Posts Tagged ‘process design’

Self-serve credit crunch

Posted in Usability Tips on February 5th, 2010 by Shefik Bey – 4 Comments
Woolworths Self-Serve Checkout
I hadn’t used the self-serve checkout at my local Woollies as my trolley is normally stacked high, however, this weekend I seized the chance to finally test it out when I dropped in to purchase a few essential items.

The process was slower than I had expected it to be, but the real crunch came at the point of making a payment; my credit card signature needed to be assessed by the self-serve assistant.  It was apparent after a moment or two of scratching my head and looking about like a idiot, that it was I (rather than the system) that was required to notify an assistant that they were required to complete this transaction.  As the assistant was busy attending other customers I had to wait, for what seemed a long time, for my turn.  This seemed completely counter-productive.

I have used my credit card in a number of other comparative self-serve systems recently including car park and public transport ticketing machines.  In these instances signature validation was not required.  Of course, Woollies level of security with signature assessment is a notch above these systems, however, this experience for a first time user will undoubtably put many off from self-serving again.

When you consider how vital credit cards are for self-serve transitional purchasing, surely some revision is required to aid consumer adoption of the service?  I would encourage Woollies to consider one of the following:

  1. Scrap the signature validation completely (consistent with comparative systems), or
  2. Electronically match/validate the signature.
Whenever you develop a system that puts the user in control, you must ensure they are in complete control.  As the saying goes ‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’, and this too is true of checkout systems, registration forms and online transactions. If in the process of making something easier and more streamlined you introduce a step that is hard or frustrating for users, then you have not successfully achieved your goal.  It is important to always be reviewing and assessing each step of a new process to ensure this does not happen.