CVS Pharmacy thinks it has found a solution to customer complaints about locked display cases – but the cure may be worse than the disease. The pharmacy chain announced it’s testing an app feature that lets customers unlock secured merchandise cases themselves instead of waiting for an employee.
The company understands their customers hate locked displays, but is this a customer-friendly way to fix that? To me, it represents another example of shifting work to the customer while adding new forms of friction to the shopping experience. Self-checkouts, anyone?
The Original Friction Point at CVS
Anyone who has tried to buy razors, beauty products, or sometimes even over-the-counter medications at a major drugstore chain has likely encountered the frustration of locked display cases.
The process is simple but annoying: locate an employee, wait for them to arrive with a key, and stand by as they unlock the case. This extra effort represents friction in the customer experience – unnecessary steps that make shopping more difficult than it needs to be.
CVS acknowledges this friction point. Company spokesperson Tara Burke admitted that “keeping products locked up can be inconvenient,” though she defended it as necessary to ensure products remain in stock for customers who need them.
Trading Old Friction for New
CVS’s solution introduces several new friction points in place of the old one:
- Customers must download and install the CVS Health app
- They must register as loyalty program members
- They must be logged into the app while shopping
- They must enable Bluetooth on their device
Generally, these steps won’t need to be repeated. Customers will need to ensure they’re logged into the app with Bluetooth enabled each time they shop. When customers want to buy something in a locked case, they must then follow these steps:
- Opens the CVS Pharmacy app
- Press the blue In-Store button (bottom of screen)
- Press the Unlock Case button
- Press “Unlock”
- Hold phone close to the lock for Bluetooth to engage
- Hear a beep, then unlock the case
- Open the door and get the item
- Close the door and relock the case
CVS may view this as a double win. One extra demand on employee time in already understaffed stores goes away, and customers are forced to install the store’s app. Whether the app approach will solve the problem of lost sales from locked displays is unclear.
The Hidden Costs of DIY Service
When companies shift work to customers, they often frame it as increased convenience. Airport check-in kiosks and restaurant ordering tablets are common examples. But there’s a crucial difference – those technologies can often reduce total customer effort. CVS’s solution appears to increase it.
CVS’s app-based solution doesn’t solve the core problem of customers being unable to easily access the product they want. It just changes how customers are locked out.
Could CVS Do Something Else?
The real question is whether this technological band-aid addresses the underlying issue. If theft is so rampant that products must be locked away, perhaps the solution lies in store layout, staffing levels, or security personnel rather than forcing customers to jump through technological hoops.
Some retailers have found success with other approaches:
- Positioning high-theft items near staffed counters
- Using dummy packages or bar-code cards with real product delivered at checkout
- Using RFID security tags on products
What The Supermarket with the Best CX Does
My closest H-E-B supermarket doesn’t use locked displays for razor blades. The items can be accessed by the customer turning a little knob that augurs the product into the customer’s hand. Turning the knob makes a rather loud clicking sound. The combination of the noise and rotation process prevents a shoplifter from surreptitiously sweeping multiple items into their pocket. This seems like a reasonable balance between theft prevention and customer effort.
It’s no coincidence that H-E-B consistently ranks as the most preferred grocery store in the U.S. They make shopping easy for their customers in many ways, and are apparently willing to risk the occasional theft if the vast majority of their customers benefit. Undoubtedly, they sell more razors and blades than they would if they used locked displays. Win-win.
The Bottom Line for CVS
While CVS deserves credit for trying to solve a significant customer pain point, their solution appears to be a classic case of solving one problem by creating several others. The company would do well to remember that the best customer experience innovations don’t shift effort to the customer. Rather, they reduce total customer effort.
When customers have to do more work just to buy everyday items, they’re likely to seek easier alternatives. That could mean shopping at competitors with unlocked displays or shifting their purchases to online retailers. In trying to prevent theft, CVS risks driving away legitimate customers who simply want a friction-free shopping experience.