BUDAPEST, Hungary — A growing number of European consumers use self-service in their daily lives, new research from NCR Corp. shows, similar to results NCR collected in U.S. consumers.
The company released those results in April during its Self-Service Universe in Orlando, Fla.
The 2008 NCR Self-Service Consumer survey, conducted by BuzzBack Market Research, reveals that 67 percent, or nearly seven out of 10, of consumers across France, Germany Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are more likely to do business with companies that offer the flexibility to interact using self-service, whether the channel be mobile, the Internet, or through an ATM or kiosk.
Additionally, 56 percent said their likelihood to use self-service has increased over the past year. Bill Nuti, NCR's chairman and chief executive, delivered the results during the company's Self-Service Universe conference in Budapest.
"The bottom line is that we are truly at an inflection point," Nuti said. "Technology innovation, coupled with changes in consumer behavior, is forcing businesses to adapt to a consumer who is changing the way they connect, interact and transact with your business. These survey results are symbolic of what lies ahead for self-service. The self-service revolution is real because consumers see how they personally gain from it."
The survey also shows that Europeans value the ability to use a combination of self-service channels — their PDAs or cell phones, the Internet and touchpoints like ATMs or kiosks — to improve their overall experience.
Ninety-eight percent would use a combination of such self-service channels to handle a transaction or service in the retail or hotel industry. Findings are similar for consumer transactions in the travel (97 percent), banking (96 percent) and healthcare (95 percent) industries.
"The pressure is mounting on organizations to finally develop a multichannel strategy that leverages self-service at the point-of-service, online and mobile channels," Nuti said.
Speed, convenience and ease of use are identified most frequently by respondents when asked why they would choose self-service over personal assistance: In the financial sectory, 61 percent the catalyst for self-service preferences related to improved time/speed, 52 said convenience and 46 said ease of use was the driver.
Privacy and greater control also play roles, especially in healthcare, where 41 percent said privacy was the driver while 55 percent cited control.
