights! What a great idea!” Arrrgh.

Check this out!

Remember the library? I know many of us don’t use it as much as we should now that there are cushy chairs awaiting us at the local Barnes and Noble. But I happen to love my local library. Oak Park, Il, where I call home, opened a better version of the public library in 2003. There are comfortable reading spaces, an amazing children’s section, study rooms for groups and knowledgeable librarians to steer you in the right direction. But it’s the building itself and the way it’s designed that is really inviting. It truly is a community space.

There is something quaint about the idea of a library in this day and age. They actually let you borrow things, use them and then return them all at NO charge. Amazing!

One of the things I love most about my library is the self checkout feature. The kiosks are positioned throughout the building and are incredibly easy to use and efficient. The beauty is their speed and efficiency. Here’s the process. I quickly scan my card, stack my books in any old way – no need to open or prop or even lay flat out on the counter, and the machine checks them out. I see everything that’s happening on the easy-to-read screen. Similar to the grocery self checkout, I then have the option to print a receipt, complete with an itemized list of what I checked out and when each piece is due.

The receipt has saved me on more than one occasion. Have you ever checked out books with a 3-year- old? You leave with a stack of oddly shaped books – some shaped like ducks or fire engines, while some are no bigger than your hand. You’re pretty sure you checked out four only to discover you actually have six! So having a checklist makes getting them all back on time much easier. The self checkout machines have helpful and very clear instructions complete with photo illustrations, next to each station. So any environmental issues I would have highlighted here are null and void. They really seem to have thought of everything.

Being a dutiful taxpayer, I’m more than happy to support employees who are there to recommend and help, not just check out books. The machines do a fine job at that!

And the Jeannie factors:

Cleanliness: B — As usual, cleaning wipes nearby would be appreciated. Although the machines seem clean, I’m sure there are a lot of dirty fingers hitting that screen.

Feeling secure: A —All the self checkout stations are inside the library building. No problems here.

Convenience: A+ — No lines, no wait, and a helpful receipt at the end.

Environmental Factors: A — This particular library has self checkout stations well placed all over, exactly where you’d expect them. There are a few in the children’s section, a few near fiction, etc. There are also a few options in the lobby, close to the main checkout desk - where the real people sit.

This experience gives me hope! The whole process really does improve the customer experience, leading to a loyal customer…. me.

Where does the time go when you’re busy analyzing self-service kiosks? I’ve been offline a bit thanks to client work and travel, but fear not – I’ve been dutifully trying out various self-service options along the way…including:

1. Hilton Check-in/Check-out Kiosk: oops! Not working. For now, just a lobby decoration.

2. Southwest Airlines self-service kiosks: As with most airline kiosks, screen usability is not the issue, it’s the environment that leaves a lot to be desired.

3. Fill ‘er up: What’s more stressful than racing to the gas station to fill up the rental car before returning it? Without pay-at-the-pump, I’d still be in Philadelphia!

As with most things, there’s room for improvement across the board. But, so far on my exploits, I’ve picked a few favorites and a few not so favorites.

The best, so far:

Overall, banks have figured it out. By providing excellent legibility and overall ease of use, they prove they understand the purpose of creating a faster, more efficient method for customers to serve themselves. Customers have responded in kind, and today there are an estimated 1.5 million ATMs in use worldwide[1]. The crazy idea of charging customers who prefer human tellers was blasted out of the marketplace a few years ago and rightfully so[2]. Overall customers use and are happy with the 24/7 access ATMs provide. Remember the idea of “I have to go to the bank to get some cash”? That’s SO 1990. Chase is a great example of intuitive design and simple, convenient options.

Another successful model of self-service is the predictable, albeit excessively pricey, gas station pump which has become the preferred way to fill up for most people. Any way I can avoid walking into one of those gas cubes (or whatever those little bitty buildings are called) and waiting in line has got to be an improvement. An intriguing future lies ahead with entertainment and advertisements available via self-service pumps. Perhaps going to the gas station won’t be such a dreaded task if I can pass the time with a few minutes of Access Hollywood.

And now for the worst, so far:

While I love the convenience of White Hen, their self-service deli kiosks leave a lot to be desired. A big favorite with the time-pressed lunch crowd, customers are left scratching their heads as they attempt to order a simple ham and cheese sandwich. Navigation is unnecessarily complicated and the only help available is from the “I’m busy…must avoid eye contact,” deli employee. When I’m pressed for time, I love the idea of being able to order a custom-made to my liking sandwich; I just wish it wasn’t so confusing! A few tweaks to this system’s navigation could really help improve the overall customer experience. After all, customers love when they can accomplish something quickly and easily on their own.

Another lackluster self-service machine, grocery store self check-out machines. Why does it keep beeping at me? Ok, I’m ready to pay, now what? Where’s my receipt? Help…someone, anyone. Today, nearly a quarter of all supermarket chains offer self-checkout, up from only 6 percent in 1999, and an estimated 50% of customers use them[3]. Whether you love them or hate them, self check-out machines are here to stay and it’s likely you’ll be seeing a lot more of them in a variety of different retail settings. It would serve the kiosk industry well to be proactive and survey customers to find out what needs improvement before self check-out kiosks take over the retail industry.

While designed to empower customers, nothing can cause more frustration than a poorly designed self-service machine. Here are a few questions I’d like to pose to the self-service industry to challenge them to improve:

1. How can we make them cleaner? Yuck. Is someone supposed to clean these machines? Because in general, they don’t.

2. How can we make them more secure? A bit part of usability is about making the “user” feel comfortable. In some cases, security concerns far outweigh convenience factors. It’s a scary world out there, let your customers know you care and pay attention. Install better lighting and ways to connect to a human.

3. How can we hear “thanks” a little more often? A true missing feature is the human touch. Shell gas station made a point to say “Thank You” when the transaction was complete. This stood out because it’s not as common as it should be.

[1] ATM Marketplace, December 2007

[2] Barry Meier, “Need a Teller? A Big Bank Plans $3 Fee,” New York Times, April 27, 1995

[3] Joel Elson, “Computers seen transforming supermarket of the future,” Supermarket News, April 23, 1984