Please note: This site's design is only visible in a graphical browser that supports Web standards, but its content is accessible to any browser or Internet device. To see this site as it was designed please upgrade to a Web standards compliant browser.
 
Signal vs. Noise

Our book:
Defensive Design for the Web: How To Improve Error Messages, Help, Forms, and Other Crisis Points
Available Now ($16.99)

Most Popular (last 15 days)
Looking for old posts?
37signals Mailing List

Subscribe to our free newsletter and receive updates on 37signals' latest projects, research, announcements, and more (about one email per month).

37signals Services
Syndicate
XML version (full posts)
Get Firefox!

Self-Serve Confusion

09 Mar 2004 by Jason Fried

I’m so glad Andrei at Design by Fire posted a critique on self-checkout lanes at supermarkets. Whenever I go to the store, I always set aside about 5 minutes to just watch people struggle through them. It’s really a great way to learn about how people interact with machines (specifically the combination of virtual and physical interfaces). Try it sometime, I promise you you’ll learn something.

I’ve actually been meaning to put together an analysis of American Airline’s horrible self-ticketing kiosks. I’m shocked at how bad the interface and experience is. However, I’ve been afraid to take pictures of anything at the airport lately (especially since the kiosks are located near ticket counters and baggage scanning machines).

28 comments so far (Post a Comment)

09 Mar 2004 | One of several Steves said...

I just had time to skim the critique, and there are some good points there. But, overall, I don't find the self-checkout systems to be too bad. I use the one at one of my local groceries frequently (in large part because they never seem to be able to staff the checkout lanes appropriately, and the lines are always huge - which is a big part of why I've taken the bulk of my shopping to a competing grocer a little further away).

I had very little learning curve with the things. The only major pain is checking produce that doesn't have a UPC tag attached. And I'm not real sure how you'd avoid that.

Although, occasionally, the thing gets annoying in thinking you didn't place an item in a bag, which then won't allow you to move on. I've had to take things out of bags and put them back in just so it'll let me proceed.

09 Mar 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

I wrote about this back in October on my site, Here is the context of that post -

[There are times] when I visit my local retail outlet I am treated as hidden. For instance, the self-checkout registers in certain stores are useless when purchasing something that requires an ID check, or manual input because -more often that not - there is a bored clerk stationed to monitor the small cluster of self-serving stations.

Why bored? Because they are not actively participating in the transaction hence, the customer becomes invisible. This technology, designed to make my life easier and faster, has now placed a burden on me, because I have to go wake up (or find) a checkout clerk to allow me to continue my transaction.

Any business designed to interact with customers personally (like a grocery store) should do precisely that and not leave the CRM duties to a smart terminal and bored clerk.

09 Mar 2004 | Urbanchords said...

One thing that I have enjoyed lately is the automated system at the movie theater. I love these things. No more standing in line behind someone, who still hasn't decided which movie to watch. Or having to talk to the person behind 1 inch thick bullet proof glass, and a speaker box that you can't understand.

For the most part the interface is well designed. Select a movie > Select a time > Select type of ticket > Select quatity...pay for it and you are out of there. It would be nice to be able to select movies by nearest to current time though.

It is a good start though.

09 Mar 2004 | tim said...

The writer mentioned his troubles with American Airlines' self-serve kiosks. I've used a number of airline kiosks (American, Delta, United, ATA) and they all seem to be based on the same software, which is good from a user's standpoint. I also have no problems with the application itself. Sometimes it's easy to overlook an option (each airline has its own design for the front end), but I love them. They save so much time.

09 Mar 2004 | g said...

"However, Ive been afraid to take pictures of anything at the airport lately"....wow, that comment really speaks to our current state of freedom in this country. Do us all a favor and take the pictures, Jason. If anybody asks what you are doing, simply explain the truth.

09 Mar 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

[g] ...our current state of freedom...

Freedom or security?

09 Mar 2004 | Peter Davidson said...

I love systems like these because they save time for those who are able to figure them out and become an early adopter.

Mark, you are making the assumption that people want to interact with people when shopping. ATM machines have taught us that this is not the case.

Personally, I prefer well designed machines to the interaction with poorly trained, low paid, disinterested, distracted workers in retail and fast food restaurants. Nothing personal with them just the system that they are a part of.

