Frustrated with WSII CC Reader

[bigleo48]

All,

I have had the WSII for over 5 years now. I have found it to be a reliable unit. However, spending a busy day at the wash yesterday, I needed to help 23 customers with the CC reader. They just didn't get the "push the card in fully and pull it out quickly" concept. This seems to be the case almost every day and yesterday I just had it with this setup. Making things worst now is that most gas stations are now chip readers that take the card in and hold it, so customers are expecting the same now.

Does anyone know a solution to this or is Unitec doing anything to improve this bad design? I know there is a panasonic reader that can read the mag strip in two positions, but that's not really the problem. I also have signage and have modified the voice message. Still, if almost 50% of all credit users have this problem, there is a major design flaw.

So I and my customers are getting more and more frustrated.

 

[JustaGuy]

Does anyone know a solution to this or is Unitec doing anything to improve this bad design? ... Still, if almost 50% of all credit users have this problem, there is a major design flaw.
QUOTE]

To be fair, since at the time this was designed all card readers worked that way, it isn't a bad design or a major design flaw. That said, they do need to address the issue since as you say the public's expectations are changing (in Canada at least).

 

[Reds]

I have the exact same problem. I have 2 WS2's on site and I get over 500 "bad card read" errors per month. I looked on Unitecs website and it shows a WS2 with a different kind of reader that protrudes from the face of the machine and looks to be more ergonomic. My reader is recessed into the face of the WS2. It looks like the protruding reader would be easier to hold your card properly and maybe not get as many errors. BUT, I have been told by a distributor that the protruding two way card reader is not reliable. They have actually uninstalled some of them and do not use them in their own equipment. It is very frustrating for customers. Other than that issue it is a good, reliable machine. I believe it is poorly designed regarding the way that it is mounted into a recess in the faceplate. If the recessed area was larger it may be easier to maneuver the card. I can get the cards to go thru by inserting them, letting go of the card, and then carefully removing it in one steady motion. If you wiggle the card at all when you hit the back of the slot and start pulling it out it will not read the card. I wonder if it would work better if it was mounted horizontally instead of vertically. Maybe it has to be recessed to survive the weather conditions.

 

[MikeV]

I've had the two sided card reader for well over a year now. On a busy day (80-100) cars going through the IBA, and with nearly 80% using credit, I rarely have more than 2 or 3 "bad card reads". Are my customers smarter than yours????

 

[bigleo48]

I've had the two sided card reader for well over a year now. On a busy day (80-100) cars going through the IBA, and with nearly 80% using credit, I rarely have more than 2 or 3 "bad card reads". Are my customers smarter than yours????

This is one issue I figured my customers would eventually learn and the problem would go away slowly. It has obviously not. Another smaller issue is that people with large fingers cannot get the card all the way in as the cutouts out too small.

 

[Reds]

MikeV, Is the double sided card reader recessed into the face of the machine or does it protrude? If it protrudes like the one in the picture on Unitec's website then it would be more user friendly. And I also feel that there is an issue with the cutout being too small.

 

[Reds]

I wonder if there is a different bezel that could be used to make the card reader stick out of the face a little and get away from being recessed in a small opening. Or if you need a different card reader too.

 

[MikeV]

Reds, the double sided card reader does protrude from the face of the WSII. A lot easier to use than the old one sided card reader. Before installing the 2 sided card reader I would get 30 -50 "bad card reads" a day, Now I seldom get more that 1-2. Keep in mind that if you upgrade to the Panasonic double sided card reader, you also have to change out the mother board.