checkoutWhatever industry you are in, companies are driven by the customer. Generally the customer is always right, they are in charge and the service you provide potentially affects whether your customer comes back for more.

From the first thirty seconds of a phone conversation from a call centre, to first impressions when walking into a store, the initial reception a customer receives affects the overall experience for the customer; so you need to make sure that first impressions count.

And the same goes for self service kiosk systems in all industries. They may put the customer in control, reduce operational costs, and save on staff costs, but if they are designed poorly they can be time consuming and frustrating and have a negative impact on customer experience.

We have put together a few ideas which will help you and your business plan your self service system to work in favour of you and your customer.

Most kiosks require customers to identify the item before they scan it so it is important to think like a customer to ensure that the categorisations are logical to them. If products are not categorically placed, customers can be left feeling stressed and agitated if their are queues building up behind them.

When a customer gets used to the self service kiosks, they will become quicker and confident selecting the products and scanning them on the system to purchase, however generally the system lags behind the customer leaving them waiting. Make sure that the software you install is geared up to handle large orders, faster demands, leaving your customer feeling content with the service provided.

Keep the layout and design of your software and screen simple and easy to use. Jumping from page to page can irritate customers simply wanting to purchase a product or find out some information. Make sure that customers can easily move around the page and find what they are looking for.

  • Touchscreens can be unclear

Make sure that you place your touch screens in a location so that customers can easily read the screen. Sometimes the lighting can shadow the screen leaving customers unsure of what to press and how to make their purchase.

Ensuring that your customers are satisfied with the service your provide is the key to a successful business. For more information about how to improve your business with self service, visit www.protouch.co.uk for information about all their self service kiosks and touch screen systems.