Kiosks and Customer Self Service

Touch screen technology, by enabling kiosks that are user friendly, reliable, robust and attractive can help businesses in many markets realise their objectives and meet obligations to shareholders and stakeholder groups. Potential applications include:

• Presenting product information and servicing brochure requests
• Ticket issue
• Check-in
• ATM and cash dispenser
• Bill payment and financial transactions
• Gaming and betting
• Internet access
• Food service and ordering
• Photo booths
• Voting
• Loyalty cards and special offers

Perhaps the most fundamental advantage of the touch screen in such applications is its ability to offer an exciting and rewarding user experience. A well designed touch screen interface can present a compelling proposition to potential customers passing by a kiosk, whether located in a busy shopping centre, cinema multiplex, convenience store, railway station or air terminal, a booking hall, a fuel station forecourt; the possibilities are endless. Even those who are not familiar with computer technology, or have had previous bad experiences, can be attracted to a bright, friendly, ergonomically-designed touchscreen; the chances are, they will not even realise they are interacting with a computer.

While the chief concerns lie with application development, to create slick, attractive user interfaces, kiosk designers also need to select the optimum touch screen technology for the application.

Kiosk designers can select technologies that are suitable for outdoor deployment. They have high resistance to damage from key scratches, spilled drinks or other accidental or malicious damage, are able to operate continuously over extended periods without maintenance or recalibration, can be activated by operators wearing gloves or tapping the screen with a ball pen, and are clearly visible under any lighting level from direct sunlight through artificial lighting to night time use.

In fact, the touch screen technologies now available allow designers to conceive kiosk solutions to virtually any retail or information delivery requirement. Low maintenance is particularly important to businesses that operate kiosks, as the cost of field service visits is high and can significantly damage the profitability of the enterprise.

Kiosks featuring a touch screen instead of a keyboard or mouse are also inherently more reliable, with fewer failure mechanisms and less frequent maintenance or replacement intervals. And, just as in the POS application, the touch screen also prevents access to barred functions. This is particularly important where the kiosk provides secure payment facilities, online booking services, or Internet access, for example.

Want to know more about how touch screens can help you with customer self service? Get in touch and one of our Customer Service team will respond to your request.