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Helping customers make choices

November 2, 2005

Choice is a good thing. It stands to reason, then, that more of a good thing is better.

But that doesn't appear to be true. In his book "The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less," psychology professor Barry Schwartz raises the notion that while having a few choices makes us happy, there is a breaking point at which too many options is actually discouraging.

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At my neighborhood supermarket were " 285 varieties of cookies," Schwartz writes. "Among chocolate chip cookies, there were 21 options. Among Goldfish (I don't know whether to count them as cookies or crackers), there were 20 different varieties to choose from." And that's just the beginning of his laundry list of choices that must be made on even the simplest trip through the average American grocery.

Retailers know that, and struggle with ways to offer a worthwhile array of products without overwhelming their customers. Increasingly, kiosks are employed to deliver information and create product differentiation in the mind of the consumer.

Customers faced with too many choices might take the time to wade through all of the information presented to them. Or they might simply throw their hands in the air and walk out.

"Many retailers have missed out on opportunities with their customers," said Elisabeth Scherer, spokesperson for information kiosk solution developer and integrator DiaTouch Inc. "Customers who are unable to find a product or don't understand a product are more likely to give up and go somewhere else."

Product information kiosks are powerful tools in the war against information overload. Infinitely customizable, user friendly and accommodating to shoppers of all ages, habits and personal backgrounds, kiosks can deliver a wealth of information that is far beyond the capabilities of the traditional customer service desk.

Coffee: A case in point

Years ago, customers had a small handful of brands and styles available. Today, even the most basic supermarket coffee aisle boasts a wealth of flavors, types of roast, types of grind, and more. A basic touchscreen application can help customers select a few characteristics that they're looking for, then guide them to the right bag of beans.

That same kiosk could perform double-duty by encouraging a higher-volume purchase, through couponing or other promotional methods. In fact, one of the retail kiosk's highest callings is to increase same-visit sales, chiefly through customer education and the delivery of information that gives the customer a reason to buy more.

"A retail store should make every visitor to the store walk out with the highest purchase total available," said Philadelphia-based marketing consultant Patricia Callahan. "Using interactive kiosks as virtual sales advisors pays off quickly."

Take the coffee kiosk, for instance. Once the customer finds the Sumatran Dark Roast they were looking for, the device might offer a discount on a second pound of a different flavor - or perhaps remind the shopper to get coffee filters and distilled water. With the open-ended nature of the kiosk architecture, the potential for creative applications is endless.

This article appeared in theRetail Kisk & Self-Service Executive Summary, Fall 2005.