Transition Optical kiosk system

A global lens manufacturer is piloting 10 educational interactive kiosks at partner retail locations to educate eye wear shoppers about its adaptive lenses and illustrate how photochromic technology works.

The Transitions Optical interactive kiosk offers more than 100 lens options and believes consumer education is a key aspect to advancing its product portfolio and partner sales efforts.

The free-standing touch screen kiosk uses 72 UV-LED light bulbs to simulate outdoor UV rays to demonstrate how fast a transition lens responds when exposed to daylight.

A kiosk user simply places a demonstration card under the bulbs and within 12 seconds can see the lens react.

“The kiosk helps consumers actually ’see’ the transformation of the lenses turning a different colour right before their eyes,” said Sandy Berman, account executive of Frank Mayer & Associates, manufacturers of the kiosk.

The interactive kiosk works by demonstrating to consumers how transition lenses react to different simulated lighting situations.

“It is unique because it gives a convincing demonstration and backs up the demonstration with actual facts and benefits of the product,” Berman said.

The kiosk aims to educate shoppers and provide a self assessment aspect so consumers can determine which lens fits their lifestyle as well as providing in-store information about the products on sale.

The retailer and manufacturers main goal is to drive sales of eye wear featuring the Transition lens technology.

Renee Himel, retail marketing specialists at Transitions Optical, said, “The biggest challenge was balancing consumer, partner and our own needs and wanting to deliver an educational and engaging interactive experience. The key for us was to include our retail partners early on as they provided input that drove the content use and footprint of the units.”

Another unique aspect in deploying self service technology in the optical field is understanding the relationship consumers have eye care professionals, Himel explained.

“Consumers expect to have a conversation with their eye care professional and we took that insight into consideration

Viewing the lenses

 when developing our kiosk,” she said. “We made sure that the eye care professional could use the kiosk as an education and sales aid and walk their patients through the lens buying experience.”

These types of interactive kiosk systems have proven to be a huge success over recent years, particularly within consumer related industries where the customer requires a product or service and the kiosk becomes an accessible tool for their needs and requirements.

Not only do kiosks work for the retailer, they can also have a massive impact on the way a company is run. A similar project to the Transition Optical kiosk is the installation of touch screen equipment across UK Specsavers stores by Protouch.

The high street superbrand came to Protouch to find a solution to making their services more efficient and Protouch had the solution they were looking for – Geode 12.1″ touch screen monitors.

Around 3,000 were installed across 700 of Specsaver’s stores, on sales counters and within their in-store laboratories for order processing.

As a result customer service became more efficinet and staff had much less paperwork to fill out on a daily basis.

The touch screen technology provided an essential role optimising sales and services in this major retail environment, and since its success Specsaver has come to Protouch ever since for all its touch screen monitors.

Recently an additional 2,000+ Protouch Aspect 15″ LCD touch screen monitors were put straight into the eye-test rooms throughout all its branches.

Having been to the Grand Designs Expo this year and having browsed the High Street I have been considering the demand for touch screens and the advancing and changing requirements for this type of technology within our homes.

There is a bubbling market for home automation systems and as touch screens solutions offer both functionality and aesthetically pleasing design they could be an ideal fit within this industry. 

The integration of touch screen hardware into our homes would be relatively simple with a demand for touch screens to fit at key convenient ‘stations’ within the home, such as, by the front door, next to the bed, within reach of the sofa.  Size and design of the units would most likely be influenced by the location and the functions they provide.  At the ‘touch’ of a button we could have systems in place that allow us to turn on/off  lighting, control heating and water, activate music, or pre-set ‘moods’ for rooms from any point within our homes.  For example: a hallway may lend itself to a simple touch screen unit used as a central ‘hub’ with general running of household controls, such as security and lights. Whereas a lounge may support the use of a more complex all-in-one touch PC offering entertainment value and allowing users to access the Internet, watch films, set-up music (sound and visuals) all in one.

I foresee touch screen based home automation systems revolutionizing our homes and leading us towards an easier and more indulgent lifestyle.  Home automation systems have the ability to be as complex or as simple in functionality as we demand; the level of software, size and design are all open to individual taste and needs as with most modern day technology.  What’s more, the touch screen concept not only presents beneficial solutions for everyday living, but it also offers solutions that could greatly enhance the lifestyles of the disabled, handy-capped and elderly people with regards to greater independence and freedom within their own homes.  

