Just saw a survey that Redbox is sending out to some users (let us know if you got it) about how likely we are to recommend the service to a friend. After submitting the answer to that question, I got the following screen:
The question I found most interesting was about speeding up return times. I wonder how they would do that?
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Anyway, what answer would you choose and why? Leave a comment and let us know.
have a return only bin next to the machine or on the side of it so that two people can be accessing the machine simultaneously.
Right, I agree that is a great idea, but would be a logistical nightmare for Redbox to implement. I just don’t see them doing that.
Perhaps they could speed up their software to immediately recognize and accept returns a bit faster, and then allow customers to use the machine before the disc actually gets moved into position. I think that would be feasible, and probably not too hard to implement.
I agree! I get so tired of waiting for it to go back to the main screen especially when the line is growing behing you and you still want to look over the available movies. I hope redbox gets the idea and does some serious software upgrades.
Yes, that’s it!
I would just like to see more redbox machines, I think the machines are great and love them. People just need to stop and think about how long they would be spending at a video store walking around checking titles trying to see what they have when redbox has it all in one area on one screen, how awesome is that! You wont have to wait in line at the register and wait for some young unexperienced person to ring up your purchase. No doubt about it overall you are saving tons of time!!!
I actually think this is a very good idea,thanks.
A bin would not work all movies have to be scanned in and placed in an empty
slot.
I agree. They could do this if they had two screens – but retrofitting their current kiosks might be difficult. Not for me to figure out, however. Up to their design engineers!
I find that most people are pretty friendly when someone who’s returning a DVD comes up. It also means one more DVD in there we may be able to rent.
amen, amen, amen – it is always so frustrating when I just need to return a title and there are multiple people in line…though if I’m just returning, I will oftentimes ask the next person if I can just return mine real quick…since it truly is so quick. Our town has also recently gotten a drive-up Walgreens location, and it always seems to be much faster than Wal-Mart, so that’s been great. :)
When returning movies, as you insert the movie have it ask you if there are any more movies to return, so immediately when it finishes putting the previous movie in position you can insert the next one. I’ve always found the most annoying part of redbox is having to wait for them to get returned, then go back to the main menu, and doing it over and over. There’s gotta be a software update that could make it more efficient.
This is also a very good idea & again,thanks
i thing that speeding it up by asking any more returns is wonderfull
pain in the a@@@ to wait and dot all over agin
ask more returns and allo you to just keep putting them in
john t virginia beach va
The other posts have good ideas. 75% of the time there is noone else there when we return a movie. The other 25% of the time there is a line 6 people deep, and half of them are going to rent one or movies that they haven’t picked out yet. The only really good solution would be a separate slot on the side. But given the install base, anything requiring hardware seems unlikely to happen. I wonder if their systems would be capable of accepting returns while someone else is browsing?
As far as the survey, lines aren’t what’s keeping me from renting more often. I have been disappointed with the customer service both times I’ve called. Once they simply told us there was just nothing they could do for us; the other time they just gave us a free code, when I would have much rather had my original money refunded.
Absolutely. They always want to just give a free code if something goes wrong, but I WANT MY DAMN MONEY BACK. Plus, a while back there was a problem with the new titles not being available to view online at midnight, and I sent them a few e-mails about it, a FEW because I kept getting this BS, scripted blow-off that came right out of some “here’s how to ignore these idiots” handbook. Something like … “Thank you for contacting RedBox, your comments and suggestions are important to us. They will be forwarded to the correct departments…” I was like “Hello, I don’t have a comment or a suggestion, I’m telling you about a problem!” Customer Service is a problem.
If they want to give you a free code as compensation for a problem, tell them that’s unacceptable. They tried that with me once and I ended up getting the refund after I kept insisting. It might be situation-dependendent though, there may be situations where they really can’t refund money. But a free code is cheaper for them so they will always try it.
