Client Success
Informing the U.S. Launch of In-Store Kiosk Ordering for a Global QSR Brand
A leading international quick-service restaurant (QSR) brand was exploring the expansion of in-store kiosk ordering into the U.S. market. While a franchisee-led rollout in Japan had shown promising uptake, there were early signals that U.S. customers might resist the same experience. Leadership needed to determine whether cultural or behavioral differences would impact adoption—and how to address them in design.
The goal: Understand whether U.S. customer behaviors and expectations would align with kiosk adoption—and identify the specific experience design features needed to ensure successful rollout.
Segment International was engaged to generate actionable insights to guide the U.S. launch strategy.
Challenge
Segment conducted a two-phase, cross-market research initiative grounded in real-world behavior.
Phase 1 (Japan):
In a market where kiosk usage was already established, we conducted unobtrusive observation and intercept interviews to explore drivers of initial trial, repeat usage, and customer satisfaction.
Phase 2 (U.S.):
With a prototype kiosk installed in a live restaurant, we conducted natural intercept interviews during real-time trial moments. These interviews captured hesitation, resistance patterns, and unmet expectations as they occurred in context.
Our culturally sensitive protocol enabled us to capture unfiltered insights while maintaining methodological consistency across both markets.
Our cross-cultural analysis went beyond surface differences to uncover both shared customer expectations and subtle contextual contrasts—focusing on design adjustments that would enable smooth adoption in the U.S. rather than simply replicating the overseas model.
Approach
The result: The research revealed U.S.-specific customer preferences that would have otherwise been overlooked—such as the importance of interface clarity, and social and spatial cues that influenced comfort with self-service ordering.
These insights were integrated directly into the final kiosk system design, ensuring a more seamless and culturally aligned U.S. customer experience.
Our work empowered the client to proceed with confidence, avoiding costly missteps while leveraging learnings from global markets. The successful U.S. deployment became a model for further international adaptations, demonstrating how thoughtful, in-context research can bridge cultural divides and turn insight into strategic advantage.
Impact
Why our work matters
for UX & Experience Designers
We uncover friction points that design teams can’t see from dashboards alone.
We reduce risk by ensuring new solutions are grounded in local context, not just global ambition.
for Product & Innovation Teams
for Strategy & Expansion Leaders
We deliver in-market, behavior-based insights to guide product localization and adoption.
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