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Contact Vox to learn about how we can help you create a comprehensive Customer Experience that drives bottom-line results dramatically higher.

A 50-cent piece.  A half-dollar.  What do you do with it?  It doesn’t fit into vending machines or parking meters.  But it’s worth 50 pennies, just like two quarters.  To some companies, customers aren’t even worth this much.

Recently, I received a half dollar coin as change at a local book fair.  I accepted it, but have found myself frustrated by its presence.  I park at meters.  I covet quarters. 

I know what it’s like to work retail.  You can’t just open the cash drawer for anyone who asks.  But if a customer asks at that perfect moment of giving change - “Do you mind giving me two $5 bills instead of a 10?” - you accommodate.  It’s the least you can do.

I asked for 2 quarters in exchange for my shiny half-dollar.  The employee took the offensive coin to the owner to ask.  “He said no.”  That’s all she said as she handed it back.

The owner was about 4 feet away and couldn’t look up to acknowledge me or the situation. 

They lost a customer.  (Remember…50 cents!)

A few observations of the ridiculous refusal to turn 50 cents into 50 cents.

1. The clerk seemed completely baffled by the coin. She clearly didn’t recognize it as real money.
2. The owner did not provide a reason.
3. There was no apology.

Why highlight this small transaction?  Because time after time our clients ask us what are THE most important customer experience issues to tackle?  I often remind them it’s the little things.  Experience comes down to things like this.

What’s the first thing I did back at my desk?  Post to Twitter and write this blog.

The little things are FAR more interesting to engage in real-time conversation than the big things. 

A few BIG things to consider as ways to tackle the little things:

1. Empower your employees to solve problems for customers. Just like that. Say “you can solve their problems.”
2. Understand that customer feedback is swift and furious across networks like Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc. Momentum across these networks has the potential to cause nightmares for companies. On the flip side, positive experiences are shared, too.
3. If you can’t accommodate a request, just explain and apologize. For example, I understand retailers can’t give me all their quarters. Others have said “I’m sorry, but we can’t keep up with the demand for quarters in this area. There’s a bank down one block that provides change.”

More than ever, it’s a customers’ world.  We will decide where we spend based on how we valued we feel.  Don’t let your customers feel worth less than 50 cents.

Have there been little things that have driven you away from being a customer?  I’d love to hear about them.

“Enough, already!”  We UNDERSTAND that Customer Experience matters for all sorts of reasons. Now, please, somebody tell us what to do first!”

We recently met with a smart group of corporate executives at a large, successful company. They’ve been exploring all sorts of ways to improve their customer experience. They have dedicated team members, full-time research personnel and investment in strategic planning around CE.

Like many of the executives we work with, they have a clear understanding of why customer experience matters. They get what it influences – retention, cross-sales, loyalty and business success.  They also understand when it’s important – attention right now will influence factors in the future.  What they’re missing is the HOW.

Part of the how is brutal, unflinching honesty which can hurt. So for all you fearless executives looking to make an impact NOW with customer experience, here’s my advice. I recently wrote an article about the 5 keys to a Successful Customer Experience, which although I have never seen your business, I’ll take from and make some recommendations for you. The assumptions I’m making are:

• You want long-term, profitable and loyal customers who refer other customers to you
• You have a product or service that can be seen as a commodity – and usually is
• Your brand promise, while nice in advertising campaigns, isn’t lived throughout  your organization
• Your customers would describe you in all sorts of ways – anywhere from a necessary evil to just plain evil
• When asked about your company, a person on the street may come up with a well-known jingle or slogan, but not much about your actual customer experience

Just to review, the 5 Keys of Customer Experience are:
1. Know Your Best Customers
2. Review Your Customer Communications
3. Listen to All Customers
4. Create Happy and Customer-Centric Employees
5. Reflect Your Brand Values

Ok, so that’s all great, but what should you do first?

Here’s the one thing I would recommend you do today. Now. Right now.

Listen to your customers. Listen to your competitors’ customers. Learn. Improve. Repeat.

