Stop by a fast-food shop and you’ll probably find a kiosk screen where you can put in your order. We find them a bit of a pain to use, probably because we don’t use them very often, but if there is a long line at the counter and no line at the kiosk, then it makes sense for us. For the store, it’s a way to move the ordering process from a paid employee to the customer, saving the store money, unless of course purchase and maintenance of the kiosk system costs them more than what they’re paying the person at the counter taking orders. I have read that the main reason stores like these ordering kiosks is because they never forget to ask if you’d like to upsize that or order something else to go with it. Upselling. That triggers more purchases, a higher average sale, in the same amount of time, so a win for them.
I just recently encountered this same thing with my most recent visit to a car repair shop. The last several times we’ve had a car in for an oil change, or something else simple, they automatically do an entire vehicle inspection then text you a message listing everything they found that you should do to your car to make it just right, complete with a handy check box for each item that you can approve right there on your phone. Upselling. We had an oil leak in our little Mazda 3, so we sent it to the shop. The inspection text message we got back was alarming. When I talked with the service manager I pointed out that the tech had just listed $8,500 worth of work for a car I could probably sell for $8,000. Did that make any sense? After starting to explain, then stopping, starting again, stopping, he acknowledged that maybe the tech got a little carried away. I want my car back in good running shape and no serious safety issues. He gave me a price for fixing the oil leak and said I’ll be fine with that.
Automated upselling. A higher average sale with no extra effort. It’s just a matter of marking things down on a computer screen, and you don’t even have to look the customer in the eye while you’re doing it. (Unless the customer protests, then you can always backtrack and blame it on someone else.) I see this practice migrating from fast food to auto repairs so far. It is probably finding its way to other venues as well and is likely already happening a lot more than I realize yet.