The story with this place is the same as it is in most towns: Premium gas prices due to a wash on premises. They're always a few cents more than competitors just a few miles down the road in either direction because the nearest wash is ~5 miles away.
Alas, their point of difference is also their Achilles' heel.
The most common means of purchasing a wash is through the pump, right after you fill your vehicle. They even offer a discount based on the amount of gas you purchase. Today, as I'm sure happens on many days, a poor touchscreen menu cost them a sale.
Here are some of the issues I encountered (all will be familiar to any user experience designer [UXD]):
Organization & Labeling
Words used in the offline signage didn't match the onscreen menu or items within the menu. I couldn't locate the exact wash, even though I was determined. I was even ready to use pricing information (I have an unnatural fear of numbers) to find what I wanted, but there weren't any prices listed on the menu like there was on the signage.
User Orientation
I couldn't determine where I was within the menu, nor could I access other menus I was sure were there.
Multiple Pathways
Determined to get the bird poop off my hood, I pushed through the menu——certain that I'd discover what I was looking for——only to find a dead-end. There was no back button. My only option was to complete the transaction with no wash.
Not only did they miss this sale, but I'll think twice——either consciously or unconsciously——about dealing with that touchscreen again. This experience made me think about all the software, websites and apps that have a tenuous toehold in our lives... I'm looking at you Gmail and Google Docs. Sure, each takes an established service or functionality and twists it into something sort of unique. But enough crappy interactions and people are willing to go the extra mile for something that's easy, familiar, and just plain works. (I miss you, my sweet Outlook. We'll see each other soon, Microsoft Office.) Word.
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