Pro-Touch

Author: Tom Pryor

Main Kiosk Events of 2014

Posted on by Tom Pryor

A new year brings new developments within the kiosk industry, and keeping up with them is imperative. What better way to be on top of things than to attend an event or trade show? Experiencing the latest technology first hand, interacting with software and people, means you gain further insight into the world of kiosks. Here we have listed a few of the major events of 2014.

Kiosk Europe Expo

The Kiosk Europe Expo 2014, running since 2007, takes place in The Station, Berlin, between the 21st and 22nd of May 2014. The show brings some of the largest suppliers in the kiosk world to its doors, as well as smaller kiosk providers. Run by the same people as Kiosk London Expo.

Kiosk London Expo

Taking place in The Barbican between the 15th-16th October 2014, Kiosk London Expo is the UK’s only conference and exhibition for the Self Service industry. In its fourth year, it has grown in popularity within the industry since its first event, and now is widely attended by some of the biggest UK providers. Co-located with Digital Signage London, it is a key event in the kiosk calendar. Visit the Kiosk London Expo website to learn more about the event. We’ll see you there!

Integrated Systems Europe

The Integrated Systems Europe 2014 event is set to be a success, with an estimation of over 45,000 attendees. It is now the best-attended AV show in the world, with over 900 exhibitors showcasing a variety of different sytems.

The Risks of Deploying a Tablet Kiosk

Posted on by Tom Pryor

While familiarity and reliance on consumer devices grows, so does the desire for more digital touch points in the areas where people work, shop, travel and socialise. This current trend has lead to some business owners choosing tablets and iPads as retail self-serve solutions, over the more traditional stand alone kiosks. However, as they are now finding, consumer devices do not necessarily thrive in commercial environments and companies may be doing themselves a disservice by deploying them. When taken into the commercial domain consumer devices have several limitations which we must consider.

Usability

It is becoming increasingly transparent that tablet devices aren't designed to meet commercial needs and, quite simply, stand alone kiosks have the upper advantage. Consumers choose tablet devices because they are small, lightweight and easy to navigate. All favourable factors when you're using the tablet whilst lounging at home, or as a portable device to perform menial tasks such as checking emails. However, tablet devices designed for commercial environments limit consumers considerably; for the reason that tablet devices are too small. The units that we install are 19″, which is approximately 4 times the screen size of an iPad or tablet. This means that when the units are mounted on a counter at a 45 degree angle, the user can easily read the text whilst standing.

The size of tablets limits usability in a commercial environment, whereas with a stand alone kiosk the screen real estate allows for more content to be displayed and for easier navigation for the user. Unlike tablets, stand alone kiosks also cater for important peripherals required in commercial sectors such as retail scanners, payment modules and printers.

Durability

Tablets are intended for personal use so durability is limited to few people operating the device, intermittently. After extended periods of use tablets can overheat, become unresponsive and often shut down. For this reason tablet devices are not robust enough to withstand the demands of 24/7 operation in the public domain. Commercial devices are built to industrial grade with this very purpose in mind and so are much more durable; designed to cope with intense, all-day, every day use.

Depending on the requirements, and when executed correctly, tablet kiosks can prove to be useful tools for enhancing the consumers experience. However, whilst it is tempting to chase the latest trends and keep acquisition costs to a minimum it is important to choose the right solution for your business. As we are now finding, retailers looking to showcase their extended stock in intuitive, easy-to-use ways require a kiosk solution which is more robust and built for purpose.

Protouch Rolls Out Countrywide Kiosks

Posted on by Tom Pryor

Protouch has rolled out its latest Xen X5 kiosks across 55 Countrywide farmers stores to offer customers greater choice and more ways to shop. Countrywide is the UK’s leading supplier of products, services and advice to the rural community.

Our Xen X5 touchscreen kiosks provide customers with access to the full product range and enable them to choose from over 14,000 items in-store. With the kiosks in place customers can order specific products that may not be in store at the time.

The retail kiosks are designed to give customers an alternative platform for online ordering and obtaining product information. Customers can now come in to a Countrywide store, find the product they are looking for, and place an order which can be delivered to their home. The kiosks will also make customers aware of Countywide's on-line presence which adds the convenience of ordering products in the comfort of their own home.

Benefits include;

  • Allowing customers to browse Countrywide's full product range
  • Giving customers a wider choice
  • Alerting customers to products they were not aware of
  • Enabling customers to order on-line, in-store, for home delivery
  • Increasing customer awareness to Countrywide's web presence

Protouch were specifically selected due to our expertise in providing kiosks for a vast range of clients. We met Countrywide’s requirements and delivered an efficient service within a set deadline.

We have also recently provided Lloyds Pharmacy with a retail based solution that also gave customers the ability to browse products, gain more product information, and place orders in-store.

Contact Protouch to find out how retail kiosks could benefit your customers.

 

Are Kiosks Enhancing The Value Of Employees?

Posted on by Tom Pryor

The debate continues that businesses are turning to technology to augment services, lessening employee value. Automated kiosks are being deployed in a wide variety of sectors, such as retail, airports and hospitality. Kiosks are beneficial to businesses in reducing costs and increasing revenue, but are they adding value to employees?

The employee

Kiosks are getting things done quickly, efficiently and accurately, which is minimising the number of staff required. Nevertheless, it can be argued that automated systems are now empowering employees. With kiosks in place to automate time consuming tasks, staff members are given more time to focus on the delivery of customer service. In addition, kiosk applications can create sales opportunities for staff, encouraging higher performance.

Self service

Face to face customer service still prevails, but customers have a growing appetite for self-service systems. The notion of self-service is predominant, especially in the retail sector. Kiosks are being deployed in more and more retail environments to streamline processes and enhance the customers’ shopping experience. However, a certain level of staffing is still required even with touch screen kiosks in place. If there is an issue or malfunction, there has to be someone at hand to attend to the user’s needs.

Key benefits for employees

  • Create more time to interact with customers 
  • Build relationships
  • Increase performance with unique sales opportunities 
  • Provide one-to-one support 
  • Focus on customer service and meeting specific needs

Customer service

There is dispute as to whether automated systems are taking the personal touch out of customer service. For instance, a visitor can now check in to a hotel without talking to a receptionist and a customer can pay for their shopping without interacting with an employee. On the other hand, kiosk systems offer the customer a self-service channel that enhances their experience, through speeding up processes and reducing queues. With certain aspects being taken care of, staff members have the unique opportunity to interact with customers and develop relationships.

Whilst interactive self service kiosks allow for less staff on site, they are also enabling employees to focus on providing quality one-to-one customer service. Employees still have a valuable role in customer service. As the use of automated systems increases, they should grasp the opportunity to maximise their potential and add value to the business.