Evaluating organizations by their customer experiences

I like the AA screen best. It tells me that I can check-in. it answers a question I'd likely have if I was taking an international flight.

The pale coloring on the "with bags" boxes looks like that is not an option from the kiosk. If so, why not just say so; If not, what's up?

JetBlue's "Hi there" - I have no idea where this interface is going to take me. Will it check me in? Ask me what kind of soap I like to use?

If Google did what Jet blue is doing, they would not be where they are today. This screen is basically useless candy - click here to get to a useful screen.

As busy as it is (not really that bad), the AA screen is much more like Google's approach - ready to work NOW.

I'd much rather look at an ugly interface that does what I need done than have a machine pretend to be my friend.

I like the Big Blue / Jet Blue kiosk. It's especially interesting to see IBM associated with a 'pleasant customer experience'. :-) Maybe there's still hope for IBM after all?

Why is there "touch screen to begin" and a start button on the Jet Blue Kiosk? Which should I do? The start button basically does the same thing as touching anywhere, but putting that in a button is foolish and conflicts with the touch screen to begin message.

Just put "touch screen to begin" under the "Hi There" and that's all they neeed. Better yet, call have it say "touch anywhere to get started" since that is the easiest way to combine both messages.

I agree with David. Airports involve enough waiting around as is. I would hardly want to have to go through a gauntlet of "Hi there. We're friendly." sceens. The Jet Blue start screen doesn't even offer anything that helps you along in the process of checking in.

Information overload can be a horrible thing too, of course. But the AA page doesn't seem to have so much that it becomes burdensome. It gives you all the basic options to hopefully get you through the process as soon as possible.

Besides, when machines seem too friendly, it gets a little bit creepy. I prefer my smalltalk to be with humans.

Yeah, the JetBlue one reminds me of Tufte's joke decision-tree anti-interface for a digital guide to an art museum:

You like art? []
Or no? []

Get to the point already! I just need a boarding pass!

I'm with several of the other posters. I don't need a goofy anthropomorphic greeting splash page: I want to check in for a flight, not make friends with the computer. I prefer the AA straight to business clutter.

I have used the AA screen, it makes sense. I wastes some screen to put 3 nice buttons up front an center, but those buttons make the interaction fast and simple. There are enough screens to navigate through already, and to add a "hi there" (not "Welcome"?) touch screen just adds about 5 seconds to the whole thing.

Is taking photos of self-checkin kiosks filling all of that copious spare time?

Jetblue may have the best computer interface but that does not translate into best on time perfomance. I used to travel regularly on Jetblue flight #1108 - - - on over 25 flights Jetblue arrived over an hour late each time - - - one time it was 6 hours late! I will trade a slightly confusing check in for on time performance.

Y'all don't get it. Flight check-in is not Google.

How many times a day does the average user load the google page? Slower loading times would turn users away, especially on a slow connection.

You use the check-in system once a flight. People are more likely to be confused with an over-abundance of options.

Also, employees can probably see if a kiosk is acting up from a distance with such a bold display.

I gotta say that while the JetBlue kiosk screen appears more friendly, the AA one looks like it could actually get more done.

When entering a store, would you rather talk to the cutesy, vapid greeter who doesn't know anything except the name of the eyeshadow she put on this morning, or the grizzled old broad behind the customer service desk who actually knows where the Bic Lighters are stocked?

I'm a bit confused here. Am i right in assuming the author prefers the Jet Blue interface? If so, it's funny how most of the people commenting so far prefer the AA interface as more useful. Although visually less appealing, I'd have to agree with the majority and say that the AA interface is more useful. Note that AA have a button for Spanish speakers on the main page as well, whereas Jetblue does not.

What does the JetBlue kiosk look like -after- you push the button to activate it? This is hardly a fair comparison. The screen you showed us does nothing to show which interface is easier to check in with.

The Jetblue screen is a useless splash page. Whatever appears after you get through that step would be better to compare to the AA screen.

