Self-serve revolution

It’s not so far-fetched anymore for consumers to spend an entire day running errands and entertaining themselves without ever talking to anyone.

It takes just a touch of a computer screen to bank, pump gas, order movie tickets, pay for parking, buy groceries, print photos, buy nuts and bolts, renew vehicle registrations or retrieve an airline boarding pass.

The self-service revolution is taking consumers out of lines, reducing their wait times and giving them control.

“Everybody was worried about the adoption [of self-serve kiosks] because they would think it’s poor service, when in fact it’s good service,” said Steve Laughlin, partner at IBM Consulting Services. “Customers feel a sense of control.”

More industries are adopting self-serve technology — even those such as airlines and hotels that thrive on customer and employee interaction. Consumers — young and old — are becoming so comfortable with the technology that it is becoming second nature.

“Self-service is here to stay,” said Robert Machen, vice president of customer-facing technology for Hilton Hotels Corp.

Despite widespread acceptance, some consumers still prefer the old ways. They’re not interested in doing it themselves.

“There are going to be some people that will reject this technology because it’s different,” said Lee Holman, vice president of product development for IHL Consulting Group, which tracks retail technology. “They just aren’t comfortable with it. That’s human nature.”

Self-serve has grown since consumers started banking on their own and buying gasoline without having to walk to the cashier’s window several decades ago. There are now more than 371,000 ATMs in the United States.

“When [ATMs were] first introduced, futurists thought we would be living in a teller-less society,” John Hall, a spokesman for the American Bankers Association said.

Instead, ATMs have become an “enhancement” to a bank’s services, Mr. Hall said.

Most industries insist their self-serve technology is not replacing employees. Companies are reluctant to discuss how it affects their staffing levels.

“It’s a touchy situation,” said Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates Inc., a Rockville firm that provides consulting and kiosk research. “If you can deliver the same service or better with less employees, your stockholders are going to love you.”

John A. Challenger, chief executive of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., says self-service will replace employees increasingly over the next five years.

“There’s no question kiosks and self-checkout are going to mean those jobs don’t need to be done by people,” he said.

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