There are ample ways to do this.
1. Provide feedback mechanisms. Everywhere a customer looks, they should see you asking. Not asking “are you satisfied”, but “please tell us what you think.” Question customers about employee behavior, not just transactions.  “Did someone greet you?” is a better question than “Did you feel welcome?” Then get ready to act on that feedback – quickly. Don’t get bogged down in big ideas with cross-company committees. When you hear a good idea – act on it.

2. Eavesdrop on call center calls for the sole purpose of listening as a customer. How would you feel? How would you answer those questions? Did the company representative do whatever he or she could to make the call exceptional?

3. Watch social media. Customers talk. Do some searches, join the groups and pay attention. You can even ask the group directly for feedback. Trust me, they’ll tell you.

Armed with this knowledge, you can conquer the world. Don’t get bogged down with years of research to tell you about things in the past. Act now and act fast.

There is a time and place for research, committees and long-term solutions. We love companies who look long-term. But we have seen way too many companies drown in their own bureaucracy before taking just one baby step to improve. Don’t let that be your company.

p.s. Need help with step 1 or step 101?  Email me at Jeannie.walters@voxinc.com and let’s talk.

In celebration of World Usability Day, I kicked off my Woman v. Machine last November 8th. Since then I’ve spent the past nine months testing and exploring the self-service world. My Woman v. Machine experiment has taken me to exotic locales such as the Jewel supermarket check-out counter, the White Hen deli and the American Airlines kiosk. This has certainly been an interesting and eye-opening experience. So what have I learned about this industry? What are the pros and cons of self-service? Will or can machines really replace human beings? Here are my thoughts, recommendations and predictions.

The Pros
There’s no doubt the convenience factor of self-service machines is huge. While I don’t consider myself anti-social, for some things it really is nice to just go up to a machine, punch in a couple orders and get my money, pay for my gas or print my boarding pass. These are self-service machines I’ve used for years and feel comfortable and familiar with. I enjoy the sense of control and self sufficiency I get from using kiosks to perform these tasks and I like knowing what to expect – the process is consistent and nearly second nature. From a business perspective I can see that using kiosks for these types of tasks saves money. After all, does it really make sense to pay someone to punch my name into a machine and hand me a boarding pass when I can easily and quickly do it myself?

The Cons
If only every machine were so easy and intuitive to use. The truth is, self-service works a lot better for some things than others and some machine experiences are designed a whole lot better than others. Take the White Hen deli kiosk. Initially, it is confusing and frustrating to the user. The design was poor - I wasn’t sure what to click, what was going to end up on my sandwich, or what to do after my order was “complete.” I watched other customers stumble through the process and look equally confused, so I knew it wasn’t just me. The fact is poorly designed self-service machines, or self service machines employed in ways we’re not familiar with, can really be frustrating. After all, if something isn’t clear I can’t ask the machine a question. Most machines don’t have a “help” option and, because these machines are designed to replace human beings, there’s rarely anyone within earshot to help you troubleshoot.  When I encounter a problem with one of these machines I feel completely helpless and angry. After all, this cold and impersonal little machine is staring me down, not allowing me to do what I need to do, but also not giving me any help or options.

Recommendations
Whether you love them or hate them, self service machines are here to stay. Businesses realize the cost saving advantages these machines offer and plan to expand their use in a variety of ways and industries. Given my experiences, I have a few recommendations for improvements.

1. First, incorporate “help” options into the process. Either trigger the help option to notify an actual human being or, when appropriate, give the customer a phone number to call. At the very least, help links as part of the application or helpful instructions close by should be part of the design.  Nothing turns a customer off more than apathy. Not providing a way to answer questions or to provide assistance is a major negative of the self service industry.

2. Second, make these machines more intuitive. Employ better design by limiting the number of clicks and use of graphics and pictures unless they actually serve a purpose – otherwise they only confuse users. Also, provide clear directions and indicators as to “what to do next.”.

