Month: January 2011

Everyone knows that customer service in the form of human interaction is dying out.

 

 

Some say it is a bad thing, others argue it is a simple progression in consumer assistance. These days, in such a tech-savvy world, people are more willing to use Touch screen technology than ever before and in fact would rather use a kiosk than talk to a human.

Is this a dilution in human interaction and social skill development, because people would rather talk to a machine than a man? Maybe so but the point is, a kiosk harbours tons of benefits for your business as opposed to employing a member of staff.

This trend is reflective in Malmesbury, in Wiltshire, England.

Residents in the village are going all hi-tech and 21^st century by talking face to face with Wiltshire Council officials by pressing a button on an interface.

The Kiosks have been deployed around the county to enable the locals to interact with the authority who are located in distant offices that are hard to get to and are far afield.

By using a unit, they can still speak to an official in person but virtually, without having to travel so remote.

And they are also being equipped with scanners, so people can send documents too.

Customer Services Director Jackie White said the council had recognised that not everyone was happy using the phone or internet when it came to sorting out problems; so it set up kiosks for face to face contact via a screen.

Mrs White explained: “It means that people can go along to somewhere very local to them and just talk to someone. People like to see a face.”

The touch screens are costing around £3000 each and 20 will be launched throughout Wiltshire.

Teachers in schools in the UK are facing more and more difficulties nowadays. Political correctness is in over drive so children are no longer taught traditional nursery rhymes such as ‘Baa baa black sheep’ but instead ‘Baa baa rainbow sheep’ which means staff need to be extra vigilant when it comes to teaching and interacting with the classroom.

They have to be extremely attentive when it comes to what food the pupils are bringing in for their packed lunches, as part of a healthy diet watch; and they are taking on more responsibilities as carers as opposed to educators including teaching kinds to dress, socialise, use the toilet properly, and table manners.

So whatever systems that can be put in place to aid school staff along the way, to ease their work load or put less strain on teaching can be hugely beneficial.

It would mean they had more time to concentrate on the children’s educating rather than supervising.

Benefits of a Touch screen kiosk in your school include;

• Decreased Waiting Times for Registration
• Reduced Costs for Payroll/Overhead
• Increased Employee Know-How
• Safer security

An example of this is an elementary school in the city Edmond, in Oklahoma, USA. There, a kiosk system has been deployed to tighten the security,

The software system screens thousands of visitors, contractors and others who pass through the school doors.

It allows for quick visitor check-in, instant background checking and volunteer registration. It also gives school personnel instant access to information regarding parental custody for each parent and student, eliminating confusion about who has the right to pick up students.

The kiosks incorporate a Touch screen interface, camera, driver's-license scanner, barcode scanner and visitor badge printer to provide the user with a complete method for signing in and out.

Contact Protouch today and enhance your local school’s facilities with a kiosk.

We have already talked previously how our taxes are leading to improved technology, in particular with the presence of kiosks in the Health industry such as the NHS or doctor’s surgeries.

In that post, we discussed how a unit can benefit your business, to enhance the customer’s experience and improve overall satisfaction and management e.g. patient’s checking in for appointments or logging in for medical data.

But how can a Touch screen better your own employee’s health rather than the customer; and what are the advantages for you as the employer?

A company in Paris has implemented some kiosks that concentrate on managing employee wellbeing  and health; checking their vital health signs, including body mass index, hydration level, blood pressure and body fat.

Capgemini, a consulting technology outsourcing and local professional services firm; issued out the units in France, as well as more than 35 countries.

The “Thrive initiative” is intended to increase focus on employee wellbeing in three phases over a six month period.

The first phase began three months ago in October 2010 with a staff campaign highlighting the importance of staying hydrated, with the workforce using the kiosks to receive their hydration statistics.

Phase two, which begins this January, will concentrate on body fat levels.

Phase three will centre on blood pressure and how its’ employees can reduce it or manage their levels.

The kiosks will be available throughout the campaign for staff to check their progress as well as an intranet site with the same information.

So far the campaign has seen about 2,500 tests completed in the Kiosks and about 50,000 hits on the intranet site.

But how can it benefit you the employer to know more about your employee’s health and how important is it?

–          A healthier employee has more prolonged life vitality and therefore would work for you longer.

–          A healthier employee is less likely to be taking working days off for being ill or sick.

–          Whilst at work, a healthier staff member can concentrate fully and put more effort into their workload, leading to better results.

–          Awareness of the working conditions possibly causing strain, stress and medical problems.

–          Understanding their physical working limitations.

To install a Touch Screen kiosk in your business, contact Protouch today.