~Self Service Kiosk~
~Race To The End Of The Line~
As I stand patiently in line, I watch the chaos around me ensue. I figure the couple in front of me must have been in line for a very long time. I saw them in line 10 minutes ago… when I had first entered the store. There is a lot of sighing… head-shaking… and staring. People look confused and are craning their necks, trying to catch a glimpse of the activity ahead … maybe it’s a celebrity? But there is no rock star… just the hum of computerized machinery; sounds and lights of modern technology- the SELF SERVICE CHECK OUT KIOSK. beep beep beep!
There seem to be 4 self service kiosks but the line isn’t moving. Either the customers are conducting a tutorial on the machines or the machines have crashed. It’s a mystery at this point. There seems to be only 1 live person manning the 4 kiosks… and she can only deal with 1 customer at a time. While the customers at the kiosks are frantically looking for human assistance the customers in line are getting more and more impatient. Meanwhile the 1 regular check out line with the real person is moving along smoothly.
Hmmm, what’s wrong with this picture? The stores have obviously implemented these machines in order to be more efficient. They hire less manpower and are able to put in more kiosks in place of full check out stands. Now, it stands to reason that there should be less of a line-up. This proves not to be the case when customers are “stuck” at the kiosks. The outcome? Frustrated customers and longer lines.
These self service kiosks exist in other cities. But seemingly the same problems do not persist there. In fact, it’s been observed that customers elsewhere actually prefer scanning there own items. But why? Why is there such a divergence in opinions?Â
I’m all for efficiency but sometimes I wonder if we are ready this type of technology. Maybe these kiosks aren’t ready for us humans.
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