I don’t talk to librarians anymore. Can’t think of the last time I spoke to someone at the bank. Airline counters are a thing of the past. If I have 10 items or less at the grocery store, I don’t talk to a cashier (unless I have produce. Produce is complicated..). By the time I arrive at the movies, I go right to the concession stand and into the theater. When was the last time I went inside a convenience store to pay for gas? I’d never have to go into the store if they would simply put a drink dispenser next to the gas pump.
Every one of these areas in my life (and more) provide a self-service option. I am willing to take them up on their offer more often than not (except of course, in the case of produce. I can’t figure out how to ring up the right lettuce…)
And, judging by the number of growing terminals and the people at those terminals, I’m not alone. User interfaces are simple. The technology works. I can get what I want.
And, I’m not anti-people. I tend to like people. My wife is a people. My kids are people (in varying degrees). I’m mostly people myself.
But, I’ll tell you, there are some instances when I’m happier with my self-service experience than others. The library is fantastic. Easy. Quick. Scan a barcode on the outer cover of the book and be off. The grocery store, Wal-Mart and Home Depot are not my favorite. The self-checkout process is complex. Lots of payment options. “Unexpected Objects in Bagging Area?” ARGH!
Last week, I was speaking with Ram Thakur, PhD who is on top of self-service. He said that simplicity is the key. The more complex the process, the higher level of dissatisfaction. Makes sense to me.
But, self-service isn’t going away. It is getting smarter and will pop up in almost every area of our life. They don’t make mistakes. They are easy to use. They are less expensive and more consistent than humans and they don’t mind working at all hours without a break.
(Note: GuestSpan is very concerned with this topic as we intend to put self-service into every hotel room in the world. Hotel guests will get everything they want (food, product, information, service) more quickly than they have every experienced. Watch for us in your next hotel stay.)
