LAS VEGAS — During an educational session at the KioskCom Self Service Expo Thursday, attendees sampled exclusive results of consumer research that reveals what they like and dislike when using self-service.

The session, "What Self-Service Technology Do Customers Really Want," moderated by SSKA executive director David Drain, focused on a study sponsored by the association and included in a new report, "2009 Self-Service Consumer Survey." Drain gave attendees a peek at some of the results of the study, including:

• When asked "When being served as a customer, which of the following is most important to you," 40 percent of respondents chose "quality of service" as their No. 1 concern.
• Respondents’ top three reasons for using self-service technology were: "Self-service is faster," "Self-service is more convenient" and "I like self-service technology."
• When asked their No.1 reason for choosing full-service provided by an employee over self-service, 50 percent responded, "Self-service devices are not available."

Coupled with these insights into consumer preferences was data presented by Janet Sherlock of AMR Research, which showed more than 60 percent of retailers surveyed will add or improve on their self-service offerings this year or are planning a 2010 initiative. AMR’s data also provided a snapshot of the self-service functionalities retailers consider when planning deployments. Taking the top positions on the list were gift registry, price check, inventory location/availability, expanded product information, "endless aisle" order processing, self-checkout and loyalty program/mailing list sign-up. Sherlock pointed to the QSR dining space as the next big market to make self-service solutions a part of its standard offerings.

Also during the session, Jared Miller, senior director of customer self-service for Continental Airlines, discussed the company’s self-service strategies and successes. With service to nearly as many international as domestic locations, Miller said Continental focuses on catering to a diverse customer base and providing a consistent user experience across all channels.

"Our self-service offerings have to be able to speak to these customers in a manner they’re comfortable with," Miller said. "It’s a continual conversation, if you will, with the customer across every touchpoint."

Miller also discussed the future of mobile self-service technology in the airline industry and predicted a standardized mobile boarding pass acceptance system within a few years.