Man I had to wait hours just to rent a dvd or return a dvd . ny city only has 1 redbox machine.
one day i had to wait 30 minutes outside walgreens to return one movie
the machine was full and i had to wait for someone to rent a disc so i could
return my copy.
If it remains 7-8 seconds for the dvd returned to be processed, put in place in the kiosk for the next person who wants that specific dvd, an email sent to me that my return was successful, and the screen to read, ” Your dvd has been sucessfully returned”, that’s okay with me. I want to be sure my dvd was successfully returned so that I’m not later charged $25 for it. I don’t give a hoot who is waiting behind me. It’s the people who don’t bother looking up online if the Redbox kiosk they’re going to has the movie they want, and then spend 10 minutes deciding while you’re waiting behind them that annoy me. Maybe Redbox could make that screen next to the kiosk that displays pictures/ads of the new releases/ recent dvds (which most renters want), a press screen. When you press the picture of the movie, IF it’s available AT THAT KIOSK it will say so. Therefore, the undecided person who hasn’t checked online first, can dilly/dally at that screen FIRST for decision purposes , and then use the main kiosk to rent the AVAILABLE movies they’ve chosen. Or is that separate picture/ad screen already a press screen? I’ve never tried to press the pictures/ads on it!
Trur, true. Some machines display the movie covers & release dates adjacent & around the machine, but of course people who do not use the internet stand there and browse endlessly and to my observation just walk away without renting one anyway. True RedBox users either have their movie pre-rented or know that box has the selection they want & are in and out in under a minute. The rest are just browsers who take 20 minutes to use the self-checkout at the super market. No getting around the general public.
Well maybe that person does’nt have access to a computer.I would like to be able to get a reciept at the time of renting or returning,ya know just like when you get gas.As for that person who is mad at the ones who takes awhile trying to figure out which movie they want,chill we all can’nt be so perfect.(I’m being sarcastic in case ya did’nt know)Get a grip & get some patients & give a good alterative sugestion instead of being so impatient
Great idea about the paper receipt–especially a RETURN receipt so you have proof positive you returned on time/won’t be charged $25 for a missing dvd. Also would free up inbox email/computer space from not having email return receipts building up. To think of it, those who don’t have internet/email, they must go through an anxiety nightmare for 25 days (before can check their charge/bank debit card balance) after they return a dvd since they have no proof of return other than the screen saying, “dvd successfully returned”.
great idea..i am always scared it wont show up. email and print a reciept
would be fine
also i find a disk sticking out as people dont wait till it says returned..it kicks it out if inserted backwards i always retun it for whoever left in a hurry….
john t
virginia beach
Sometimes I swipe my card too early, before remembering to press the “check out” button. Often this happens when people are behind me so I am trying to hurry. The machine should not make me press that button and re-swipe.
I am surprised noone has thought of what seems obvious to me. A second screen! Two people browsing for their next movie, or returning their last one.
No need to duplicate the entire mechanism. You put the screen next to the present machine on the right, with the DVD slot in between. This could even be used to implement the “returns only line” idea if returns time irks enough people.
I have to believe the laser and DVD carousel mechanism is a much bigger part of the cost a machine than the touchscreen. A touchscreen PC is almost generic, used in many different places these days.
Hey, hold on buster! Wasn’t that MY IDEA…. to have that screen that’s already on the right or left of the existing kiosk to be a touchscreen for the dilly-dally, undecided browsers!!!! However, you go further to have a DVD slot in between the kiosk and that screen that’s already on the right, or left in some locations. The addition of your in-between slot FOR RETURNS ONLY is a good idea. Don’t know if Redbox would want to undertake the expense/headache though. There would have to be a physical alteration of the kiosk for the return to go in/processed. Surely can’t see the right or left screen OR in-between slot being used for renting . What happens if there’s only say one “Gran Torino” left in the kiosk and BOTH people press ‘rent’ at the same time. They’d be fighting over whose “Gran Torino” it is when it pops out!
Sorry, your description didn’t sound to me at all like the touch screen.