It doesn't pass the "Mom" test: if my mother were trying to check in for her flight, which one would be easiest?

Here, there's a "clean" interface, but it's not helpful. It doesn't tell her what this machine is going to do for her; she probably doesn't know or care what "hi there" means, so she's likely to pass it by, not understanding that it could help her once it's done being coy and cutesy.

She's going to be looking for something that says "CHECK IN", which the AA screen does.

Substitute "Check in" for "hi there" on the JetBlue screen and you'd have a winner.

There's three possible (undefined) actions with the JetBlue kiosk - 'touch screen,' touch 'start' button, and insert card. Seems at least momentarily confusing to me. AA wins.

"I'd much rather look at an ugly interface that does what I need done than have a machine pretend to be my friend." -- dan h and pretty much everyone else in the comments.

Agreed.

What also needs to be considered is what happens when you use an digital check-in kiosk to check bags. I used Delta's the other day, and it was a mess. The bag tags print on the other side of the counter, and an agent is supposed to come over, put the tag on your bag and take your bag. Well, it was a busy day (hardly an exception), and one agent ended up with a handful of tags from several kiosks, and no longer knew which tag went to which bag. One customer, thinking she completed the process, left her bag, untagged, at the counter and walked away. My tag could not be found. I decided to bring my bag on board with me, rather than risk it being given someone else's tag. Huge usability -- and security -- problem.

Usability and user experience do not end at the digital terminal. Same goes for online video streaming: people say "the quality and interface are like TV!" Well... not if your computer is in your home office and you want to sit on your living room couch.

Yep, AA is "more usable"...but I *like* JetBlue's better. For branding purposes (which is all this accomplishes--everyone will figure both of them out eventually), JetBlue wins.

This is a poor comparison. I've used both JetBlue and AA's kiosks, and the JetBlue kiosk is far easier to use with a sleek, easy, reassuring design that is, yes, friendly. What you see here is the splash screen; the AA kiosk also has a splash/holding screen, but you don't see it here.

I hugely prefer the JetBlue interface to the ugly powerpoint design of AA. And what's more, the JetBlue kiosk carries their corporate identity into an interactive piece -- the AA piece is infomush.

not to repeat stuff but it is worth pointing out that the jetblue 'homepage' doesn't actually allow you to do a goddam thing. what's the next page?

remember "welcome to our website, click to enter" maybe google should have one of those.

The AA shows immediately what I can do and tells me that its a Self Check In machine. Jet Blue is just a useless splash page that doesn't even tell me the machine's purpose (although this may be mitigated if there's more context that can't be seen here like a big sign above it saying self check in).

Also, if I had something complicated like "lost boarding pass" I probably wouldn't even think that the Jet Blue one could help me so wouldn't even touch the screen to start.

Either way a good agent can check you in faster than any kiosk I've tried so far (I fly about 8 times a month).

Problem is that those agents need benefits & vacations & sick days and we're trying to run a business here.

I'm reminded of the machines in Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, with their Genuine People Personalities (tm)!

But more importantly, this article is useless -- show us comparisons of specific actions with each kiosk, and then you can make your case one way or the other.

The sad thing is that lots of people will be intimidated by ANY interface, no matter how simple:

http://camerastore.blogspot.com/2004/11/thing-i-hate-most.html

Funny this should come up... last week I attempted to check in at JetBlue in Boston. The first kiosk wouldn't locate my reservation.

The next three got me to the 'check-in' step and then printed out a boarding pass with the word "Oops!" in 48pt type and directed me to the counter.

I thought it was just me, but when I found the end of the line outside the terminal, i realized all the kiosks were screwed up. Needless to say, I missed my flight waiting in line for the next hour...

Customer Experience = teh suxor.

Continental's kiosk works every time.

I don't fly AA.

This has to be one of the most vague blog entries I've ever read.

I understand that the author was trying to encourage observing levels of commitment to customer service by businesses, but his writing veers so far of course and takes so many directions that ultimately it fails to get the point across.

