Why Costco gas station takes soooo long?

Costco is a popular wholesale store that is known for its great deals and affordable prices. One of the many perks of shopping at Costco is the gas station, where members can save on their fuel purchases. However, despite the savings, many people often find themselves waiting in long lines at the gas pump. But why is this the case?

According to my observation, the issue lies with the interaction steps on the pump machine. Unlike other gas stations, Costco has two options to go through a series of prompts before they can start pumping gas, as they offer two kinds of membership.

For regular members, there are 13 steps to go through before they can start filling their tanks.

However, Exclusive members only need to tap their Mastercard once before filling up.

Let’s take a look and see how customers use the regular membership card to fill the gas:

1. Landing page

2. Insert regular membership card and remove

3. Select debit card(only) 

4. Wait after inserting the debit card.

5. Wait again.

6. Wait again for detecting

7. Select max amount

8. Confirm selection

9. Select account type

10. Type the pin

11. Confirm the pin

12. Wait for the detection

13. Remove the card

As you might notice there are problems in the process:

  • Problem 1: The card detection waiting process requires three steps (from step 4 to step 6), which are excessively verbose. This may cause confusion for non-native English speakers or elderly individuals who may react prematurely upon seeing changes on the screen.
  • Solution: Make them into 1 step and add infographics for clearer demonstration.
  • Problem 2: Steps 7 and 8 are redundant and serve no real purpose.
  • Solution: Based on my on-site observations, more than 95% of customers at Costco gas station fill up their tanks fully. Therefore, the authorization amount and confirmation for the transaction are unnecessary steps and can be eliminated to streamline the process.
Redesign:

1. Separate the 2 options making it easier to read.

2. Added infographic will be easier for non-English speakers to read. (It will be better to have language options)

3. As Costco does not accept Mastercards from other banks, I eliminated the option to pay with a Mastercard in the third option.

4. Adding animations can make the waiting process more interesting for customers as it helps with the transition.

5. Complete debit card detection

6. Select account types

7. Enter PIN

8. When the PIN is correct.

8.1. To avoid any sense of blaming the customer, particularly among elderly users, I refrained from using the colour red to indicate an incorrect PIN status.

9. Although my father doesn’t read English, I discovered that he was able to navigate through the first screen by simply scanning it. This led me to recognize the value of incorporating an infographic, which not only aids elderly users who read slowly but also benefits non-English speakers who may not be able to read. Additionally, it helps reduce the cognitive load on the user’s brain.

Conclusion

Including accessibility features that cater to diverse groups such as different races and ages is crucial for public service machines like gas station machines in Canada. By incorporating more visual cues instead of relying solely on small text, users can better understand and interact with the machine. This can help reduce long lines and prevent drivers from occupying the fueling space for an extended period.

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