You missed my point on the “in-between” slot — I am talking about the slot which is already there. In other words, leave that alone but use it for both screens. Put the new touch screen on that side so the slot is between the two screens.
I believe appropriate software would solve the problem with contention between which screen is vending a movie. Maybe prevent one screen from checking out while the other is doing so. Change the screen to show a big arrow while the movie is being vended. Put a simple flashing arrow light next to the dvd slot showing which screen the DVD belongs to.
On the other hand, they haven’t shown they know how to get the user interface right — there is no excuse for people thinking they can walk away on a return until the machine reads the DVD. The screen just sits there unchanging until it’s complete and that’s bad. At the point the mechanism detects a DVD and pulls it in to scan it with the laser, the screen needs to change to clearly indicate what is happening and that the DVD is sensed but the return is not complete and the person could get charged $25 if they walk away.
Why not have a return only BUTTON adjacent to the slot? Until the “browsers” are checking out and swipe their credit card the internal hardware could be available for returns. Seems simple enough. The only extra hardware involved would be the button, the rest would just be software.
I got a survey from Redbox, but it didn’t ask the questions above. Everything it asked me (about 5 questions) was about McD’s. Example, the last time I wen’t to McD’s did I rent a redbox movie? Etc. Then it gave me a free code.
I would have liked to suggest speeding up returns…
i WOULD LIKE QUICKER CHECKOUT AND RETURN SERVICE. i WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE MORE $5 MOVIE SALES. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE $5 OR 2 FOR $7 MOVIE SALES ON LINE TO ORDER AND HAVE SHIPPED TO THE CUSTOMER.
I was just thinking the other day about making a return slot on the side of the machine that could handle returns while someone is looking through all the available movies. That would be great. Also, I agree with the person who suggested multiple returns without having to start over.
I would like to see a “quick service” line that not only services returns but also online rentals. i can’t count how many times my movie has just been waiting for me in there but i can’t get to it till the 3 guys in front of me each read the description for every movie in the box. usually i just slip in and ask if i can get my online rental quick. if i swipe the card and ask at the same time by the time most people figure out what just happened im in the car already. i have had so many dumbfounded looks from people who must not know that you can reserve online.
All the boxes I have seen have the right and/or left side unobtructed and it could be redesigned for returns only. They could redesign the box to for one side for returns only and one for return/rental. I could see that happening.
I have a thought. What if you connected your credit card to an account on redbox.com. You could mantain a queue like on the other rental sites and when you walk up to the redbox, swipe your card and it would immediately show you which of your selections are available. This would not stop some people from browsing for movies but I find browsing to be the most time consuming part of the rental process. If the movie you are after is not on the first screen then you need to go searching for it. This wouldn’t necessarily help the return process but it would move the line along faster.
I also use a different kind of machine at Western Kentucky University. It is a DVD Now machine, has a glass front so you can see what movies are in the machine and it hold 110 movies. Even if someone else is using the machine in front of you, you can still see what movies are available in every occupied slot. It also has a screen that show trailers, and their movies are 99cents first night and 1.49 for aditional nights they also have codes from time to time. Easy to return movie. press return button, slot opens put movie in and you can see it going back into the slot. The movies are still in the original case with info on back and they have a 10minute grace period when you return movie and cancels tranaction. It is a great machine and more user friendly
I think there should be two or three boxes at each location. The lines get really long and I was almost late returning mine because so many ppl were returning and renting as well.
How about when a machine goes down send someone out to fix it within a reasonable amount of time.(less than two weeks-still waiting)
Just tried to return a disk last night.for the 2nd time in a month it said box full !go to another location or come back ..that gets old …
Speeding up returns is easy. Let one user return while another user is surfing the screen looking for their movie. The only hold-up would be if the user happens to be vending the movie, but that’s not too likely. Most time is spent going through the selection process. This could even be implemented with a “picture in picture” type of window that allows the person returning to verify the return while the person selecting continues to make their selections.
