Interesting article by Adaptive Path’s Peter Merholz (@peterme) on the inherent impoliteness of putting a display panel between a customer and a sales associate.

He also talks about how Apple Stores disrupt this entire model by enabling *every* store employee to be his/her own Point of Sale (via tablets, iPhones and http://squareup.com)

I think this problem becomes even more relevant to customer service “transactions”. If you’ve ever stood idly for what feels like an eternity while a Hotel receptionist furiously taps on a keyboard to confirm your reservation, you know what I’m talking about.