I’ve noticed that people often put in near minimum acceptable effort to go optional tasks. The trick seems to be to make the easiest “acceptable” solution, to be an acceptable one.
Shopping carts are another example. The perfect solution is for people to return them to the front of the store. But that’s too much effort for many. They leave them wherever they can dump it. An acceptable one is to return them to collection points. It’s not optimal, but it’s better, and most people will actually do it.
In Germany (and I assume all throughout Europe) we solve the shopping cart problem by shoppers having to deposit a coin or chip into the cart to release it.
You get it back when you lock the cart again back where you took it
Also done in Slovakia. Well, was. Most shops have them unlocked even without coins nowadays, probably because people don’t carry cash much anymore.
At least in my area.
I’ve noticed that people often put in near minimum acceptable effort to go optional tasks. The trick seems to be to make the easiest “acceptable” solution, to be an acceptable one.
Shopping carts are another example. The perfect solution is for people to return them to the front of the store. But that’s too much effort for many. They leave them wherever they can dump it. An acceptable one is to return them to collection points. It’s not optimal, but it’s better, and most people will actually do it.
In Germany (and I assume all throughout Europe) we solve the shopping cart problem by shoppers having to deposit a coin or chip into the cart to release it.
You get it back when you lock the cart again back where you took it
even better: just don’t have people arrive by car, so they only need a small in-store cart which is returned at the tills.
That’s common in the UK as well, though mostly in the cheaper supermarkets. A lot of places rely on the honour system, and convenient drop off places.
I’m of the mindset that you can judge a society quite well by how they deal with shopping trollies.
Also done in Slovakia. Well, was. Most shops have them unlocked even without coins nowadays, probably because people don’t carry cash much anymore.
At least in my area.