As touch screens allow for both multifunction and customisation each unit can be adjusted according to the individual taking their physical disabilities such as arthritis, mobility, eye sight, etc, in to account. As a result one unit could operate several household items and also adjust font sizes, key sizes and sound levels according to the individual’s needs.

Obviously, cost is a consideration. However, touch screen systems are now appearing on the domestic market and are far more accessible to the general population at affordable prices. So, what else is holding us back? Fear of the unknown and lack of understanding are certainly playing a part, but as the general public continues to embrace the technology the potential for touch screens in the home is huge and could lead to a dramatic change in how we are able to run and live in our lives.

There is tension arising in the DVD kiosk industry after Coinstar Inc announced a multi-year deal allowing redbox to offer day-of-release DVD and Blu-ray titles from Paramount Home Entertainment Inc.

Industry insiders have speculated that the new agreement will encourage other studios to strike similar deals with DVD kiosk companies such as redbox and NCR Corporation, which has already deployed about 6,000 Blockbuster Express-branded DVD-rental kiosks in the past year.

“Our BLOCKBUSTER Express kiosks currently offer day-of-release titles because we purchase them from third party retailers, but we continue to have discussions with studios about licensing agreements that would allow NCR to get day of release titles directly from the source,” said Jeff Dudash, a spokesperson for NCR’s DVD kiosk division.

The deal between redbox and Paramount was reached following a 10-month trial license agreement and analysis, which concluded that day-and-date rentals at kiosks had minimal impact on DVD sales, according to a statement issued by redbox.

“After analysing the data from our test period we have concluded that redbox day-and-date rental activity has had minimal impact on our DVD sales,” says Dennie Maguire, Worldwide President of Paramount Home Entertainment, said in a press release. “By granting redbox day-and-date availability we are allowing the consumer a choice of how to consume our movies while maximising the profitability of our releases in the home entertainment window.”

President of redbox, Mitch Lowe, said that the arrangement is a “win, win and win for consumers, Paramount and redbox.”  About $575 million is expected to be spent to the studio during the course of the agreement, which runs through to the end of 2014, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Stocks for both Coinstar, parent company of redbox, and rival Blockbuster Inc zig-zagged everywhere last week and for Blockbuster the ride isn’t over. The company had a meeting in Dallas last week which scheduled them to vote on board nominees, including a controversial bid for director Gregory Meyer who founded a DVD rental kiosk business in 2001 that was later sold to Coinstar Inc.

Blockbuster began issuing press releases urging stockholders to vote in favour of incumbent director Gary Fernandes instead of Meyer. A live audio webcast of the meeting will be available viat the Blockbuster’s investor relations site at http://investor.blockbuster.com.

Paramount’s strength as a major player among studios seems to continually expanding. This summer’s DVD and Blue-ray releases include Martin Scorsese’s ‘Shutter Island’ with Leo DiCaprio.

For more information about kiosksystems and how they can improve your business visit Protouch.co.uk.

The latest high-tech gadget, the iPad, is putting consumers into the ever-changing position of  ‘buy or don’t buy.’ Is it worth to pay the extortionate prices for the latest gadget on the market?

While consumers sit and wonder how to spend their cash, developers of the self service industry are finding ways to integrate the iPad into their systems to keep up-to-date with the advanced technology, and whether the move to do it will actually be worth it.

The Apple iPad launched in April 2010 sent the tech insiders, gadget lovers and hungry media into a spin. Coined as the crossover of all technologies the iPad acts as a laptop, mobile device, television, radio and iPod.

And while the iPad is still young and its full implications are still being defined, the self service industry are investigating ways to incorporate it into their products and services.

“There is a lot of hype about the iPad, but very few people have actually touched one,” said Brian Ardinger, CMO for software developer Nanonation. “There are a lot of things that aren’t known about how it will work in the long term.”

However these thoughts haven’t crossed the mind of some technology driven customers who wanted the iPad before it had even been made.

“As soon as it was announced, our phones were ringing with clients wanting to apply it,” said Ardinger.

