Self-Checkout Lanes May Be Dying But Social Media Is Thriving

The self-checkout lane may be dying for good. Albertsons, LLC has announced that it’s going to get rid of all of its self-checkout lanes. According to the MSNBC article, other major food chains may follow suit behind it.

Clarification: There are actually two different companies with similar names. Here is the distinction. Albertsons, LLC owns and operates 217 stores; it will close the self-checkout lanes.

However, Supervalu Albertsons which owns 460 stores will continue to provide self-checkout lanes (Chain Store Age).

This is not a big shock if you stop to think about it. What is the problem with self-checkout lanes?

Social media might just give us the answer. People are gregarious creatures by nature. People want to experience things together. Experiencing things together enriches life. Oh, and that thing called customer service…

This is the reason why social media has came such a long way and the odds are great that it will be around for a long time, if not permanently. People want good information, but more importantly people want to share that information. This is why social media is red hot and the self-checkout lane is not.

The dying self-checkout lane should be a big hint to websites, bloggers, and businesses. Getting your brand or product established is part of the component, but really listening to the needs of your customer is the most important factor to success. Success depends on listening more than anything else. It’s about the feedback.

When a business (or blog) loses the sight of this factor, the business runs the risk of losing customers in a big way. It’s taken the big food chain stores a decade to figure this out. Today’s business owners should step aside and take notice of this.

Internet surfers want interaction. Add a badge, suggestion box, a poll, forum, etc. The comment section is of utmost importance. Some readers may not want to leave comments while others do. Offer your readers a space to leave comments. Reply to those comments when plausible. Add social media to your page.

Customers may have forgotten something in the store, want a price check, or see an item that catches their eye. Machines do not take the place of human interaction. That’s a fact.

Whatever you do, don’t leave your customers stranded in the self-checkout lane. Read, respond, engage, and find out what your customers are really interested in. Suggest an event, a product, or a tip that might brighten someone’s day. You want your customers to stay in the store, and not leave as quickly as they can.

And make sure you tell your customers or readers that you appreciate their business very much. That’s the missing link in the busy corporate world.

You are social media friendly and not the dying self-checkout lane.

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