3. Third, make these machines more personal and human-like – ironic I know. Have them say or spell hello, thank you and goodbye. In some cases it may be nice or make sense to incorporate more human-like qualities such as voice activation and give customers more language options. I live in Chicago where there is a large Polish-speaking population, but the only language options I’ve ever seen are English and Spanish.

And the Jeannie Factors
1. Cleanliness – Provide hand sanitizer and screen wipes and please make sure these machines get cleaned - preferably every day.

2. Feeling Secure – Make sure areas around these machines are well-lit and have an alarm option to signal for help when something goes wrong. In many cases, users are asked to provide personal information, insert a credit card and/or collect cash.  It’s easy to feel vulnerable.

3. Convenience – Make sure the number and location of these machines meets the needs and expectations of your customer-base.

4. Environmental Factors – Provide better signage and clear directions for usage. Also, consider the actual physical space around the kiosks. In some cases, it feels as if they were shoved into a floor plan without thought to personal space, line queuing or guiding the user to the next physical space–like the checkout counter or security line.

What’s next? …
So where is this industry headed? As more businesses realize the cost-saving benefits of self-service, we’re sure to see more and more choosing to employ machines over employees. Soon customers will be seeing self-service kiosks at their favorite fast food establishments and retail stores. Kiosks also provide more opportunity for tie-in purchases for consumers, such as buying auto insurance at a car dealership or paying your utility bill where you buy light bulbs. Retail is full of ways to leverage these types of connections. Buying golf clubs at the local sporting goods store? Arrange your tee time and pay your greens fee at the handy kiosk nearby. Buying some hair products at the local beauty supply store? Don’t forget to schedule a haircut at your favorite salon via the kiosk in the aisle. The security limitations at airports create even more opportunities. Being able to use a kiosk to order toiletries upon arrival would make security lines a bit easier.

Stay tuned, we’re sure to see a lot of new and innovative uses for self-service machines as we continue on the voyage of becoming a self-service nation.

I was recently in Houston, TX meeting with a potential client to see how we can help with their overall customer experience strategy. I flew in that morning and my return flight to Chicago was booked for 5:40 p.m. I arrived at the airport at 3:19 p.m. and noticed a 3:30 p.m. flight, so I hustled to E17 – of course the last gate of the wing – and arrived at the gate around 3:25 p.m. I was greeted by an attendant who said I was too late for the 3:30 p.m. flight. She also informed me that unfortunately, she wouldn’t have been able to help me anyway. Turns out, as of June 19, Continental Airlines doesn’t allow you to go directly to the departure gate and attempt to get on an earlier flight. If there’s room on an earlier flight, you have to go to the Service Center (way back at the entrance of the concourse), pay a $50 change fee and get a new ticket issued. 
 
I thought about this for a few minutes. On my morning flight to Houston, the attendants were begging passengers to give up their tickets because they overbooked the flight. They were offering a $250 flight voucher and a breakfast voucher for any passenger willing to take a later flight.
 
So here’s the deal…

Airlines intentionally overbook flights, making them painfully crowded, (with the new checked baggage fee on other airlines, the overhead bin situation is ridiculous) and then reserve the right to bump people at will. Then, they routinely offer $250+ in compensation to those willing to switch flights. Yet airlines charge passengers wanting to switch to an earlier, and not fully booked, flight $50.
 
Yep, makes perfect sense.
 
The irony is that I was happy with my Continental experience on the way to Houston – nice people, didn’t seem to be charging for strange things like a muffin or checked baggage…
 
But guess what I’ll tell people about now?
 
I’d like to sit in on some of the board meetings where they make these decisions. “You know what?  We could charge $50 to all those travelers who use up empty seats on earlier flights! What a great idea!” Arrrgh.

Check this out!

Remember the library? I know many of us don’t use it as much as we should now that there are cushy chairs awaiting us at the local Barnes and Noble. But I happen to love my local library. Oak Park, Il, where I call home, opened a better version of the public library in 2003. There are comfortable reading spaces, an amazing children’s section, study rooms for groups and knowledgeable librarians to steer you in the right direction. But it’s the building itself and the way it’s designed that is really inviting. It truly is a community space.