A store nearby is testing Symbol Technologies hand held self serve scanner that works in conjunction with the self checkout machines and greatly streamlines the checkout process. I wrote about it here.

09 Mar 2004 | Jason Fried said...

Here's what I find interesting about the self-service push... Customers are doing more and more of the "labor," but prices aren't going down. In effect, we're buying products and doing the sales work, but we aren't being paid for it.

09 Mar 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

Peter, in reply to you and the followup by Jason -

For me, it depends on what the situation is. I will most always use an ATM for cash withdrawal - but never for a deposit. I will usually give a no thanks to a sales person when shopping - unless I'm looking for something in particular, or the sales person has indicated to me a talent for shopping. I like to shop at the Men's Wearhouse for instance and when I do, I always seek out a salesperson first thing.

In the case of the self-checkout stands. I usually prefer to use these as well. However, if I'm buying a bottle of wine for instance, I will check either a) if there is a clerk there and b) if that clerk strikes me as being alert to their job. Because, the wine will trip a code that the clerk has to verify my age. If they are not paying attention, I have to stop what I'm doing to wave my arms, yell, or walk over to them to continue my transaction.

As Jason pointed out. In the case of the self-checkout. I am doing all the work - shopping, checking out and bagging - yet I pay the same price as those who utilize the traditional checkout system. There should be some type of "reward" or discount for customers who do this.

But, I guess that's why there is really no such thing as a well designed system. They are designed to trip "intercession codes" so that the customer still has to interface with the employee at some level.

09 Mar 2004 | Adam said...

Automated systems are great at the movies but not quite at the retail store. I have seen a good (relatively) design at the Stop and Shop stores in southern New England. The interface (the scanner, touch screen, payment slots) are all centrally located at the beginning. No reaching across to hit a button or to look at the price.

You place each item on the scanner belt and it passes under a U shaped piece of metal that I imagine scans the object. Then it all collects at the end so you can bag it. I haven't tried Wal-Mart's system but from what I've seen it's the same company. Home Depot uses it also. (Which I think isn't a good enviroment, too many objects that don't fit on the scanner belt.)

While I was at Stop and Shop's website trying to find a picture of the self checkout, I was reminded of their deli service, in front of the counter is an LCD screen, if you have a large or unique order you can punch everything in, go and grab your other items and come back and pick up the order.

Back to the original point, I don't think self checkout is a bad idea, but of course it's the ever important design that effects everything. How about a 37 Signals Express design?

09 Mar 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

Actually, thinking about it further...

If I have to go out of my way to performing what amounts to a managerial duty of alerting a checkout clerk of an error or tripped code, then I should get the product which caused the code or error at no cost.

Based on my experiences, I would have alot more wine in my rack under that scenario.

09 Mar 2004 | Tim said...

After trying these machines for a while, there are a bunch of reasons I avoid the "self-checkout" lanes in our local supermarkets, most of which revolve around the liquidity of human-interaction during checkout. Buying groceries with a human helping me is very flexible, buying groceries from a machine is very inflexible. A couple specific examples:

- I am "coupon clipper" (i'll admit), and many times, coupons don't register properly in my order...like, it won't be able to match up with the proper item or number of items. The human cashier will be able to manually enter coupon codes (and trust i'm not trying to rip them off for $.35) or quickly scan through my receipt. The computer will choke, and i'll be left standing there, flashing a light, waiting for a person to come over.

- some items, like salads, produce, etc, that don't have a UPC to scan in, have product codes that most cashiers know off the top of their heads (or they can look it up on a sheet, or they can enter in the numbers on those little stickers on some items). The system at my supermarket's compu-checkouts require me to look up each item on some weirdly organized computer menu, that doesn't necessarilly match up with the items I am buying (There was only one, medium-looking salad container, yet I have to chose between large and small...hmmm).

- cashiers really just are in the "zone" about scanning properly. If I were buying a 4' x 4' UPC-printed pillow, I couldn't scan the thing properly.

There are nuances to this type of transaction that just can really only be captured in a human-to-human interaction. Some other things that bug me:

1.) The loud (and I mean seemingly too loud), female robot voice telling me what to do. She always responds to a button-push with a weirdly-paced "OK...!"