In April 14-15th Nanonation unveiled a suite of iPad applications at KioskCom in Las Vegas. The apps were designed to leverage the iPad’s perceived strengths for both customer – and employee – facing applications.

This could feature a variety of programmes including employee-carried iPads with readily available customer service information, or iPad-based employee training materials that can easily be updated and deployed during the workday.

The iPad’s 9.7 inch (diagonal) screen,  touchscreen interface, ability to communicate via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G connections, and its assisted GPS capabilities could make it very well-suited to applications requiring high mobility, frequent updates and an easy-to-use interface.

“We are looking at what engagement our clients are trying to create-that helps determine what platform is best suited to make that happen,” he said.

Ardinger said that the company’s experience developing applications for Apple’s iPhone helped smooth the transition into this new technology.

However, the iPad isn’t bringing smiles all round for everyone.

One of the biggest affects the Apple iPad could have is on the DVD kiosk rental world, with the introduction of the movies and television programmes installed onto the iPad.

Users will be able to install an application which allows them to watch movies and tv shows streamed to the mobile device instantly.

“The innovation and consumer appeal of the iPad make it a perfect device for instantly watching TV episodes and movies streamed from Netflix,” Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings said in a company press release.

This may see DVD -rental kiosks such as NCR’s Blockbuster Express industry giant redbox depend on the success of the iPad.

And the success of the iPad is set to grow as Apple projects sales of more than seven million units in 2010. as well as being seen as the highest competitor for the DVD rental market share.

With any new technology device comes questions, glitches and scares of new competitors etc. But it is still early days for the iPad and its tech savvy applications may not meet the eye of some consumers. However Apple have always produced high quality devices such as the iPod and iPhone which have been massive hits with consumers over the years, it will be hard not to see this work.

Kiosk manufacturers such as the DVD rental kiosk world may have a scare on their hands but with the iPad being a costly device it will be a long while before the whole world jumps on the bandwagon. So we can’t see the DVD kiosk world falling any time soon.

For information about kiosk solutions and how to integrate them into your business, visit Protouch today.

To learn from other customers mistakes so you don’t make them, we at Protouch have listed the top ten reasons why companies kiosk deployment fails.

Location

A kiosk need to be situated in a prime location so that it is clearly visible and easily accessible to the customer. Stuck behind a shelf or wall will not do you any favours and you can say goodbye to that return of investment before you have even started.

If you haven’t the floor space why not consider a wall mounted kiosk.

First Impressions

Everyone judges a book by its cover and most people do it within the first 30 seconds.

Kiosks systems that make a bad first impression:

• Are complex with many choices leaving the customer thinking, ‘I don’t have time to learn.’
• Play a video leading a customer to think, ‘I’m just being sold something, this won’t help me.’
• Has an opening ‘Touch Here to Begin’ button which leaves them thinking ‘What am I starting and how long will it take?’

Make your kiosk system simple and easy to use. Provide easy to use steps and don’t bombard your customer with reams of information which will be of no interest to them.

Work or play

A kiosk to many equals a computer and most people often associate that with work and stress, and are more likely to carry on walking by. To attract your customers attention you should carefully design your kiosk to make it user-friendly with bright colours and non-standard shapes making it more engaging and encouraging to use.

More is more

We understand that people’s budget doesn’t stretch that far when it comes to new applications an systems, but if you can afford it, then we recommend you spend it. There is nothing worse than having to queue to use a system that is supposedly designed to make you processes quicker and easier. Install multiple kiosks where and when you can.

Multiple kiosks are always a good move in keeping customers happy

Please Wait

A turn of phrase that most people hate and won’t go down well if written on your kiosk screens. Make sure you keep on top of your product and its software. Check that it isn’t running slow and your server can handle the information. Try not to keep them waiting for more than 0.5 seconds, else they are most likely to walk away.

Privacy

Many companies think the bigger the screen the better the system; but not necessarily. If you are running a healthcare company or doctors surgery, for example, it’s not wise to have a huge screen advertising your patients details to the world and its dog. Think about your customer and what information you are displaying and how much privacy they need.

Kiosks asking questions

Many kiosks already deployed have failed due to the millions of questions they ask the customer. A kiosk is meant to provide the support and help for the customer but that won’t work if they feel they are doing all the hard work. Install a system that allows your customer to feel happy with the service you are providing.

