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Every now and again we stumble across a kiosk system which we think deserves a bit of recognition; and we have found one today.
This super creative use of a kiosk system shows how versatile and wacky you sometimes need to be to make your interactive technology stand out.
Combining this augmented reality and digital signage opens the door to a wide range of creative opportunities. Whether you are a child or an adult, it would be pretty hard to drag yourself away from this kiosk.
Customers simply hold a Lego box upto the screen to see the pieces inside rendered as an interactive 3D image! How cool is that?
For this to happen a camera and display screen has been built into the interactive kiosk to allow Lego packaging to reveal its contents fully assembled within live 3 animated scenes. This new age technology is an unforgettable experience for store visitors and acts as a powerful assisted selling tool that makes the image on the side of the box come to life.
It simply gets the customer excited about the product – that is composed of individual pieces – then giving him the ability to hold the potential purchase in his hands and examine it from every angle.
The kiosk can be found in LEGO stores around the world.
For more information about interactive kiosk systems and how they can work for you, visit Protouch today.
Kiosk systems are all the rage but what is it they do and how can they benefit your business?
A kiosk system is usually installed to relieve the staff of extra work as well as to provide customers with a more interactive service in a technology driven world.
However, there are a wide range of kiosk systems out there and it is important to understand which one will suit you.
Firstly, it all depends on what type of company you are and what services you provide to your customers.
Kiosks can perform a whole range of services and can make a big difference to improving customer service as well as freeing up staff time.
An innovative kiosk system taking the health care industry by storm are survey kiosks. Mainly used for patient feedback, a survey kiosk is a fantastic way of gathering data and information first hand from your customers, so you can improve and expand your business.
A survey kiosk in action can provide:
- Patient satisfaction surveys –
Collect point of care feedback faster and more efficiently. You can identify problems quickly and make the necessary improvements to your business.
- Customer satisfaction surveys –
Improve your service by feeding back positive and negatives, improve customer retention, create loyal customers who will further recommend your products and services.
- Employee satisfaction surveys – Ensure employee satisfaction and retention. Increase productivity by discovering your staff members motivations, attitudes and opinions.
- Market research – Gather your customers opinions and suggestions to improve your products and services.
For more information about kiosk systems and how you can benefit from their services visit Protouch today.
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.
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.
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