Assistant Professor Luana Nanu and her team at the USF School of Hospitality and Sport Management published their findings in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights. They began with 15-minute semi-structured interviews of adults ages 60 to 82 and asked open-ended questions about ease of use, emotional reactions, and desired improvements when interacting with QR codes.
Participants reported mixed experiences. Many had trouble scanning codes because of glare, poor placement, or small font sizes; these issues required extra mental effort and often led to frustration and anger. Other participants described positive experiences when QR codes were well designed, which led to higher satisfaction and a stronger desire to return to the business.
For the second stage the team surveyed hundreds of participants 60 and over with an online questionnaire. The survey used standardized measures to assess ease of use, emotional response, satisfaction, and loyalty. "The survey showed that easy-to-use QR codes reduce cognitive load and frustration," Nanu said. She warned businesses not to remove printed materials and to consider age and disability to avoid alienating loyal customers.
Difficult words
- semi-structured — Interview format with some prepared questions
- open-ended — Questions that allow long, free answers
- glare — Strong, bright light that makes seeing hard
- placement — The position where something is put
- font size — How large or small printed letters arefont sizes
- cognitive load — Amount of mental effort needed to think
- satisfaction — Feeling that a need or want is met
- loyalty — Willingness to return to the same business
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Have you or someone you know had trouble using QR codes? What caused the problem?
- What changes should businesses make to QR codes to help older customers?
- Should businesses keep printed materials as well as QR codes? Why or why not?
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