Increasingly, kiosks are being embraced in a wide variety of vertical markets, yielding multiple benefits to businesses and consumers. Here are five kiosk trends driven by time saving, convenience, and efficiency.
1. Kiosks speed up restaurant service.
Restaurants with counter service can use kiosks for line busting by allowing customers to place their orders at a kiosk rather than waiting in line at the counter. Shorter lines lead to faster service — which can lead to happier, more loyal customers.
Fast casual restaurants are also using self-service kiosks. Diners can use them to transmit drink or appetizer orders directly to the kitchen, helping decrease customers’ wait before they are served. Restaurants benefit by giving customers the ability to order an additional drink or add-on as soon as they are ready, which can help increase the size of an order.
2. Kiosks offer fast answers to important retail questions.
Customers can use kiosks to tap into a database to instantly learn what they need to know about product features and prices — with no hunting down a salesperson required. Shoppers can find out whether the item they want is in stock and, if not, order it for delivery. Mall operators also employ kiosks to help shoppers pinpoint particular store locations, as well as which ones carry merchandise in a particular category, such as apparel or jewelry.
3. Kiosks automate theater ticketing and concession operation.
Kiosk trends are also emerging in cinemas and theaters. For example, patrons can use kiosks to buy or pick up tickets purchased online, saving them the hassle of waiting in line and scrambling for seats so they don’t miss the beginning of the show. Moreover, kiosks can shorten concession lines by offering theater-goers the option to order and, in some instances, pay for food and drink purchases.
3. Kiosks provide conveniences to air travel customers.
Airports use kiosks to improve customer experience by giving travelers the opportunity to check in for flights, obtain boarding passes, purchase tickets, and sometimes, change flights or seat assignments, without enduring a wait at a counter. However, other applications for kiosks in airports are surfacing. For instance, at some airports, travelers who have already checked in and printed out their own boarding passes at home can check their luggage and generate baggage tags and claim checks designated kiosks. In some airports, travelers can also use kiosks to report lost luggage, check the status of their frequent flyer accounts, or obtain return flight information.
4. Kiosks help students find the books they need, speed cafeteria lines.
One of the newest kiosk trends is their use in university and college bookstores to allow students to search for items or courses and locate the materials they need. In addition to eliminating the need for students to stand on long lines at the beginning of each semester, this saves schools or outside bookstore operators time, labor, and money.
In elementary, middle, and high schools, kiosks are being used at the entrance to cafeterias, enabling them to swipe ID or meal plan cards to pay for meals and eliminating the need for cashiers. Some schools also have kiosks where parents can check their children in and out when they are late or require early dismissal.
The benefits of using kiosks aren’t limited to these examples in these markets. Kiosks can help reduce the burden on your staff by providing self-serve capabilities in many other types of applications that make the customer experiences you provide easier and more convenient.
To learn more about kiosk trends, click read Touch Dynamic’s latest kiosk eBook.
