A Kansas medical centre has installed their very own hospital kiosk to help visitors find their way around and get patient information day or night.

Sam Serrill, chief operating officer of the Wesley Medical Centre said, “We wanted to improve our service to visitors and patients who come into the hospital because we don’t have somebody manning our information desk 24/7.”

But the team were keen to keep a smiling friendly face to greet people, by implementing a face into the kiosk system. And because the kiosk stands at 8ft tall, you look her right in the eye.

“We picked out the candidate who is the hologram, and we thought she looked welcoming like a volunteer who may work here,” said Carol with Guest Services.

To view a video of the life-size kiosk click here.

The kiosks will be installed in the hospitals three main hospital areas.

Kiosks are a fantastic way of communicating with your customers and offering extended services to keep them in the loop and fully informed.

As we move into a more tech savvy world, consumers are no longer stunned by technological gadgets and what they see around them. They simply want it to do the job and do it well.

And a hospital kiosk to help people navigate around the medical centre is a fantastic way of providing an extra service for times when there are no staff around or visitors and patients want to protect their privacy.

To learn more about installing kiosk systems into your business, whether it be an Internet kiosk or a payment system, visit Protouch today.

In a bid to bring self service kiosks to the forefront of the leisure industry, Protouch have launched a complete industry guide offering tips and advice about leisure kiosk systems.

The condensed pack features an array of information to answer all your kiosk needs as well as keeping the leisure industry in the loop on how to expand their demographic and explore new means to attract more customers.

Their tips cover:

• why not to reinvent the wheel when designing a kiosk, best practice for use and how to protect your investment
• extra tips on outside factors, such as marketing, prime locations and staff training as well as
• a few hints and advice for kiosk uses and accessories.

There are so many different uses for a kiosk and the Protouch leisure industry guide covers them all. From cinema payment systems to an internet kiosk, the Protouch guide masters the basics behind kiosk technology; the first step in achieving a successful kiosk deployment.

So get access to your FREE copy of ‘Mastering Kiosk Deployment within the leisure sector’ by clicking here.

Wherever you go, self service kiosks are taking over the town. From petrol stations to airports, everyone is jumping on the kiosk bandwagon and whether you like it or not, you are having to learn how they work to keep up with this ever changing society.

While kiosks are being deemed as the way forward, some people are still a little unsure of the concept and are not keen on the idea of purchasing products and obtaining services through a machine.

So to settle this little debate, we at Protouch have listed the pros and cons to kiosk installation, leaving you to answer the question; are you being served?

Pros

• Supermarket chains are jumping on the kiosk party and fast. In the UK alone, Tesco has installed self service kiosks into 256 stores and are held responsible for over 25 per cent of all transactions. Sainsbury’s is close behind with 220 stores and Wal Mart has been installing self service checkout lanes since 2004.
• Retailers are taking the kiosk craze that one step further, with Tesco introducing an Express store in Northampton were just one member of staff manned the till and the rest were a host of self-service tills.
• Kiosks are renowned for their reliability and good manners. They won’t be rude or unpleasant and offer the same service to every customer.
• With a kiosk you can reduce the amount of staff you take on, with one member of staff able to man four-six checkout lanes at one time. 
• The self service checkouts can also reduce customer waiting time and leave customers feeling happy and in control of their time. There is nothing worse nipping out for a 30 minute lunch break to be stuck in a queue for 20 minutes; customers like efficiency.
• Privacy. If a customer is buying products that they feel embarrassed about buying then they can save the hassle by using a self service kiosk avoiding the contact with a cashier.  

Okay we may be a little biased about kiosks (considering we sell them) but we know that people have had a few queries and problems with self service kiosks and here are a few.

Cons

• Many customers like to deal with humans and feel that kiosks take away that customer service interaction. May be so, but having less people manning the tills allows you to make more use of your staff such as personal shoppers or meet and greet. Now you can’t say that that isn’t excellent customer service!?
• People are a little technophobic and aren’t clued up on the technology world. To combat this problem stores simply need to have someone on site to lend those non-tech people a helping hand.

Companies are fully aware that not everyone is keen on kiosk but the installation of self service systems and simply there to give people the option.

“We’d never get completely rid of manned tills,” a Sainsbury’s spokesperson has said. “For us it’s all about offering people the choice. Self-service checkouts are very popular with the customers who use them a lot, but we realize people either like them or they don’t.”

So there you go!

The retail marketing sector is constantly expanding and pushing boundaries further, and there’s no better place to keep abreast of all the new, exciting changes in the industry than at the In-Store Show 2010, where Protouch will be exhibiting.