There is something quaint about the idea of a library in this day and age. They actually let you borrow things, use them and then return them all at NO charge. Amazing!

One of the things I love most about my library is the self checkout feature. The kiosks are positioned throughout the building and are incredibly easy to use and efficient. The beauty is their speed and efficiency. Here’s the process. I quickly scan my card, stack my books in any old way – no need to open or prop or even lay flat out on the counter, and the machine checks them out. I see everything that’s happening on the easy-to-read screen. Similar to the grocery self checkout, I then have the option to print a receipt, complete with an itemized list of what I checked out and when each piece is due.

The receipt has saved me on more than one occasion. Have you ever checked out books with a 3-year- old? You leave with a stack of oddly shaped books – some shaped like ducks or fire engines, while some are no bigger than your hand. You’re pretty sure you checked out four only to discover you actually have six! So having a checklist makes getting them all back on time much easier. The self checkout machines have helpful and very clear instructions complete with photo illustrations, next to each station. So any environmental issues I would have highlighted here are null and void. They really seem to have thought of everything.

Being a dutiful taxpayer, I’m more than happy to support employees who are there to recommend and help, not just check out books. The machines do a fine job at that!

And the Jeannie factors:

Cleanliness: B — As usual, cleaning wipes nearby would be appreciated. Although the machines seem clean, I’m sure there are a lot of dirty fingers hitting that screen.

Feeling secure: A —All the self checkout stations are inside the library building. No problems here.

Convenience: A+ — No lines, no wait, and a helpful receipt at the end.

Environmental Factors: A — This particular library has self checkout stations well placed all over, exactly where you’d expect them. There are a few in the children’s section, a few near fiction, etc. There are also a few options in the lobby, close to the main checkout desk - where the real people sit.

This experience gives me hope! The whole process really does improve the customer experience, leading to a loyal customer…. me.

Where does the time go when you’re busy analyzing self-service kiosks? I’ve been offline a bit thanks to client work and travel, but fear not – I’ve been dutifully trying out various self-service options along the way…including:

1. Hilton Check-in/Check-out Kiosk: oops! Not working. For now, just a lobby decoration.

2. Southwest Airlines self-service kiosks: As with most airline kiosks, screen usability is not the issue, it’s the environment that leaves a lot to be desired.

3. Fill ‘er up: What’s more stressful than racing to the gas station to fill up the rental car before returning it? Without pay-at-the-pump, I’d still be in Philadelphia!

As with most things, there’s room for improvement across the board. But, so far on my exploits, I’ve picked a few favorites and a few not so favorites.

The best, so far:

Overall, banks have figured it out. By providing excellent legibility and overall ease of use, they prove they understand the purpose of creating a faster, more efficient method for customers to serve themselves. Customers have responded in kind, and today there are an estimated 1.5 million ATMs in use worldwide[1]. The crazy idea of charging customers who prefer human tellers was blasted out of the marketplace a few years ago and rightfully so[2]. Overall customers use and are happy with the 24/7 access ATMs provide. Remember the idea of “I have to go to the bank to get some cash”? That’s SO 1990. Chase is a great example of intuitive design and simple, convenient options.

Another successful model of self-service is the predictable, albeit excessively pricey, gas station pump which has become the preferred way to fill up for most people. Any way I can avoid walking into one of those gas cubes (or whatever those little bitty buildings are called) and waiting in line has got to be an improvement. An intriguing future lies ahead with entertainment and advertisements available via self-service pumps. Perhaps going to the gas station won’t be such a dreaded task if I can pass the time with a few minutes of Access Hollywood.

And now for the worst, so far:

While I love the convenience of White Hen, their self-service deli kiosks leave a lot to be desired. A big favorite with the time-pressed lunch crowd, customers are left scratching their heads as they attempt to order a simple ham and cheese sandwich. Navigation is unnecessarily complicated and the only help available is from the “I’m busy…must avoid eye contact,” deli employee. When I’m pressed for time, I love the idea of being able to order a custom-made to my liking sandwich; I just wish it wasn’t so confusing! A few tweaks to this system’s navigation could really help improve the overall customer experience. After all, customers love when they can accomplish something quickly and easily on their own.

