ATM Interface
Didier Hilhorst, of superfluousbanter.org raises a good user design issue in regards to the commonly used ATM (or Automated Teller Machine), a device used invisibly in today’s society.
He mentions that when the ATM prompts you as the user for a receipt, it offers two options — yes or no — which depending on if you’re like me means ‘no’ considering I use the bank’s online site for record keeping. He also likens the ATM experience to something like an Indy 500 wherein the user flicks through the screens in a race to the finish line — or the withdraw and walk away portion.
If you follow this pattern you are used to going through the steps and then at the receipt prompt selecting your Yes or No, but what if the ATM is out of paper? Then upon selecting ‘No’ you are booted out of the process and are left scratching your head pondering the reason why what just happened, well happened.
Personally, I love watching people struggle over their items. Depending on if their doing a simple deposit to a more complicated deposit it’s funny to see their reactions to an otherwise nonreponsive machine. Typically it’s an operator’s error, possibly the result of the user waiting too long to slip in their deposit envelope.
I know I’ve had trouble with this in the past. After selecting the Deposit option I quickly fill out the deposit slip and then immediatedly push that into the bank envelope and all this time the screen is beeping until it finally stops and prompts me to try again.
Anyone remember that commercial from a few years back with the boy yelling “Ah-tee-em” and then leading the tourists to an ATM?
One Comment, Comment or Ping
Ron
To my recollection, that was a Wells Fargo commercial. I believe it was a Middle Eastern boy who is yelling “Ahh-tee-em” to a crowd of tourists.
They believe he is saying something else in his native tongue. It’s not until the end of the commercial when we realize he was referring to an ATM machine.
Apr 5th, 2004
Reply to “ATM Interface”