Kiosks Get Personal

Online shopping is a personal experience. For starters, you can do it from the comfort of your own home. Returning visitors are greeted with a "Hi [insert name here]" and given recommendations based on past purchases. Even new visitors are treated to the "You might also like" list of recommendations based on what you're searching for. It's like having your own personal sales associate who is trying his best to be genuinely helpful.

Not to be outdone, bricks-and-mortar retailers may soon get a boost in offering a more personal in-store experience through advances in kiosk technology. This article on NYTimes.com tells of new prototypes being built by the likes of Intel that will be equipped to deliver a purchase experience similar to what you would find online. With the swipe of an identification care (i.e., something similar to customer loyalty cards given out by grocery stores), the kiosks can greet the customer by first name. They can also make product recommendations and even allow customers to virtually try on products before deciding whether to buy or not. Instead of relying on a sales associate, customers could essentially serve themselves.

So, does that mean that sales associates are doomed to become a thing of the past? Eh, probably not. Just as with any technology, you'll have people who are afraid to try it or who need help using it. It might, however, mean that sales people will need to get more tech-savvy in addition to learning customer service.