A Look at Apple’s Spot-the-Shopper Technology(bits.blogs.nytimes.com) |
A Look at Apple’s Spot-the-Shopper Technology(bits.blogs.nytimes.com) |
* I used this feature when it first came out and found the experience pleasant, and was even prompted to flag down an employee and ask for a bag if I wanted (sure that partly defeats the purpose, but I did it anyway to see what would happen—I received a smile and a bag and a thank you with no hint of suspicion and no double checking of the receipt showing on my phone. I did have to enter the security code from my linked Credit Card.
Very awesome system in that it removes yet another bit of friction from the buying experience. I no longer have to wait for someone to be available to pay for my purchase, I simply pick it up, pay for it using my iTunes account, and leave the store.
I would guess that Diego is about to be out of a job before Christmas :[
Last time I was there I even asked the blueshirt to show me the battery pack/scanner apparatus attached to his phone. It was no big deal and he was happy to talk about it.
It is going to be interesting how, or even better if, they are going to tackle the issue of loss prevention or if they are going to consider it an operating loss.
The interesting thing is that even before they implemented the self-checkout system it was based on the honor system as well. Nobody has ever asked me if I had paid for the items as I was leaving the Apple store. Nobody flagged me down as I was holding items to pay for them. I didn't have a physical receipt, just one they emailed to me and I've almost never asked for a bag so they can't identify people who have paid vs those who hadn't paid that way...
I assume the sticker was proof-of-purchase (as receipt was being emailed).
The stuff they grab from the back of the store still has to be paid in person with someone that has an iPhone with card scanner... no self-checkout there yet :P