The Evolution of Self-Service

Photo Credit: www.flysas.com

As you may know, noHold recently attended the TCS Co Innovation Forum which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Santa Clara, CA. As I was walking around the hotel I noticed there was a self-service kiosk used for checking in. It really inspired me to write a blog about how much self-service has evolved and how much more common it is now compared to just a few year ago.

Now-a-days there are self-service machines virtually everywhere. They are at the grocery stores, restaurants, hotels, airports, banks, and self service beer taps that turn customers into bartenders. Click here to view the article. And how many people actually go inside the bank anymore, I know I use the ATM more often than I decide to go into the bank. Gradually, self-service machines are integrating into our society and generations to come are ONLY going to be familiar with these self-service kiosks.  

Photo Credit: selfserviceworld.com

 We started with vending machines and now there are self-service kiosks in locations you never would think they would be placed. For example, in the food industry. The places where people would usually go to be served are now reaping the benefits of launching a quick, self-service restaurant kiosk. 

I remember going to blockbuster to rent movies with my family every Friday. The next generations are not going to know such a thing because Redbox and Netflix are quickly taking over. Whether the increase in self-service kiosks is good or bad, we can all agree that they are quickly becoming the norm and stores that don’t have them want them, and stores that do have them, want more of them. Being able to adapt to change is a part of life, and it seems like self-service is a big change for most people, but accepting and embracing the change can lead to great innovations.
We realize how much we try to speed up the little things in life that we find to be a waste of time. In this era of technology, every second counts and convenience is key.   

I want to leave you with an infographic I found that goes through the evolution of self-service, dating all the way back to the 1880’s! To view the infographic, click here.

Cheers!