Best Practices
Successful Self-Checkout--A Guide to Effective
Implementation
By Integrated Technology Group, A Division of Vernon Supplies
The information contained in this article is designed to help
you maximize patron usage of new self-checkout systems.
Staff Buy-In
It is never too soon to start educating your staff as to the
changes that will be taking place at your library. Because patron self-service
may be perceived as a way to reduce staffing levels, staff members need to
understand that your library’s plan to implement self-checkout is not designed
to eliminate jobs, but rather to improve the patron’s experience. Communicate to
your staff that self-checkout allows them more time to provide personalized
assistance and customer service to patrons when it is genuinely needed, instead
of spending their valuable time on the mundane tasks at the circulation desk.
Staff should also be made to understand the ergonomic benefits of patron
self-service—the elimination of many repetitive motions that can lead to
injuries. And, the same principles that apply to self-checkout also hold true
for other time-saving library automation systems. In short, the message to staff
should be, “By automating and streamlining the everyday tasks of the library,
self-checkout frees staff to focus on those services that they are uniquely
equipped to provide.”
Promotion and Community Awareness
Community awareness and participation is crucial to
successful implementation of your new self-checkout system. First, consider the
goals you want to obtain by implementing self-checkout in your library. Do you
want to attain 100% self-checkout? 80%? Or would you be satisfied with 30%? Also
consider:
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How much of your community is willing to use
self-checkout?
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What languages spoken within your community do you want
to support?
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Will this be a secondary choice for patrons, or will this
be the preferred method for checking out materials?
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Is your library frequented by mostly senior citizens, or
are you in a college town?
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Do children swarm in at the end of the school day, or do
you get professionals after the work day?
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All of the above?
Knowing and understanding the above demographics are critical
when implementing self-checkout and setting expectations for its use. This
pre-planning also helps determine the amount of resources you should invest in
promoting the self-checkout system.
Talk, Talk, Talk
Find ways to make your community aware long before the
self-checkout systems arrive at your library. As with staff, it’s important that
the library using community understand that the objective is to utilize library
staff most effectively so that their interaction with patrons will be most
beneficial. For the general community, it’s important for taxpayers to
understand that the library is utilizing technology to improve operational
efficiencies.
Additionally, patrons should know that self-checkout is
another way that libraries can protect patron privacy. No one but the patron
need know what items he is checking out.
Tell everyone you know. After you have addressed the
challenges in “Staff Buy-in” above, staff should talk positively about it:
Signs and Buttons
Place signs around the library prior to implementation,
making your patrons aware of the new self-checkout. Wearing a button on your
lapel is always an eye catcher. Have library staff, especially circulation desk
staff, wear them. Consider signs in other high-traffic areas—shopping malls,
county buildings, the post office, and other destinations in your town that
library patrons are likely to frequent. Ask for volunteers within the library to
help with implementation. This will get staff and public involved when the
self-checkout unit arrives. Station your assistants at the self-checkout and
offer help and training to patrons. Depending on the number of self-checkout
units and the traffic in your library, you may want to have extra staff on hand
for peak hours—typically between 4 and 7 pm.
Inform the public when the new unit arrives. Be sure you make
announcements in the locations where you have previously noted its impending
arrival. Change the signage in the library to read something like, “Have you
tried the new self-checkout?” Encourage staff to ask patrons if they have tried
the new system and ask for feedback. If adjustments in configuration or workflow
need to be addressed, do so early on. If a problem persists, your patrons are
less likely to continue its use. For some of your patrons, one bad experience
will turn them off to the new process completely.
Successful Implementation
You made your choice, placed your order; now what happens
when the new self-checkout arrives at the library? When you are ready to put the
new self-checkout to work, there are a few things you need to make happen.
Location and Training
Where should you place your unit(s)? First, self-checkout
stations should be placed where patrons are most likely to see them when they
are ready to check out (and not where they first enter the library). If the
stations are being introduced into a previously existing library, generally, it
is best to place them on or next to the circulation desk.
Patrons are more likely to use the system if a staff person is in line of sight.
Therefore, place stations so that patrons and staff face each other, thereby
facilitating natural eye contact. The only exception to this general principle
is in the children’s area, where the library can expect to achieve high
self-checkout usage despite the fact that the station may not be near a
staff-manned desk.
Patrons standing in a checkout line present a perfect
opportunity. If they are waiting for service, it is possible that the only thing
they need to do is check out items. If staff occasionally remind patrons by
saying, “Have you tried the self-checkout? There is one available just across
from you,” patrons can be made aware of the self-service option and use it. And,
with a person stationed at the self-checkout kiosk who can assist first-time
users, their initial use of the system will be successful.
Make certain you provide training for staff and that they are
practiced in the use of the system. If you can, it is a good idea to familiarize
the staff with the unit when it arrives and before it is available publicly.
Your staff needs to have the confidence to assist patrons and to resolve
questions when they arise. Your older patrons may be more resistant than younger
ones and need a little more encouragement. Typically, younger people are more
open to change and are usually the first to use the self-checkout machines in
retail environments. Older citizens often prefer personally assisted
transactions.
Concierge Service and Signage
During the first few months following installation, and
particularly during busy hours, arrange to have staff or volunteers stationed at
the self-checkout to encourage patrons to try it and to assist, if requested.
This type of assistance empowers patrons to use the system now and in the future
and makes them more confident with the process. Using this approach is one of
the most effective ways to increase early use of self-checkout in your library.
Don’t be afraid to allow a line to build up at a
staff-operated circulation desk. Less staff involvement is one of the concepts
behind self-checkout. Generally, people do not want to stand in line. Letting
the lines grow is a silent way to encourage self-checkout use.
If your goal is high self-checkout adoption, it must be seen
as the rule, rather than the exception. Therefore, the only signs in the library
that direct patrons to check out should be above or around the self-checkout
stations. At the same time, consider changing the signs at the circulation desk
from Circulation Desk to Information, Customer Service or Concierge. Do not be
reluctant to make this type of change. You have already decided to make the
shift to self-service; use this opportunity to do it right.
Contests
One way some libraries have increased adoption is to run a
contest where the only way patrons can participate is through the use of the
self-checkout system. One suggested way is to print an entry blank on the
receipts that are provided to patrons when they use the self-checkout station.
Keep a pen and a basket at the self-checkout and allow patrons to tear off the
contest entry blank, fill it in, and deposit it in the basket. You might want to
talk to some of the local vendors in your area about providing prizes in
exchange for advertising on the receipt. Get creative! Patrons will use the
system if there’s a payoff for them. And once they get in the habit of using
self-checkout, they will continue to use it.
In Conclusion
If you follow the steps outlined above, you will find that,
over time, your staff will be able to get out from behind the circulation desk
and provide real patron service and ultimately, a more satisfying experience for
themselves and your patrons.
© Integrated Technology Group, a
Division of Vernon Library Supplies. Used with permission.
Integrated Technology Group (ITG)
develops, manufactures, sells, and supports library automation technologies that
empower librarians to improve operational efficiencies and better serve their
patrons. ITG is a wholly owned division of Vernon Library Supplies, Inc., a
leading manufacturer and distributor of library specific products and solutions
since 1973. www.integratedtek.com