CoderTown Blog

Here is another idea for rushing self-checkout industry (hey, IBM, NCR, Fujitsu guys! )

Some of you might already had a good or bad experience with self-checkout systems in different store chains. They all do pretty the same, and there are still doubts if they have that high ROI or not… But sooner or later they will be in almost every retail store chain.

If you look at their design, you won’t find that much difference between them in terms of casing: a touchscreen, scanner, scales, MCR devices, voice assistance. If the software application is well designed and works nice on that system with no hardware issues, you might succeed even in your first attempt to purchase something via this automated cashier. If not - you’ll start hating it till the end of your life

Here is the idea: make these systems looking more vivant, attracting. The casing can be designed to have changeable skin plates, decoration elements, blinking/running lights, etc., say, on Halloween attach appropriate color plates with funny decoration. They should be fixed with at least one screw to be protected from curious customers. The software inside should have theme skins too, changeable accordingly to the season, holiday, etc., as well as the voice. Depending on configuration the voice messages can be not always serious. Give people some jokes, let ‘em relax and trust the system and they’ll like it!
Yes, this requires more efforts and might increase the cost of the system, but all these changes can attract much more people attention and love than they have now. Make it friendly, funny and entertaining - that’s what people like the most.

The first place which I see for such a system with funny look and changeable skins/themes is… toys retail stores! Parents come with kids there always! They definitely need more fun during the shopping and especially at the checkout point.

• On Christmas let them have snowy look with icy buttons on the screen. And maybe some music on the background or at the end of the purchase. The voice must be like Santa Claus asking to swipe a card..
• Hallowing season - black and orange colors, scaring voices, spider net in some corners on the screen
• etc. - just ask creative artist to create you a theme both for hardware skins and software skins and voices…

What do you think?!

There are many cool VoIP services today on the market providing residential phone line as well as long distance calling. I’ve noticed one group of sites which seem to be related:

• InternetCalls.com
• FreeCall.com
• VoipBuster.com
• VoipStunt.com
• and some others

What I like in their service — they have great rates for overseas calls, some are even so called free - you pay fixed fee and talk unlimited time (or close to that). Originally that was a PC-to-PHONE and PC-to-PC calls with their own client application required to be installed (like Skype). Plus they provided Call-In phone numbers for some cities (very short list).
What I do not like — their customer service sucks indeed, plus they do not improve much since the launch.

Recently they introduced a very nice feature: PHONE-to-PHONE calls initiated from their website, no headset required, no client application. Just enter two phone numbers whatever they are and it will connect them!
Many companies try to use Skype for their conference calls or even for technical support service (to save some money on expensive long distance calls). That requires many things from a customer:

• Skype application installed on customer’s PC
• Headset connected to the PC
• OR, instead of the first two items just one Skype enabled phone.
• Customer must be a registred user of Skype
• Rather good and stable internet connection

Now, imagine: on company’s contacts webpage a visitor clicks on a link of a customer support phone number. A popup window is displayed and the user is prompted to enter his phone number. Once confirmed, that will post an HTML request to a voip service provider to connect both numbers. Company number should be kept on server side (in the company profile). That should prevent from spoofing and connecting any two numbers due to a vulnerability.

• Giving such an interface to web developers will provoke much wider utilization of voip service
• Calling rates usually lower than via Skype, some are just dramatically lower, close to nothing!
• No special equipment required for a customer
• No Skype or any other account creation required
• Just regular phone or cell phone is needed
• Because of simplicity and no charges for users, it can be more popular that Skype approach.

Main drawback of this idea is scum users: what if somebody enters any number, not even his own, say of his prof? The prof won’t be happy with a web hosting company calling him again and again. Only because one of his students is having fun after 2 gallons of beer. But, similar tricks are possible with any voip-out service, like Skype-Out: you call from your Skype to any land line number without being identified… I think this problem is solvable. For example, when system calls in, a recorded message should prompt an answered party to confirm the call by pressing certain digits or by even entering a code given at the website page. If no code entered, then a call is ended with recorded excuses and not customer support rep. is bothered! Something like that… (Of course, all calls, even failed, must be paid by voip service account owner i.e. by the company).
Does something like that exists already?! Never seen…