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Meijers mPerks kiosk could use customer experience boost.

Using a kiosk to join a retail loyalty program should be a simple task. However, slow loading times and inaccurate touchscreens can quickly turn a simple task into a lesson in frustration.

January 25, 2016 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

Last time, we took a look at some of the issues with a pet tag vending kiosk at Walmart, particularly with its graphical-user-interface. This time, the issue was a bit more severe than the GUI, because I was unable to complete my task at a Meijers mPerks kiosk due to slow loading time and an inaccurate touchscreen.

MPerks is Meijers' retail loyalty program, which can be completed online or at an in-store kiosk. Since I was shopping, I opted to utilize the kiosk to sign up for the loyalty program. The actual kiosk was an iPad attached to a basic enclosure. The first problem I noticed was that the stand was a bit too short for anyone who is 6 feet tall or taller, and it could not be adjusted. There was also a sign blocking me from pushing the iPad back, thus I had to bend down to properly see and use the kiosk.

Each step was a lesson in frustration as the touchscreen was inaccurate and slow to accept commands. It took me several minutes simply to create a password and then confirm it. Throughout the entire process, the iPad had very slow load times.

At this point, I was becoming fairly impatient, but I was nearing the end of the process. I simply had to confirm my account. I put in my cellphone number and created a PIN. As soon as I pressed next, I saw a popup presenting me with the terms of service. At this point, the iPad froze, and I was unable to read or accept the terms of service. I did not want to leave the transaction in this state of limbo, so I pressed the button to start over, which strangely enough worked.

While I never got my mPerks account set up from that kiosk, I did learn a few key lessons:

• Consider your customer's height. The kiosk should be convenient for people of most sizes, so that no one has to stand on their tiptoes or sit on the floor to use it;
• Clean touchscreens regularly and make sure they are accurate; and
• Simplify the process. Why make the customer go through multiple steps like I had to? Instead, make it shorter and simpler.

The most important element of a kiosk is that it saves time and doesn't require employee intervention. If you want to make your kiosk stand out, it needs to fulfill at least this basic self-service expectation.

About Bradley Cooper

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Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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