Earlier a poster mentioned that it was silly to have both a 'touch screen to begin' message and a dedicated start button.

I have heard alot of people say they don't like having multiple ways to accomplish the same thing but I disagree. I'm sure the 'touch screen to enter' is going to be useful for some people but I'm just looking for a big green button. If I have to read to get past the splash screen I am going to get angry.

More ways to accomplish something satisifies more users. i.e. shortcuts for the experienced

Interesting topic. While we're on the topic of customer service, what gives with (some) on-line newspapers and the pop-up ads? Worse still, the ads with audio where it's very nearly impossible to find the pause button?! I'd love to see a survey listing how many of these intrusive ads actually generate a click, much less a sale.

Branding? So you guys missed Jack O'Doherty's comment on his real experience?

Branding is my flight took off on time, landed on time, and I wasn't tortured in flight. Sounds like JetBlue needs to work harder on what they put in the air and less on branding on the kiosk.

There's actually a really good reason for a splash screen on this sort of kiosk: it tells the user that the app has been reset and is ready to be used again. If you walk up to the thing right after someone else has just finished and there's a whole bunch of options, there's some momentary confusion about whether or not the previous person's session is complete. Communicating a clear "ready for the next person" is good design.

Next time, fly Continental.

Um... the "hi there!" reminds me of Eddie the Computer in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." It would make me apprehensice. Why not just "CHECK IN"?

The "start screen" is NOT a useless screen at all.

It lets people know that the ticketing process has not been started yet, and the kiosk ready and able to proceed with its functionality.

It also lets users know that the kiosk has not been abandoned in the middle of a session, and will probably also go BACK to the start screen once the entire process is 100% complete.

There's a reason why most of you people aren't interface designers - because you have no idea what goes into designing something that the GENERAL PUBLIC finds intuitive.

Let me get this straight...the screen with the least amount of info is the "best?"

I guess that explains Windows Vista and websites that make you click forty times to get to what you want.

A note to those that feel that the Jet Blue welcome screen is useless or obstructing. Keep in mind that this is not the front page of a web site - the first time that I see the kiosk may be from across a crowded airport terminal. In that case, a friendly "hi there" in a sea of chaos and confusion does have a purpose, it alerts me to the kiosk's presence as an informational/navigational aide.

If you assume that everyone who approaches the kiosk knows exactly what their next steps are towards check-in and boarding, this screen would be an obstruction. But for those travelers whom are a little lost or confused, a step by step (and friendly) guide is much apreciated.

Although the whole "Hi There" thing may seem like a time-consuming formality, bear this in mind;

These kiosks are designed for people LESS TECH SAVVY THAN OURSELVES.

They are doing a good job or humanising technology, making it more accessible to everyone.

I personally find it tacky (I work in interface design), but if I look at it from a less experienced person's perspective, it makes a whole lot of sense.

I would only point out that in Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove both of the hydrogen bombs in Slim Picken's airplane had names. One was "Dear John" and the other was ... "Hi There."

What is JetBlue telling us?

Jetblue = Apple
AA = Microsoft

Oh wow, I hate that pointless, artificial, smug JetBlue screen.

If I'm in a hurry and want to check in, I do not want a try-hard 'friendly' screen that says 'hi there' (using lower case, even avoiding the inhumanity of - gasp! - capital letters) that I then have to actively remove to get to the actual choices.

This should only be appealing to the kind of cottage-cheese minded drips who buy battery-powered yapping dogs and giggle at their cuteness when they do a backflip.

I wish Mark went into more detail as to why he thinks Jet Blue's interface is better. I don't think that fewer words makes for a better experience, especially when it places form above function.

From a usability perspective, I think AA wins. It gets users to the info they're seeking in as few "clicks" as possible. Why waste a "click" on a lame greeting page?

