Usability Evaluation of Self-Service Ticketing Kiosks in Cinemas

Abstract: Self-service systems have flourished in recent years; to make it easier for consumers to purchase tickets, cinema operators introduced self-service ticketing kiosks. The performance of the operator interface and the amount of time spent affect the user's propensity to utilize the self-service ticketing kiosk at the Cinema. In the initial observation, most individuals prefer to purchase tickets at the traditional counter rather than the self-service option. This study used an experimental task, SUS, QUIS, and participant's feedback questionnaire, to determine why self-service ticketing kiosks are not meeting users' needs. The study identified cognitive disparities in the ticketing process of the existing self-service kiosks in Cinema and a lack of substantial status presentation and transparent organization in the ticketing interface. It leads inexperienced users to misunderstandings and operational blunders. This study's conclusions can serve as a foundation for the future optimization of self-service ticketing kiosks in cinemas. The results showed that the participants had problems with the faulty operation of the interface of all three cinemas. (1) When purchasing tickets, two cinemas popped up with a "confirm membership status" prompt, which made many participants hesitant and confused. (2)Order corrections problems, including the lack of a "back to the previous step" function, causing the participants to be unable to correct wrong purchases and need to cancel the entire order to purchase again. (3) All three cinemas had unclear information on the seat selection page. 73.3% of the participants felt that the presentation was not straightforward. Includes no seat numbers, alphabetical presentation of row numbers, and no indication of seat status. (4) 43.33% of participants stated that the existing self-service ticketing kiosks at the three cinemas are less convenient and time-efficient than purchasing tickets at the counter, so they prefer to buy tickets at the counter. Moreover, the SUS scale of the kiosk in the three cinemas were 62.5 (D level),56 (F level), and 54.5 (F level), respectively; neither of them could meet the operational requirements. The results of this study provide us with an understanding of the current user behavior and evaluation of the self-service ticketing interface at the Cinema, which could be used to improve the user experience in the future, allowing users to have a better experience during the ticketing process.

Keywords: Self, Service Technologies, Ticket vending kiosk, Cinema Ticketing, User experience, User interface design, Usability

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1003204

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