I'm seeing that pundits are predicting that self-service is the wave of the future. Ok, they don't say "wave of the future" but they think self-service is hot, hot, hot.

I'm not sure where these folks have been lately but self-service is very much here in the world of restaurants and retail. You can buy an iPod from a vending machine in Las Vegas' McCarran airport and ProActiv skincare products from a machine at the Oxford Valley Mall.

Self service has impacted business for the better most part and it looks like the majority of consumers agree. For more background, check out this article on SelfServiceWorld.com.

I totally agree that self-service is good for industries that need more distribution outlets or have trouble attracting employees due to a low wage structure. It's also good for customers who believe there aren't enough hours in the day. It means I get out of the Acme food store faster when I only need a gallon of milk. I don't have to worry about long lines at the ticket counter when I can purchase NJ Transit tickets from a machine. I can make sure I have the right amount of cream in my coffee at the airport food concession.

Self service works for products and services we understand. It works great if you have a credit or debit card. Not so great if you don't know how to use the product, don't speak the language or don't have basic reading skills.

Scrapbooking does not fall into the self-service category. In fact, crafting across the board will not be replaced fully by self-service. The self-service endorsers sound a bit like the folks who 10 years ago crowed that all craft sales would move online. Mega craft retail sites have not replaced brick and mortar stores. Why? Craft stores don't just sell stuff. They sell what you do with the stuff.

Packaging doesn't begin to tell the full story of how a tool, paper or stamp can be used. That is the service scrapbook retail staff bring to our business. Independent stores draw and keep customers because of all the things they do, not the stuff they sell.

Sure, storyboards can give you an idea on how to use a product. But at the end of the day, when a consumer is presented with a wall of adhesives, she wants a live person to help her find the right one.

We have lots of stuff that can be self-service in our stores-accessing most products and using the die cutting machine. But customer service can never go away in the craft retail store. We may not be able to enter "service" with a bar code scanner but is sure is a vital component of what we sell.--Beth