Another lackluster self-service machine, grocery store self check-out machines. Why does it keep beeping at me? Ok, I’m ready to pay, now what? Where’s my receipt? Help…someone, anyone. Today, nearly a quarter of all supermarket chains offer self-checkout, up from only 6 percent in 1999, and an estimated 50% of customers use them[3]. Whether you love them or hate them, self check-out machines are here to stay and it’s likely you’ll be seeing a lot more of them in a variety of different retail settings. It would serve the kiosk industry well to be proactive and survey customers to find out what needs improvement before self check-out kiosks take over the retail industry.

While designed to empower customers, nothing can cause more frustration than a poorly designed self-service machine. Here are a few questions I’d like to pose to the self-service industry to challenge them to improve:

1. How can we make them cleaner? Yuck. Is someone supposed to clean these machines? Because in general, they don’t.

2. How can we make them more secure? A bit part of usability is about making the “user” feel comfortable. In some cases, security concerns far outweigh convenience factors. It’s a scary world out there, let your customers know you care and pay attention. Install better lighting and ways to connect to a human.

3. How can we hear “thanks” a little more often? A true missing feature is the human touch. Shell gas station made a point to say “Thank You” when the transaction was complete. This stood out because it’s not as common as it should be.

[1] ATM Marketplace, December 2007

[2] Barry Meier, “Need a Teller? A Big Bank Plans $3 Fee,” New York Times, April 27, 1995

[3] Joel Elson, “Computers seen transforming supermarket of the future,” Supermarket News, April 23, 1984

White Hen Pantry

I’m not a big fan of “auto-ordering” when it comes to food. After all who wants to spend top dollar and never even see someone. For the sake of time and convenience, though, it can be a great option.

The White Hen Pantry (now owned by 7-11) offers self-service kiosks where customers can place sandwich orders. While a good idea, like most self-service options, the execution leaves a bit to be desired.

As has been my experience with most service machines, the overall environment takes away from the ease of use. The lack of signage and instructions, along with an overall clumsy layout, causes first-time customers to stand awkwardly in front of the screen, looking for help that doesn’t exist.

Two-thirds of the monitor screen is occupied by the advertised “feature” sandwich. It takes a minute to review and realize there’s an actual menu, but it is organized in a way that doesn’t allow customers to review all choices at once. The vertical tabs on the left are not immediately obvious, and they are organized by choices like “breakfast,” “hot and toasted subs,” “cold subs,” etc…

There are better ways to organize options to help customers find what they’re looking for. For example, why not have all the sandwich choices on the “feature” screen so customers are presented with the entire menu right away? Custom orders could be part of the menu. Feature sandwiches and specials could still be promoted in this format, but not by hijacking the entire experience.

The process leads the customer to a point of purchase, but prior to that an offer is made: would you like to add chips and a drink for a combo price? Here’s my issue with this: there is no option to add just a drink or just chips. It’s inflexible and irritating.

Finally, a small receipt pops out of the printer next to the monitor, (the receipt has your order number, but no total and no description). Instructions tell you to take your receipt to the counter. I’ve watched numerous people stand there dumbfounded as they search the deli counter for some sort of “pick up/pay” area, but there is none. It’s up to you to bring the receipt to the store counter, and remember your number when it’s called out.

While the auto-deli works for those of us looking to grab a quick bite at lunchtime, I’ve seen too many people stumble through the process to really call it effective.

And the Jeannie factors:

Cleanliness: D — I’m at a loss about what to do about this issue. Just make it a practice to wash your hands after being out in the world, ok?

Feeling secure: A —Wasn’t really an issue. No cash is involved and there’s no actual transaction via machine, so there’s no security risk that I could see.

Convenience: B — Process feels faster and there is an accuracy issue, too. The machine will accept whatever selection you make, and not forget about holding the mayo. The speed to completion is still dependant on the human factor behind the deli however.