Another way to speed it up would be to kill that looooooooong lag from “Your movie has been returned” to the main screen.
The third way would be a “return multiple movies option. Instead of having the robot arm go all the way back to home, when it finishes grabbing the first movie, it moves back to the door to grab the second movie, etc. This could be implemented by either pre-selecting the number of movies to return or hitting a “Done” button when the last movie was returned.
Increase movie choices…
I live in a small town and the redbox is right up the street. The others are in the next (much larger) town. I never have problems renting or returning but it sure does take a long time if you are returning 3 movies. Since I often use codes, I can’t reserve those online and half the time when I get to the box the movie is gone, which is not a complaint because free is free. However, if I could browse while someone else returns, it would be fine.
I seldom check them out online as I get them after work on my way home…on the spur of the moment…at 1:30 or 2 am. I think I have the same right to check out what the movies are as you do to return yours. If you are running out of time returning it and you are late….go earlier. You sniveling crybabies who want to whine about how long it takes…..go to the video store and even if you figure browse time and check out it is considerably longer than the kiosk wait time! And spend the extra money at the video store. Then you will have something to complain about.
At times a disk is messed up and will not play. Need to have a question when returning if it played ok so the next person doesn’t get it. Alot of times all you have to do is clean them to make them work but sometimes it is more than that.
Now thats a good idea & one I hav’nt heard before.I also wonder what would keep them from making that bigger screen that shows the movies that are coming as well as the ones that are available,you know the separate screen,how bout being able to see what those movies are about.That would open up an extra place to view the movies & the screen is already there, might be helpfulJust a thought.
If you find a bad disk per redbox call 1-866-redbox3 report it it will be flagged and removed from rental Plus redbox will give you a free promo code are 2 for your trouble
I reported 2 bad movies and was given 5 promo codes for my trouble plus those bad movies were removed from rental.
I have often thought there should be a “returns slot” that people could use to return movies even if someone is looking to rent.
It’s very fustrating when the redbox is down because someone doesn’t return the movie currectly. One time I had to go to all 3 store locations just to get the movie returned because the other two were down at Wal-mart. Hy-Vee is usually pretty good about keeping the machine running but its the furthest location also.
I believe a stand alone terminal (in front of the lighted panel showing release dates of movies) could be used for customers looking for available movies, and making payment via a second credit card magnetic swipe would solve the problem. This would leave the current screen (in the box) for returns and movie pickup. If you currently reserve a dvd online you walk up to the box, hit a button and swipe your card and the dvd is dispensed. The same could be true dvd’s rented at the stand alone terminal. The box could serve two customers at the same time minus computer and box seek time.
I would punch up NONE OF THE ABOVE – because where I get my videos is the Hanaford’s right down the street but you 1) cannot reserve any video on line – I think that is not what REDBOX is all about and 2) none of the codes work there ever!
how abut if redbox gets a small office space and fill it with their boxes have it 24 hours more and older movies and then have have a way to browes each box.
You are kidding right?
The only problem is, I would have to choose several of these options…
1. Increase the number of copies per title so they are in stock more often
2.Carry a wider selection of titles; although REALLy they just need to choose the RIGHT movies. Sometimes they have skip a good major relesase yet have two to four stupid B movies instead.
3.Ensure all disks play correctly
4.*Change the return time to later*
5.*Make the machines more reliable*
6.Improve our customer service experience
The ones with stars would be the most urgent. Especially the more reliable part.
I could care less about the length of line when returning. Yeah, once in a while I have to wait for some slow-ass people that take forever looking through the whole catalog, but it doesn’t bother me nearly as much as when the machine isn’t working at all. THAT pisses me off.
my answer is “making the machines more reliable”. i dont have a car, so am limited to one kiosk. and if that one is not working, which has happened to me in the past, i either am not able to use the free codes, or otherwise rent movies and/or return on time. in both cases, i have called redbox and complained.
i have gotten free codes, or extended return time, but it is really an inconvenience. like i say, i cant just go to another kiosk as others can.
