Everywhere you look, in almost any industry, kiosks have become permanent fixtures. From photo printing, to traveling, to hospitality and retail, kiosks now play an essential part in everyday life, and offer valuable tools that help business owners grow their bottom lines.
Kiosks themselves can offer a wide range of capabilities, but with the right peripherals, the functionality of your technology can be extended to help you achieve a more streamlined, efficient operation.
Some of must-have peripherals include:
1. Card Readers
More often, you’ll find kiosks used in restaurant and retail settings for self-service purposes. Customers enter orders or scan items, and kiosks act as virtual alternatives for many tasks, handling transactions and tracking sales for business owners.
In order for kiosks to work in this setting however, they must be equipped with card readers so that customers can easily pay as soon as they are ready. Card readers are essential for any businesses that handle transactions since credit cards are still the most popular payment method.
For security purposes, it is critical that your card reader is equipped to handle EMV, as well as magnetic stripe cards for customers that haven’t switched to chip cards. A cash input is also good for customers that prefer not to carry cards. If your customers pay in a variety of ways, look for flexible payment options for kiosk peripherals.
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2. Receipt Printers
Often times, especially with retail and hospitality operations, customers are using self-service kiosks to place orders and pay for them. Receipt printers are necessary peripherals to ensure your transactions can run smoothly and customers are satisfied. Especially for large purchases or food items, customers want receipts from their transactions as added reassurance and for record-keeping.
Not only can receipt printers ensure your guests receive the experiences they were expecting, receipt printers can also help you in your marketing efforts. They print more than just the items purchased and amounts paid—they can print coupons, promotions, advertisements and more on customer receipts.
3. Sound and Video Capabilities
Not all customers are the same when it comes to what they can and cannot use, and your kiosk peripherals should cater to all your customers. Speakers and sound capabilities help vision-impaired guests use kiosks more easily with guided commands. You can even add a discreet headphone jack. This can be especially helpful in high-traffic and noisy environments.
Video and interactive displays are perfect for catering to hearing-impaired guests. The video capabilities have the added benefit of enabling picture menus to help make product selections easier. By offering technology that is both reliable and accessible, you can improve the overall customer experience and delight your guests.
4. Touchscreens
No kiosk is complete without a touchscreen. Touchscreens mimic the smart-style interface that customers are most familiar with, and they are more engaging and intuitive than non-touch display screens.
Thanks to smart devices, most customers already know and are comfortable with navigating touch-centric screens that are commonly found on self-service kiosks. These screens act as interactive devices to help guide customers through menus and assist them with placing orders or purchasing items.
Not only do touchscreens allow customers to view photos of products and offerings, they can create endless aisles for retailers, and can integrate with the POS for an online retail experience. Not to mention, kiosks can be used to leverage upselling and cross-selling prompts, and make it easy for customers to click on offers and view more information.
The Right Kiosk Peripherals for Your Needs
Kiosks are only growing in popularity across many industries where customer service plays any major role. Helping to save on labor costs and automate routine tasks, kiosks are cost-effective solutions that help business owners improve the customer experience and grow their bottom lines. To achieve this, make sure your solution has all the kiosk peripherals you need to ensure business success.
Touch Dynamic is an industry leader in self-service kiosk technology, helping business owners save time, increase profits, and provide better customer experiences. For more information on kiosks and their peripherals, or to learn more about the technology Touch Dynamic offers, contact us today!
