There is an article on Kioskmarketplace.com that argues that self-service checkouts are in danger of checking out.

The site reports how a grocery store chain in America is pulling self-checkout systems from all of its 217 stores to focus on better customer service and how this could mean that self-service is on its way out.

A writer for the FINS career resource website noted that consumer surveys indicate that customers want to talk to people in retail environments but contrary research by Wincor Nixdorf AG shows that the majority of consumers would rather bank with a machine rather than a human.

David Hadesty, VP of Product Management for Wincor Nixdorf’s U.S. Banking Division, said automation is no longer a “nice to have” – it is a necessity and this correlates to the nation’s trust resting in machines rather than man, even in the retail sector.

The FINS piece referenced a recent Consumer Reports survey published earlier this month that indicates that not being able to find a store salesperson ranked among consumers’ top complaints but by deploying self-service units in retail stores for product browsing and purchasing, the staffs’ time is freed up more to better customer experience and be on-hand more efficiently when looked upon to answer questions.

Self-service technology is enhancing many industries including retail, government, banking, transport, education, health and more. And it is no surprise because self-service brings huge benefits to a business as well as the consumer. It reduces waiting times, gives the power to the customer, frees up employees time to do more important tasks and saves costs in the long-run.

The concept of self-service being in danger is absurd- as technologies grow and expand so is customers’ needs. Kiosks, digital signage and touch screen monitors are present to cater to these increasing needs and reflect the ever- changing society.

Visit Protouch to find out more…

Love them or hate them, you’ll be seeing even more self-service checkouts in 2010 after NCR, the American technology company behind 80% of the UK’s self-service checkouts, predicted a 50% increase in UK sales of the self-service scanning machines that have become a feature of stores nationwide.

Customers have been fairly torn on the issue; some get sick of the ‘unexpected item in bagging area’ message and prefer communicating with people, whereas a growing number are getting self-service-savvy, whizzing through the kiosk lanes and are waving goodbye to busy staffed checkouts. In total, 7,000 machines have been installed in supermarkets since their introduction in 2002, expected to more than double to 15,000 in the next three years, according to Retail Banking Knowledge.

According to Elton Birden, the managing director of NCR in Britain: “Self-service checkouts will revolutionise retail in the same way that self-service supermarkets did 60 years ago. It’s going to be a combination of existing customers rolling out and new users. It’s still a small percentage of the overall checkout.”