Environmental Factors: C — Better signage with clear instructions and ceiling-mounted directional arrows would help a lot here. Once you pay, where should you wait? Another issue to address in store design.

As a busy person who needs to grab lunch quickly, I appreciate the convenience of the auto deli in my local White Hen. Improving a few features in the process would make it more of a buzz-worthy customer experience.

It’s hard to believe that Pay-at-the-Pump has been around for more than 20 years. While convenient for consumers, Pay-at-the-Pump has created business challenges for station owners, whose profit margin would be much higher if customers come into their stores. Today customers are avoiding the stores for the convenience Pay-at-the-Pump provides.

Enter the next generation of self-service pumps: TV screens that tell us things while we’re pumping gas. So what does this mean to customers?

I was ready to take on this new-fangled pump. The Shell gas station near my house has screens with talking heads that welcome you to the station. The nice welcome was great, but the few minutes of Access Hollywood were even better! Then an ad came on for sunscreen. Sunscreen? It’s January in Chicago. It seemed very out of place and caught me off guard. It got me thinking – wouldn’t it be cool if there were tips on how to deal with the layers of salt covering my car? Or winter weather driving tips? That would be information Chicagoans would welcome during January.

The actual pay at the pump experience has become standard and super easy. There are a few things you have to watch for as a customer, like which gas you choose. Each station seems to be different and you no longer assume the left-to-right order is logically regular, plus and super. In fact, they are often mixed up in no order whatsoever. There’s also the receipt issue. Is it printing automatically? Do you have to choose yes or no? But overall I believe customers are used to making these choices and the whole process is fairly second nature now.

So the fact that now there is something to watch while my gas quietly makes the journey from pump to car is actually pretty cool. Increasing the relevance would really make for a powerful customer experience. Just imagine the NEXT generation of gas pumps. The information shared from the monitor could really be customized, based on the actual individual. “It’s time for your oil change.” Just consider the loyalty implications for the first company to truly get it right. I guess I’ll tackle that one in a few years.

For now, the pumps are pleasantly serving their purpose, although it would be better if the industry came to some standards for the sake of customers. It’s truly not in a customer’s best interest to have the gas octane rankings mixed up for them to figure out.

The good news is that we do figure it out.

And the Jeannie factors:

Cleanliness: D — There are few places ickier than a gas station. But the new ones are brighter and lighter, and many have hand sanitizer pumps available post-fill up.

Feeling secure: D — Pay at the pump can mean feeling pretty isolated. I know I’m not the only one who has passed up cheaper gas for a more secure gas station. Improvement here could be increased lighting, plus easier ways to get the store attendant’s attention.

Convenience: A — The average time it takes to fill up is 2 minutes. Walking into a store, waiting in line and then paying would add at least that much time to the process. Hurrah for speedy transactions!

Environmental Factors: B — Newer gas stations are much more open and spacious. While this feels better, special attention should be paid to the far-flung pumps.

Shell is getting my attention by improving the customer experience with monitors. What else is out there improving this process for customers?

Next up … Auto-Deli!

American Airlines Kiosks at LaGuardia Airport, NYC

While Chicago’s O’Hare Airport might be one of the busiest, New York’s LaGuardia has got to be one of the most chaotic — based on my experience on a recent busy Friday morning.

First, an aside, I couldn’t find a decent cup of coffee to save my life. What gives? Starbucks — please invade LaGuardia as you have everywhere else. Thanks!

I should mention that my mental state was not good. The previous night, I stayed at the worst hotel of my life for $350 per night (gotta love Manhattan) and I hadn’t had my usual morning cup of joe. Let’s just say I wasn’t a happy camper.

The check-in kiosk itself didn’t offend me. The airline industry has surpassed others in adopting self-service, so as a customer I find the whole process very intuitive. I like that I can start with any old credit card to identify myself, then we’re off to the races. I also like the brilliant cross-sell strategy I’ve seen lately — would you like to upgrade for a mere $110, Ms. Walters? Why, yes, sometimes at that moment I would. I know most people use self-service check-in whenever they can once they discover how quick and easy it really is.