2.) The whole bagging thing. I don't really know the hangup about bagging an item IMMEDIATELY AFTER I SCAN IT or Robocop will come and blow my head off. It seems like the computerized checkout computer exists only to demand immediate bagging.


09 Mar 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

The other inconvience...

I hardly ever carry cash - prefering to use my debit card. My local Kroger used to allow debit payments up to $50 without a signature. Now everything, regardless of amount, needs to be signed. So, if it's a busy day in the self-check section, my convienance is once again compromised because I have to go to the checkout clerk and wait for her to dig through her stacks of receipts to find mine to sign.

09 Mar 2004 | Mark Fusco said...

The other inconvience...

I hardly ever carry cash - prefering to use my debit card. My local Kroger used to allow debit payments up to $50 without a signature. Now everything, regardless of amount, needs to be signed. So, if it's a busy day in the self-check section, my convienance is once again compromised because I have to go to the checkout clerk and wait for her to dig through her stacks of receipts to find mine to sign.

09 Mar 2004 | Paul said...

A variation on the self-checkout is the self-scan/self-checkout combo, which Jewel was starting to put into place last year (unsure if it's still out there) and is what Peter mentioned.

Basically, you pick up a scanner at the entrance and it sits neatly on your cart. As you shop, you scan items. This wasn't all that horrible if it was easy to find a UPC, and as a bonus it kept a running total - something I find quite handy.

But for things like produce, there are self-weigh stations. You weigh the produce, punch in a code, and get a printed label with a UPC... that you scan.

At the end of the trip you approach the self-checkout monstrosity and scan an "end of trip" UPC. The scanner goes into a holder, and the actual transaction - along with coupons - is handled by the same ugly self-checkout process. But there's no "Please insert item in bag!" annoyance.

Anyway, I mention this because I thought it was a novel idea but I can't see myself choosing to use this over seeing an actual human cashier. I think half of the problem with any self-scanning system is that UPCs aren't placed in the same location on... well, anything. It's neat technology, but I feel it gets in the way.

09 Mar 2004 | Drew McLellan said...

The hand-held self-scan is in pretty wide use here in the UK. As Paul said, you pick up a scanner at the door and scan each item as you place (and pack) it in your trolly/cart. The trollies have convenient scanner holders on the handle bar so the device isn't ever a burden.

Once you've finished shopping - and I think this is a key difference in how the system works over here - you go to one of a number of dedicated self-scan checkouts, which are manned by a regular checkout attendant. You pass them your scanner, and they take it from there. It's usually a case of them scanning any 'problem items' (stuff like last-minute reductions which aren't in the system - such things are rare) and then processing your card. Any age verification on alcohol is transparent.

They do perform spot checks, which are picked at random by the machine. At this point the attendant requests help from colleges and they manually rescan either a couple of bags, half the load, or everything to make sure you're not cheating. I've had a couple of bags scanned once in two years of using the system weekly.

The advantages to the system are that you pack your bags once - incrementally as you go around the store. The next time you have to handle your purchases is when you lift them into the car. The other main advantage is that checkout is extremely quick. I can't see how the self-checkout lanes described above can actually save you that much time.

I really like the system in operation in the UK, and use it even if I'm only shopping for a couple of items.

09 Mar 2004 | Peter Davidson said...

Until RFID tags change the game we're stuck with UPC barcodes. While it's true that they can be difficult to find it is also true that people often purchase the same items over and over. Once you learn where they are on your most often purchased items it's not difficult. Barcodes are almost always on the bottom or the backside of packages as most people place items face up on the belt therefore items pass over the traditional scanners with the barcodes facing down toward the scanner.

Of note are the house brand packaging from German based discount grocer Aldi. Their cost models are based on checkers scanning 45-50 items per minute. In order for their scanners to more easily read the UPC codes, barcodes are stretched vertically until they are perhaps 6" tall. This trades package real estate for scanning/checkout speed.

And for those who feel the customer is doing all the work and not enjoying cost savings, I would say that there is always an exchange of value for the differing shopping "features." There's always a trade between information, time/convenience, service, costs, etc. Besides it's only a few years before robots and rfid change everything. You'll get your checkout time back.