We’ll be situated in the The POPAI Digital Store, a brand new feature at the show which is designed to take visitors on a journey through the latest in digital media in retail. It’ll packed with innovations and solutions so you can leave with ideas and solutions to apply to your brand, store and product.

The Store will be a fully merchandised mock-up retail space showcasing excellence within Digital Media in Retail. The exciting and interactive area will be split to depict different retail sectors to give you the sensation that you’re in ‘live’ retail environments.

The event takes place over two days later this month, 29th-30th June to be exact, at London’s prestigious Grand Hall in Olympia.

There will be loads of great presentations and marketing methods discussed, with leading industry experts debating statements such as:

• Retail marketing is about more than in-store – it embraces the entire Shopper Journey whether in the home / out and about / in the store
• Retail marketing targets shoppers and consumers – they are not the same and must be treated differently
• Retail marketing offers deeper understanding and insight into shopper behaviour than traditional media
• Retail marketing is poorly aligned with competing agendas among retailers / brands / agencies which is holding back the development of the sector
• Retail marketing is about more than just sales promotion/ POS – it covers awareness / preference / purchase / loyalty / advocacy and is as relevant for building brands as driving sales
• Retail marketing should recognise the value of brands in creating differentiation and experience (vs. retailer clean store policy)

You can attend this great event totally free of charge by printing off your ticket here (saving £20!)

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Print media is in trouble. After firing over 500 staff just four years ago, leading newspaper The New York Times is attempting to further cut costs, passing risk onto distributors and limiting the amount of free content published on its website. It’s a story that’s remarkably common amongst newspaper publishers, and it’s one that many believe could spell the end of the daily publishing industry.

But a growing number of publishing industry insiders are telling quite a different story. Inspired by the potential impact of touchscreen devices such as Apple’s iPad, many publishers are reconsidering their decision to write the internet off as a zone outside the realm of profit. Aiming to replace the ‘free content’ online mantra with one a little more sustainable, many publishers believe that paid iPad and Amazon Kindle subscriptions could help newspapers monetize their online presence.

The Guardian currently publishes content through its own iPad application, charging subscribers an affordable £16 monthly for the privilege. As content on the iPad is readable almost anywhere, the newspaper hopes to replace near-free online content with a more portable paid version.

Over five UK-based newspapers have their own iPad and iPhone applications, each available in a  range of monthly subscription or one-off pricing options. We suspect more will follow, aiming to capitalise on the device’s popularity and potential to introduce new income into a financially stagnant industry.

Touch-screen kiosks have truly found their place in the commercial world, bringing mass revenue and improved customer service to the retail, travel, and public sectors. A favourite of major chains and large international brands, kiosks are slowly being embraced by the independent business sector, gaining a presence in small shops and family businesses.

But that doesn’t mean that every kiosk installation will go as planned. Without the right combination of tactics and retail strategy, your kiosk installation could easily fail. These two tactics have helped other retailers successfully implement kiosks into their sales process, and now they can help you do the same.

1. Pick the right location

Location is everything. Place your kiosk in a dark, hidden corner and it will rarely be used. Place it in a high-traffic area and you’ll find it becoming an inconvenience, distracting shoppers and causing queues. The key to a successful kiosk deployment is placement; choose an area in which customers can search for information without standing in the way of others.

2. Offer the right information

Kiosks shouldn’t be your entire customer service strategy, nor should they make up the bulk of your store’s interaction with customers. Provide enough information to build interest in your products and services, but ensure that human interaction remains part of the sales process.

Troubled American video rental firm Blockbuster Inc. may have more competition than previously thought of. The well-known movie rental and retail firm has faced intense competition over the last three years, battling video rental kiosks for control of the home entertainment market.

With two rental kiosk services expanding into America’s Deep South, the retail movie rental firms may finally end up losing their position. Revenues have been down for two years at Blockbuster, with competing companies closing branches and entering bankruptcy as the year has progressed.

Of course, movie rentals certainly aren’t the only area in which self-service kiosks are succeeding. The travel industry has cut spending, and often staff quotas, by installing self-service check-in units at airports and railway stations across the world. Kiosks are also popular in retail, helping large chain stores and independent businesses improve customer service and boost returns.

With a greater number of businesses experimenting with alternative customer service and sales strategies, it seems inevitable that kiosks will become more common in the marketplace. Retail experiments have been largely positive, both for businesses and their customers, indicating that self-service and customer-driven shopping is here to stay.

Demand for fast, convenient purchasing has seen the self-service industry boom in the last few years and it shows no sign of slowing as customers become more and more acquainted with their robotic friends.