Hey look at the bright side at least the machines don’t play movie previews.
I would like to see a time date stamp on the screen.
After returning a DVD it seems to take forever for the screen to return to the rental screen. Also, although I have called Redbox about it, I never know if it willl take my debit card or my credit card both of which I registered with Redbox. When I contact them they say just go to another box and try again. yikes, I am not a patient person.
Did not get a survey. Read comments. Many good pts. Not a comupter tech-y so don’t know about software. But my answer would have been more time to return, like 1 extra day. I don’t got to town every day, & when using Redbox I have to make a special trip. Present gas prices make me just do without a movie. Back to reading a good book.
How about just keeping the movie one more day? I mean you don’t have to return it the next day, you can keep it as long as you like!
Redbox users in front of the line and browsing apparently don’t know they can see movies at a particular kiosk in real time online using their computers. Why don’t they know that?
Redbox should send a simple message such as, “Did you know you can see what movies are available in real time from this kiosk using your computer? You can also reserve your movie online!”
Get the browsers out of my way. I just want to return the movie!
Redbox could also send a message “Do Not Show This Message Again” for those who have previously used the online reservation system.
i wish theyd offer more indie and foreign flicks.i only have issue with those who take forever to make a selection….i think it would be a good idea to have little booklets for those who dont know whats in the machine(perhaps they dont use the internet)and have them on or near the machine like hollywood video used to have (and may still have)which had photo of movies and the plot for the next 2 months worth of movies…maybe redbox could make a book of the past 2 or 3 months worth of releases and the next month or two as well in each booklet and leave them there for people to grab and take home with them or atleast use it as a guide so they dont totally inconvenience others.
i have rented from this box over 100 films and purchased some and have never seen the box full however once i went to a box that was down…i have used dvdplay as well and have seen more idiots there then at redbox like on several ocassions people tried to return a redbox disc to dvdplay and i corrected them and once a guy tried to return an empty case and i had to tell him so….not to mention one time i had an enormous wait there with a guy reading about every film it seemed like and i was nice and left him go in front of me which i wouldnt have done if i knew he was gonna be a real granny not to mention he wasnt even old he was 20some i’d say.
Why don’t you have an extra box just for returns. That would solve a lot of the problems.
You go to the box, and two people are in front of you, one of them returns a movie YOU WANTED.
If they returned it to a “extra box”, you wouldn’t have gotten the movie.
So what problem does this solve?
well i even talked to a redbox employee he agreed the design of the machine was wrong it should have had a separate slot just for returns said the guy that designed the machine wasn’t considering the lag of the return process the guy was nuts in this type of design. the scanners tend to fail to often and repairs are a long and time costly process I know i saw the the inside of the machines its a cool concept i agree.
well also redbox i hear was looking into someday maybe adding the promo code use in the online reserve process now that would be cool.
I would like to see Redbox put WWE DVD titles in their machines, even if it was just their pay per view releases such as “Backlash” or “SummerSlam”(“WrestleMania” is usually a 3 disc set so that wouldn’t be possible in a RB). They used to stock UFC titles awhile back. I’m sure WWE titles would rent well…the only place to get them at now is pay $5 for them at Blockbuster or get them at the public library for free, but it takes the library forever to get the titles on the shelf and they recently started cutting back on ordering due to the economy.
I’ve read all 63 responses above and think a (more) viable option is for Redbox to undertake an snappy/funny ad campaign, based around, “It’s Okay to Step Aside.” Promote the idea of Redbox etiquette where if someone is simply returning, you step aside to let them return (and have more movie options), then you keep browsing (esp. if it’s around the dreaded 9pm deadline). Send this ad campaign in redbox emails, as well as a sticker on the front of the box and/or popup on the screen. I think this option is far more realistic than a second slot dedicated to returns (which would be ideal but unrealistic) and if Redbox promotes it as part of their own etiquette, it might take hold. I’ve seen it work informally at my store in LA…