Another aspect of automated checkout machines is the displacement of impulse merchandise. Traditional checkout lines feature magazine and candy racks to appeal to waiting shoppers in line. Most implementations of automated checkout lines that I've seen keep the areas around the machines clear. What's to happen to the business plans of marketers that rely on checkout line sales?

10 Mar 2004 | Andrei Herasimchuk said...

I have a few responses to some of the comments.

"One thing that I have enjoyed lately is the automated system at the movie theater. I love these things. No more standing in line behind someone, who still hasn't decided which movie to watch"

Really? At my movie theater, I find I am constantly waiting behind people who struggle with these machines. (And I live in Silicon Valley, where you would think people would be more savvy to this sort of machine.) Some have learned how to use them, but it is by no means a homerun, especially when yuo get caught behind somoene who refuses to give up.

"I love systems like these because they save time for those who are able to figure them out and become an early adopter."

What real advantage does being an "early adopter" have here? Say the grocery starts to kill most of their checkout lanes, which they will. Then you'll be stuck waiting behind people as they struggle. What have you gained then? Further, all it takes is for one or two people to get stuck, and like a bad accident on a freeway, the line piles up behind it.

As for using the fact that people avoid them as some sort of "benefit," that just sounds cynical to me, and a bit elitist, to be honest.

"While it's true that they can be difficult to find it is also true that people often purchase the same items over and over. Once you learn where they are on your most often purchased items it's not difficult."

Care to quanitfy "not difficult." Have you tested this measurement against a group of 100 users and found this to be the case? Did more than half not have any "difficulty?" This sounds like personal opinion, and is one of the thigs htat get designers in trouble a lot. (And egineers.) the "I don't think it's hard, so it must not be" line of thinking. Maybe you are not doing this, but without research or proof to back up the claim, it's just... a claim.

I'm a smart person, and I find getting the bar code to scan a pain. Even if I can find the bar code in some short span of time (under 5 second maximum) getting some items to recognize is not always easy. Especially on shrink-wrapped items.

10 Mar 2004 | pb said...

Jason wonders why prices aren't coming down. Because the convenience of self-service can and should be promoted as a benefit. Even if it may not be all the time.

Andrei misses it on several levels. Being an early adopter obviously affords you less competition and so a faster process. The movie and airline kiosks are good example. They are still for the most part faster than waiting in line for a human. I've been to movie thaters where half the kisoks are out of order and several people don't know what they are doing and the kiosk is still faster than standing in line.

C'mon Andrei, scanning bar codes is not that difficult. Maybe you should try it some time.

10 Mar 2004 | Adam said...

Two comments made me think this: why are there people who aren't good with self service systems using the movie ticket atm and the self checkout at the supermarket? Funny isn't it..

Second, I'm a cashier myself and I find the self serve registers to actually run slow, so I can't scan too quickly and overload the belt. (Which scans my item and makes sure it's correct.) I wonder if this is a case or if I'm imagining it.

10 Mar 2004 | Peter Davidson said...

Andrei, you are correct it is my opinion not research or testing I didn't imply that it was. I agree that designers and engineers can get in trouble there.

As for being an early adopter, the advantage in just my experience is time savings because the machines are still not crowded here. You are correct this advantage will disappear as more people begin to use these systems.

Drew, your description of the hand-held scan sounds just like the system here. We can either go through a checker line as you describe or use the self checkout machine. I prefer the machine. It's fast and easy with a credit card.

10 Mar 2004 | Andrei Herasimchuk said...

C'mon Andrei, scanning bar codes is not that difficult. Maybe you should try it some time.

Obviously, I'm not smart enough. Gee... I wonder how I spent all those years working on the interface for products that millions of people of use...

10 Mar 2004 | scottdye said...

In my opinion the problem still remains that the workers aren't trained well enough...it's THEIR interface design that needs work. I go to way too many stores where the checkout person just doesn't care. I don't blame them, I blame their managers. Any low-paid, usually very young worker tends to not be energetic...unless they are TAUGHT how to be. And how many of us would react well to have the feeling of being "replaced" by a machine?

