opinion
Why are Self-Service Kiosks Still so
Popular?
Self-service kiosks are in demand by
customers for many reasons. One of
the main reasons is the need for speed;
modern day society is so fast-paced, and
kiosks allow customers to quickly finish
their transactions with little waiting time,
which also leads to less queuing time for
other customers.
Self-service kiosks are also preferred
by customers because of their availability.
When used in places like train stations or
hotels, they are available 24 hours a day.
Unlike human employees, kiosks don’t
need any sleep. This makes it much easier
for people to get information, check- in or
get tickets.
man bashing a self-service checkout in
the supermarket with a baguette. Haven’t
we?
Use the Right Software
3 You’d be surprised by how many
kiosks don’t use technology that suits
kiosks. Ensuring the software is suitable
for touchscreen use can solve so many
consumer problems. Drop down menus,
small icons, and scrollbars are not suited
to navigating with a finger. In essence, it’s
the same as visiting a desktop website on
an iPhone.
Ensure that the software looks
professional, yet is easy to read and
easy to use at the same time. The
software should be locked down so that
a computer error message isn’t shown;
when the operating system is hidden
from the user, it makes the kiosk more
secure.
Avoid Overusing Text
Graphics are much more easily
accessible than text. No matter what
the kiosk is used for, there’s always
alternatives to using text. For example, if
providing directions in a shopping centre,
highlight a path and use pictures like
arrows rather than a descriptive direction
route. Also consider adding buttons with
icons behind them, like the home icon.
4
50 KIOSK solutions
This makes it easier for people to read
and interpret, as well as overcoming and
language barriers which may be present.
The User is the Priority
Kiosks are made for the benefit
of the user, so the main priority for the
kiosk is not to frustrate them. When
kiosks are difficult to use, have unhelpful
search functions, have unclear navigation
or a slow software, these are just a few
things which can irritate customers and
therefore put them off using them in the
future. These problems can even result in
losing sales, as often customers will give
up if the process isn't easy for them.
5
The main point to take from this is
that the role of the kiosk in today’s society
still has a long way to go. On a macro
level, it's essential for any consumerbased business to integrate through the
lens of seamless technology, but we’re
also social animals. While automation
will undoubtedly play an important role
in interactions that can afford to be
transactional rather than relational, the
bottom line is that these self-service
machines have the potential to not only
generate happier consumers, but also
better ROI for the business owners.
www.cammaxlimited.co.uk