Cash machines, health centre check-in, ticket machines at train stations; it’s easy to forget just how prevalent self-service has become and supermarkets are now leading the way with their embrace of self-service check-outs.

Customers’ needs and expectations for fast and convenient service are growing which means a traditional, more slowly-paced service can leave people frustrated, downing goods and walking away empty handed, taking your profits with them.

This is one of many reasons why the self-service checkout is surging in popularity. As of May 2010, Tesco leads the way with self-service counters in 256 UK stores, where they are responsible for a quarter of all transactions. Sainsbury’s is following suit, with a growing 220 stores offering self-service, and more set to follow. Wal-Mart has had self-service checkout lanes since 2004.

The UK’s leading supplier of self-service kiosks, Protouch, believe that interactive kiosks can bring a greater return on investment for your business and have put together an in-depth guide for companies looking to boost in-store sales.

In the guide, Protouch Marketing Manager Amanda Wallace explains it’s not just a case of plonking down a new kiosk and waiting for a flurry of revenue.

“Getting kiosk deployment right goes a long way to having a successful rollout. It needs to guide the customer through a clear on-screen journey. If the home screen looks too complex, too much like an advert or simply doesn’t portray the purpose of the kiosk the customer may be put off. The idea is to invite the customer in and take them on a step by step journey leading to your target action.”

For a kiosk to do its job effectively customers need to know what and where it is, so positioning is just as crucial as presentation.

“Kiosks must be placed in a prime location so they are easily seen by customers, serviceable by staff and do not detract from an existing product display. It needs to be accessible to all potential users,” says Amanda.

“Use in-store advertising to lead customers to the kiosk and promote its function with branded messaging on the kiosk body. Try shopping from the customer’s perspective to see where improvements can be made.”

Last October, Tesco broke new ground by introducing an Express store in Northampton where customers were served by only one member of staff and a host of self-service tills, yet the supermarket chain has no plans to ditch traditional manpower in favour of machines; opting instead a for a hybrid of the two.

So with both self-service and staffed check-outs here to stay, it’s advisable that they both get along.

“Your employees need to know that the kiosk is there as a selling tool to help them, not as substitute to them,” Amanda adds. “Explain what their new role is and how the kiosk operates so they feel confident in educating customers. The enthusiasm of your workforce will be your biggest asset in making a kiosk successful.”

You can read the full Protouch guide to boosting in-store sales at: http://beta.protouch.co.uk/ProtouchGuides/84/Goodbye_tills,_hello_kiosks_-_3_step_guide_to_boosting_in-store_sales

From Apple’s new iPad to the revolutionary Nintendo DSi, it’s hard to find a single piece of portable technology that’s not sporting a flashy new intuitive touchscreen. While the latest wave of tech may have ruled the tactile keyboard irrelevant, a growing number of technology purists believe that the touch-powered screen isn’t the perfect input and control interface.

Design studio dsLabs has put together what seems like the ultimate in bizarre touchscreen accessories: a portable knob for touchscreen device users. Strangely enough, it’s a welcome addition to many touch-powered devices, enabling users to control them similarly to a manual stereo control system or analogue rotating dial.

The device is useful for more than just turning dials, users claim. dsLabs believe that the prototype control knob can be used as a portable stylus, giving phone users a greater degree of control for mobile phone applications and portable gaming.

While it’s unlikely that touchscreen accessories will catch on with the general public, serious touchscreen gamers and dedicated phone users might consider the investment. If greater control, a scratch-less display, and unique input are important to you, adding a control knob into the mix could lead to some interesting results.

Beverage company PepsiCo Ltd. recently announced an innovative new strategy to fight pollution and encourage recycling. The multinational company will begin deploying intelligent recycling kiosks across the United States throughout 2010, aiming to encourage customers to recycle their cans and plastic bottles after use.

Kiosks have already boosted returns in other industries, increasing profits for video rental retailers and building new markets for food and beverage retailers. Pepsi’s new recycling kiosks aim to target the other end of the market – providing services for people to return cans rather than purchase them.

Just 34 percent of non-alcoholic cans are recycled in the United States, a figure that’s often attributed to the large amount of soft drinks consumed while out and about. By placing recycling kiosks in public areas and well-trafficked places, PepsiCo intend to reduce their carbon footprint and encourage users to take a sustainable approach to their consumption.

The kiosks will use a reward system to encourage frequent recycling. Users can swipe their Pepsi card against the machines to earn points, which can be spent on complimentary Pepsi products and promotional items. Up to 3,000 recycling kiosks will be deployed in 2010, with more to follow in the coming years.