Pro-Touch

Touchscreen Technology Is Bettering Customer Service

Providing a quality service and building a rapport with customers is at forefront of most businesses, despite the recession. There is focus on empowering employees and technology is changing the way they engage with customers. 

Kiosk technology is freeing staff from the shop counter and allowing them to cater to the individual customer’s needs. As a result, is the counter becoming obsolete? Automated reception kiosks, for instance, provide hotels with self-service points for visitors to register their arrival. This minimises the need for a manned reception and reduces staff costs.

  • ‘Customer facing technology’ such as self service kiosks and digital signage, are used to display immediate information meaning that there is less need for customers to interact fact to face with staff. 
  • ‘Employee facing technology’ refers to when the technology allows a salesperson to focus more on delivery of customer service. For example, with a digital kiosk deployed in store, an employee can be more available to help with specific queries and concentrate on the individual. The employee is able to flourish in productivity in sales and customer service.

Products
Before now, a salesperson would have to trawl through catalogues to look up products and check availability of stock. Now, with digital screens in retail environments, the customer has more control. Self-service kiosks allow consumers to browse through an entire product range without assistance. This means product lists information can be instantly updated in real time. Furthermore, with efficient access to a product range, there is less necessity to stock all products in store, saving space. 

Payment
Implementing touch screens at the point of payment improves overall efficiency and speed of services, as the task of processing payment is made easier for staff. Hand held touch screen devices are also being used on the shop floor to process sales away from the counter. Reducing queuing times and accelerating process within busy, demanding environements is the key to a happy shopper.

Training
The UK Employer Skills Survey (2011) has estimated that, on average, training a single new employee can cost £3275 and take up to 9 days. Training staff to navigate a self-service kiosk is estimated to take 15 minutes. Establishing kiosks is highly advantageous for businesses as it minimises training costs. Employees would require basic training to become familiar with the touch screen technology, to know how to navigate the system.

HR
Kiosks can be utilised to provide HR functions for employees, for example they assist with clocking in and out of work, managing a team of employees and general administrative tasks. Implementing a kiosk in a business place can add value to aspects such as employee relations and financial management. The benefits lead to reducing costs and improving overall communication strategies.

In all, touchscreen technology empowers employees in providing the opportunity to maximise the quality of customer service, gain customer satisfaction and boost sales.

Automated Reception Kiosks Installed In Sports Centre

Self-service applications are being used more frequently and widespread throughout a range of different sectors such as retail, healthcare, airports and hospitality. In particular, businesses are making use of automated reception kiosks at events and in locations like hotels and leisure centres. They are used to offer a 'virtual receptionist' that manages the flow of visitors, speeds up processes and reduces staff costs.

The Aldershot Garrison sports centre has touch screen kiosks in their reception to manage the high flow of members. Its services must be efficient as the members are predominately army personnel coming to use the Olympic pool for training. The automated kiosk incorporates a ‘sign in’ feature for members to swipe their membership cards, allowing them to go through without queuing. Users interact with the touch screen to book classes in advance without going to the reception desk. A full class timetable is displayed, the user selects their class and then a paper ticket / receipt is printed from the kiosk. Divided into different categories, there is also a section for kids, to book ‘happy splash’ sessions. The self-service kiosk also acts as a marketing tool, using the Aspire brand identity within the design.

Key benefits include:

  • Shortened queues
  • Reduced number of staff needed
  • Easy to use for all members
  • Sped-up processes

Take a look at Protouch’s Queue Manager and our Aberdeen Sports Village case study to see how our kiosks solutions can make reception processes faster and more efficient.

What?s In Store For The Kiosk Market In 2013?

Highlights of the top kiosk trends for 2012

• Integration with iPads and tablets in retail kiosks
• Mobile kiosks
• Self-service healthcare
• DIY airport kiosks
• Photo kiosks and social media
• Vending kiosks

The forecast for last year told us that there would be movement towards self-service kiosks used in healthcare and a development in the integration of mobiles and tablets. Take a look at the predictions for the touch screen and kiosk market in 2013.

1. Restaurants and Self Service
In 2013, restaurant will jump on the bandwagon and invest in introducing new technology for a self-service food ordering system. A total of 44% of consumers would opt to use a self-service terminal and 40% would choose to use a Smartphone application to place a food order. As more restaurants utilise touch screen technology, consumers will become more accepting once they see improvements in service.

2. iPad and Tablet Trend
In 2012, the Apple iPad took the lead in the mobile devices market, however experts are predicting that the Microsoft Tablet, using Windows software, will be a strong contender in 2013. Tablet and iPad based kiosks have been sweeping the industry so far, and the kiosk market will be seeing continuing integration of kiosk and mobile applications. The developments in mobile devices and interactive screen will also advance digital signage further.

3. Kiosk Printers
With the emergence in Smartphone technology, the digital world is in competition with traditional applications. The market will develop so that kiosk printers and paper receipts become obsolete in the introduction of e-receipts. This would allow for reduced costs in the deployment of digital kiosks and also in the fact paper needs replenishing.

4. Photo Kiosks
Photo kiosks will be more widespread, more commonly being used in retail environments. Trends will move towards kiosks operating online to allow users to interact with social media sites, for example uploading photos to their Facebook. The market will also see photo kiosks converge with Smartphones and other mobile devices. In 2013, photo kiosks will be utilised as marketing tools in temporary promotional environments, such as events.

Top 9 Consumer Trends for 2013

Businesses should be grabbing the opportunity to fulfil consumers’ expectations, demands and desires for the New Year. There has to be awareness of the latest trends and consumer needs in order to maximise products, technologies and services. What do consumers want and expect from 2013?

Consumer Trends

1. Presumers
Consumers are becoming more involved with brands and the launching of products. They know what they want and are engaging more with products pre-launch. In turn, businesses and brands are allowing consumers to engage using different platforms to promote their products.

2. Emergence
Consumers are increasingly expectant of markets and technologies to emerge.

3. Mobiles
In 2013, consumers will be maximising every experience using their mobile phones with the desire to embrace a multi-functional convenient lifestyle.

4. Sustainability
The sustainability of products is a growing consumer trend that will continue to grow in the upcoming year. Consumers are becoming more interested in shelf life, recyclability and new things being made from the old.

5. Apps
Apps will be utilised to provide services and maximise their delivery. Users will be expecting to see use of apps in the healthcare sector in 2013.

6. Culture
Emerging technologies will be expected to reflect cultural influences and trends, and will become of interest to global consumers.

7. Niches
Consumers will be on the hunt for the ‘new’ or the niche services, experiences and products within the markets. They will desire the discovery of innovation and the next best technology.

8. Brands
Consumers will be demanding more out of their loyal brands, expecting them to be bold with their values and adhere to their responsibilities.

9. Social Media
Consumers are creating relationships with brands through social media such as Facebook, You Tube etc. Social networks will continue to intergrated with Smartphones and new technologies.

Trends in new technologies are changing parallel to the constant changes in consumer trends, to meet consumers’ needs. Trends in touch screen will develop in the New Year, which will advance self-service kiosks. Protouch works hard to be at the forefront of movements in touch screen technologies to ensure our kiosk solutions are fitting for 2013.