I don't think the idea of adding these was to replace people, just to allow less people to cover more lanes. It's a good strategy that's not being utilized correctly yet. Having a poorly trained (and managed) clerk stand behind a desk (which makes them less approachable) doesn't help the experience. Yet training them to be mostly out-of-the-way, yet helpful and accessible, would allow them to enhance their area.

It's not always the machine's (or the machine's design) that's the root of the problem...

10 Mar 2004 | Matthew Oliphant said...

Care to quanitfy "not difficult." Have you tested this measurement against a group of 100 users and found this to be the case? Did more than half not have any "difficulty?" This sounds like personal opinion, and is one of the thigs htat get designers in trouble a lot. (And egineers.) the "I don't think it's hard, so it must not be" line of thinking. Maybe you are not doing this, but without research or proof to back up the claim, it's just... a claim.

I love you Andrei.

Not that I am a big fan of them much anymore (another story for another time), but I wonder what sort of usability objectives these stores set for the self-help serve lanes. Not that they would call them usability objectives of course.

In university, I worked at a cafe where we had an objective that no matter how long the line was, no one stood there longer than 1 minute before we took their order. And no one waited longer than 2 minutes to get their drink after their order (unless we had to reset the grind). We averaged about 1200 drinks a day. The manager would time us once in a while, and if we weren't meeting the objective, we would all figure out how to make it work, though usually it wasn't a problem.

10 Mar 2004 | Darrel said...

"Jason wonders why prices aren't coming down. Because the convenience of self-service can and should be promoted as a benefit. Even if it may not be all the time."

It's only a benefit due to the total collapse of decent human service in most industries.

Take the bank, for instance. There are times when I forget how bad the bank's 'human' experience is and stop in to deposit something. A nightmare. Every. Single. Time.

Usually a half hour wait. They're closing branches left and right, so I there's never a branch near me anymore. Ugh.

So, yes, in comparison to that, ATMs are OK. So, I'm using less of their human staff's time, yet I'm paying increasingly high fees for pretty much anything?

It's gouging. Pure and simple.

As I mentioned on Andrei's site, the big problem is that these check-out systems are still, for the most part, the same ol' system just turned around to face the customer. I use them when at Home Depot simply because the staff there is so poorly trained that I'll put up with the idiotic interface just to get out of there as fast as I can (which begs the question, how much do these self-check out systems affect the impulse buys while waiting in line?)

10 Mar 2004 | Don Schenck said...

Anyone use online grocery shopping? How long before the convenience outweighs the added cost?

Our local "Giant" supermarket has those stupid do-it-yourself checkouts (aside: I *refuse* to do it myself unless I get a discount) in addition to regular "full service" checkouts.

I say full service in quotes because they'll typically have 10 aisles open and one -- count 'em, one -- bagger on duty. Most people just give up and bag their own groceries out of impatience. I FLAT OUT REFUSE to bag my own unless -- you guessed it -- I get a discount.

If I want to bag my own food, I'll go to Aldi's and save a bundle.

It's quite frustrating when you *pay* for service, expect that service, and then it's not delivered.

ARGH!

10 Mar 2004 | One of several Steves said...

I hear you, Don. But, I do go ahead and do the self-serve checkout and bag stuff myself, etc. because I'm too impatient. At the groceries I go to, it's usually not the staff that's too slow (although, during the recent grocery strike here in southern California, the replacement workers were so slow and generally incompetent that it was painful), it's the people in front of me. Arguing over 5 cents on a can of soup or taking forever to figure out how they want to pay or makign everyone wait to find exact change buried in the bottom of their purse.

I can do things better and more quickly myself in many cases, and I'm happy doing it. My time's more valuable to me than my money.

10 Mar 2004 | Paul said...

Don: Anyone use online grocery shopping? How long before the convenience outweighs the added cost?

About two seconds, for me. My wife and I have used the exciting King Soopers Homeshop, once successfully, and have become frustrated at its interface.

For example, when looking in a department and sorting results alphabetically, Kroger brand items are always first. So you'll get about 2 pages of Kroger stuff before you get to the As.

I really do think WebVan hit the sweet spot when it came to online shopping interfaces - I really liked them. This pales in comparison.

Comments on this post are closed

 
Back to Top ^