Airports, however, weren’t designed for this. A mass of people waiting in line for agents blocked the marooned self-service kiosks. Most were occupied, so my travel companion and I waited for a free one. I was nervous we were in the wrong spot. I don’t like to cut people off or shove in front of my rightful place in line. I’m still not convinced we didn’t jump to the front, but it was nearly impossible to determine what was going on. Why not station an agent there to assist passengers as they attempt to find a free kiosk? I’ve seen this in other airports.

We checked baggage, which is always a little bit of a toss-up as far as experience goes. I’ve learned by now that once I check bags at the kiosk, my luggage tags and claim tickets print … somewhere. So we walked up to the counter, bypassing the hundred or so people waiting in line for a counter agent, and our names were called. But this part was chaos. Then we, of course, had to drag our luggage over to the security screeners.

Forget the kiosks — airports desperately need to examine the customer experience and redesign accordingly!

Jeannie Factors:

Cleanliness — I can only imagine how many people use these kiosks on any given day. Ick.

Feeling Secure — It was crowded and bustling. I was worried about my bags. I was also aware of pulling out my credit card here. There is more to be done about this issue.

Convenience — Similar to other self-service options, the real convenience is in the shorter lines. It feels faster because you are more in control, but that doesn’t mean the actual process takes less time. The system for checking baggage definitely needs improvement.

Environmental Factors — This was by far the worst part of the experience. The lines made no sense, and nobody was there to guide travelers. The result was a mass of confused people. I noticed one man who obviously didn’t speak English as his first language who was very confused about the kiosks, the lines and his flight. Getting from the front door to our gate was chaotic. A helpful guide to assist people would do wonders. But the airport layout itself seems doomed.

Chase Bank

To be fair, I’ve used Chase Bank’s ATMs for several years, (if you include when I was a customer of First Chicago, which became Bank One, which is now Chase.) I do like that they keep improving. I remember having to open my car door and stretch to reach the dang thing several years ago. They repositioned them so they are now accessible for this 5’4” woman, both from my low Honda Accord and my high Honda CRV, (yes, we’re a Honda family.) ATM screens are also more glare-resistant, and industry-wide adoptions of phrases like “Fast Cash” now allow for speedier transactions.

It seems like (gasp) banks are listening to customers. Just think about all those wasted receipts years ago. Now, most offer you a choice. Do you want a receipt? It’s a simple question, but one that makes a big difference.

Ok, so most of my transactions at ATMs are withdrawals and I find the whole process really intuitive. It seems that some of my frustrations from a few years ago have been addressed.

Chase ATMs are practically on every street corner in Chicago, and yet there isn’t one very close to either my home or office. In fact, the closest one to my office is in the Chicago Transit Authority building. There are so many things wrong with this location it’s crazy. The ATM is located inside the sales office on the second floor of the building. This means you can only use it during sales office hours. Isn’t one of the touted benefits of ATMs that you can use them 24/7? Also, the ATM is along the wall, right next to the long line of unhappy people waiting to purchase fare cards.

So, aside from that small rant, I’d say these machines are pretty good.

And the Jeannie factors:
Cleanliness: D — Yuck. There is often a mysterious sheen on the touch screen that you just can’t let yourself think about too much. What about offering screen wipes and/or hand sanitizer? What about a recycle bin for receipts? I swear I’m not a germaphobe – but sometimes I do reach for the Purell after a withdrawal.

Feeling secure: B — Banks know this is a key factor. Why not put the drive-up ATMs closer to the building instead of out in the boonies? Better lighting at night would be great too.

Convenience: A — This is a resounding YES! I can’t remember the last time I got out of my car to get a few bucks from my bank account.

Environmental Factors: B — This is another dramatically improved area. Today’s ATM layout allows for more comfortable and speedier transactions. You don’t see the lady in front of you falling out of her car to reach the ATM any more.

This was one bank, what about yours? Is Chase ahead of the game?

Next up … Airline Self-Service Kiosks!