I stopped by the grocery store on the way to work today and used one of its self-service checkout kiosks. Experience tells me it’s faster than the full-service lines, and I was pressed for time. Truth is, whether short of time, or not, I’m more likely these days to use a self-service checkout than full-service, but that wasn’t always the case.
Indeed, when self-service checkouts were introduced by the grocery and big-box chains I frequented, I resented the prospect more than a little. I’m paying them and yet they’re putting me to work! I guess next they’ll have me stocking the shelves too! Accepting change can be hard – even positive change. In fact, it bothered me enough that I mentioned it to the manager of my local grocery, and her patient response was not only enlightening, it instantly changed my attitude.
She explained that the store was merely providing the option of self service; there were still ample full-service lanes, if that was my preference. True, and I confess, I like having options.
She also explained that the self-service option provided me greater control of the checkout process. Hmm, as much as I like options, I like having control even more. I felt immediately empowered!
She assured me that, if I chose to use the self-serve option and ever needed help during the process, one of the store’s friendly assistants would always be nearby, ready and happy to assist. Hey, who needs assistance? Not me; I’m tech-savvy!
Finally, she explained that the efficiency of self-service kiosks helped keep store overhead to a minimum, resulting in cost savings that could be passed on to me. Saving money gets my attention every time, and that just made sense – dollars and cents!
This is the kind of sense you’ll find in Zebra Technologies’ new white paper, Why Your Store Needs Self-Service: Must-Knows on How Self-Service Tools Boost Sales, Improve Operational Efficiency, and Keep Customers Loyal. This white paper is so good that I’ve printed a copy for my new friend, the manager of my local grocery – good enough, in fact, to get me thinking. Why limit my self-service options to when I’m ready to leave the store, when it’s too late to influence my shopping decisions? Why not allow me to check in before I make my selections, giving the store the opportunity to, for example, alert me to special discounts just for me on the stuff I buy most often.
Zebra’s white paper not only explains why you should consider these and other self-service strategies for your store, it reveals how to implement them. So, check it out for yourself. Pun intended. 😉
References:
Zebra Technologies: Why Your Store Needs Self-Service
http://www.zebra.com/content/dam/zebra/white-papers/en-us/why-your-store-needs-selfservice-en-us.pdf