Young adults are becoming increasingly reliant on touchscreen technologies according to the In Touch Survey by Penn, Schoen and Berland.

The survey, released by Elo TouchSystems, reveals that the vast majority of Americans ages 18-34 expressed extremely positive attitudes toward touchscreens and expect a substantial increase in their deployment over the next few years.

Mark Mendenhall, President of Elo TouchSystems, said, “It is astonishing to see touchscreen technology generate this level of acceptance across an entire age group. The strength of these numbers highlights the enormous impact touchscreens are having on how businesses interact with their customers today.”

In fact, 89 percent of the respondents expect that in the near future touchscreens will become the standard way of performing tasks such as airport check-in, purchasing train tickets and supermarket self check-out.

Mendenhall continued: “Although touchscreen technology is currently only available for a relatively small percentage of service transactions today, it is amazing that nearly half of the respondents prefer using touchscreens over dealing with a customer service agent. As more and more Americans begin to embrace touchscreen technology, we believe that businesses across a wide range of industries will begin to integrate this technology wherever they interact with customers. Indeed, these numbers illustrate that consumers are, and will be increasingly demanding the convenience that touchscreens offer.”   

Familiarity and convenience seem to be driving factors in touchscreen usage. For example:

• Eighty-two percent of respondents have used touchscreens at the self check-out of a supermarket or retail store, and seven in 10 respondents have used them at an ATM.
• A large majority of respondents (85 percent) feel comfortable using touchscreens in public, and only 19 percent of respondents say they “rarely” or “never” use touchscreens.
• An overwhelming majority, 97 percent of respondents, say touchscreen technology is convenient, and 96 percent say touchscreens make their lives easier.
• Nine in 10 of those surveyed say touchscreens save time. 

The fact that 99 percent of respondents believe that touchscreen technology will become even more popular over the next few years is good news for the self-service industry. Seventy-six percent of the respondents believe that they will begin using touchscreens more frequently than they ever have.

According to the survey findings, touchscreen technology is rapidly becoming the most preferred method of service.

• Although only a relatively small percentage of service transactions are touch-enabled, almost half (44 percent) of respondents say they prefer touchscreens to customer service agents. 
• When asked to choose between waiting in a short line for a cashier at the supermarket and using a touchscreen self check-out, 83 percent chose touchscreens. Even without a line for the cashier, more than a third of the respondents (39 percent) chose touchscreens.
• Forty-nine percent of young Americans would rather use a touchscreen at a check-out kiosk in an airport than speak with an airline agent.
• A large majority of respondents (86 percent) would rather use touchscreens to place orders and pay at fast food restaurants, and 70 percent would rather use touchscreens to rent a car.

The strong popularity of touchscreens suggests more businesses must adapt by integrating the technology into their service strategy.

"The self-serve aspect with this demographic is really striking," said Paul Weiner, marketing manager for Elo TouchSystems. "What this survey says from a customer base is they are ready to use them. If businesses listen, inevitably they are going to have happier customers."