As a traveler, I want to check in as quickly and easily as possible. I want my flights to be on time, and if I check luggage, I want it to show up at the other end. The "Hi There" faux frendliness doesn't do a thing to enhance my experience, it just slows me down.

riomx said,

"This has to be one of the most vague blog entries I've ever read.

I understand that the author was trying to encourage observing levels of commitment to customer service by businesses, but his writing veers so far of course and takes so many directions that ultimately it fails to get the point across."

Well put. I'm glad someone else found this article to be as vague and pointless as i did. The article assume s much about aesthetics and preferences of users and explains nothing.

Just flew American for the first time this weekend and had to use the check-in terminal under pretty intense time pressure (backup on BQE! flight boarding in 5 minutes! Big backup at security check!)

In my frantic state I found the screen offputting for about 3 seconds: the choices didn't at first seem to be mutually exclusive and I had to ask myself what I really wanted, but I quickly figured it out and got done what needed done very quickly. (I made my flight)

And I agree the Hi There screen is stupid. It ought to say "Check In" or something useful, rather than trying to convince me the airline is anything but a cattle carrier. The implied lie and the waste of a screen with illusory cordiality just makes me resentful. Let's save a step and collect some useful info aside from "Hi Back"

If I were in a hurry and upset at the amount of people i was around, the jet blue screen would only make me more pissed off. I don't need computers to make me feel better. I need to get on the plane quicker to make me feel better.

In addition to being easier to see from across the terminal (good for marketing and the passenger in a hurry) the jet blue splash screen clearly communicates that this kiosk is a touch screen. I would guess that up to half of people who try and use these things are unfamiliar with touchscreen ui's and need to be taken baby-step by baby-step from the beginning.

(Someone tell AA & jetBlue that there's a few thousand dollars worth of focus group research on this blog entry.)

It's interesting to compare those companies' kiosks with their own websites, and recognize that they create consistent brand attributes throughout the experience of booking, checking in, boarding and flying. Based on the results in this blog, it looks like both kiosks appeal to certain segments, but neither is dominating the other. One focuses on utility (AA) and the other on aesthetics (jetBlue), but neither on both (like Google). In terms of capitalizing on this situation with marketing, I think jetBlue has the advantage in a "Hi, I'm a mac (JetBlue), and I'm a PC (AA)" kind-of-way.

BTW, I think the blog was intentionally vague, to see how people would react. Some great blogs do just that--stimulate discussion for the greater good of raw feedback, rather than just provide lots of info and perspective (which Mark does a good job of.)

Well, you sure got people's attention and passion with this blog.

I for one, think the JetBlue experience is friendlier. AA is ok, United's are probably a good in-between. It is the one I use the most, and everyday I find new "hidden features" in it. Fun discovery, although sometimes surprising.

I wanted to agree with the post above: these screens are designed for people WAAAY less sophisticated than us. Forget about the Mom: test. Try the "Grandma from a Foreign Country test". You should see them at the airport, with 4 huge bags and their food packed up in white boxes. The attendant tells them "use the machine/kiosk" and they get a precious blank stare back.

Those are the people that would find the JetBlue interface non-intimidating, and the AA interface as overkill. Google needs to appeal to everyone and does - that's how they get the user penetration and share they do.

2 cents.
Luis C.

Hmmmph, what does it matter how friendly the checkin kiosk is, when they try to kill you by trapping you for 9+ hours on a snowed-in runway with no food, water, or working toilets? The airlines have become uniformly EVIL with their insane bean-counting and cost-cutting. I refuse to fly any U.S. commercial airline any more.

These two screens are probably not the most insightful examples of good vs bad customer experience...

Good lord, people, have you ever used the JetBlue kiosk? It doesn't constantly say HI THERE, it's an *animated* screen. It communicates multiple messages on a moving screen to let you know it's ready for use. Complaining that you don't want a computer screen saying "hi" to you is the worst kind of curmudgeonly designer crap. Lighten up and appreciate that some people need a reassuring voice in a stressful space like an airport.