Browsing

Most browsing pages on kiosks appear clumsy and irritate the customer. Many display tiny pictures of their products with about 12 displayed on one page which leaves the customer clicking here there and everywhere to find all the pictures and information of the actual product they want to purchase.

Scrolling mechanisms work brilliantly as customers can scan through the products rather than clicking on and off pages which usually slows down the process.

Bright and colourful kiosks catch the customers eye

Searching

A search bar generally allows customers to type in a word or question and results will appear on the page. While this is an effective tool, any misspellings or words the kiosk doesn’t recognise can bring back irrelevant results or no results at all.

A good idea would be to display the results in real time, meaning when a person types in a word,suggested results appear below. For example if a customer is typing in “shop” results below would appear, “shops” “shopping”.

Website kiosk

A website is designed for a person sat at a computer with a mouse and keyboard with a little bit of time to browse. A kiosk system is completely different and you need to make sure that all information, links on their system is easy to navigate around and provides the relevant information and no waffle.

Internet kiosks are a great idea but provide access to sites with relevant and to-the-point information so your kiosk is quick and easy to use and accessible to all customers.

For more information about kiosk systems today visit Protouch, Europe’s number one manufacturer and distributor of touch screen equipment.

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.

British citizens want to be in charge of their shopping experience. New research found that people want more freedom to shop where and when they like, whether online, over their mobile or in an in-store kiosk.

The NCR Corporation survey, carried out by Buzzback Market Research, found that 83 per cent of consumers wanted the flexibility to research, compare and shop across channels. 84 per cent of survey-goers said they wanted retailers to make sure their social media activities were integrated with their other communications such as websites and email.

However, 46 per cent said that they feel bombarded with irrelevant information and offers over a “dizzying array of touchpoints.”

The solution, says NCR, is to provide shoppers with personalised offers and information, based on analysis of the shopper’s previous shopping history.

“Retailers need to harmonise the total cross-channel shopping experience in the emerging era of converged retailing,” said Rick Chavie, vice president of marketing of NCR’s retail and hospitality business.

A white paper about NCR’s research on converged retailing is available at www.ncr.com/c-tailing

So while customers are clicking on to what retailers need to do, stores need to take note of what changes need to be made for an improved shopping experience.

Customers are fed up with the impersonal and irrelevant offers thrown at them via email or instore, and would like a much more subtle approach that allows them to take charge of their shopping experience themselves.

Kiosks are a great solution as customers are able to acces store and product information, see what deals are on offer as well as printing out vouchers to use while in store.

For more information about how kiosks can help your business, 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.

Ikea kiosk by Protouch. Fully branded and offers a wide range of solutions to customers problems.

Businesses are always looking to expand and grow into the ever changing technology-driven world. And from time to time companies stumble across a savvy solution and everyone else jumps on the bandwagon.

Well now is the time for kiosks and the retail industry are clocking onto it.

Their success is stampeding through clothes stores, supermarket chains etc and it’s only going to get bigger.

However, there is a problem and that problem could have a negative impact on the deployment of the kiosk.

A successful kiosk solution is one that creates an iconic value for the kiosk. In other words, the kiosk needs to be given its own identity. The look and feel of the kiosk, its software as well as its overall ability needs to immediately attract and relate to the consumer and stand out as a kiosk that your company owns.

Basically, customers who have an affiliation with your brand will be more inclined to utilise the kiosk over and over if your brand is splashed all over it. It encourages loyalty to your company and allows customers to access your company as and when they please.

Take a photo kiosk system, for example. A customer is going to feel more safe and comfortable with using it if they recognise your brand. If it’s simply a kiosk situated in a supermarket with no branding, customers are inclined to distrust who the company is and seek the service they need elsewhere.

We may be moving into a technology driven society, but this has brought fear and fraudulent activity to our lives where people are less inclined to trust others unless they recognise and know the brand.

“All of those factors are interrelated,” said Ronald Bowers, senior vice president of business development with Frank Mayer and Associates. “The success of a kiosk solution is composed of media advertising, support materials, signage, even simple things within the store before you get back to the kiosk. That branding experience is a critical aspect of the acceptance or the failure of that solution.”

When kiosk systems first took centre stage, many businesses went for cool, cutting edge designs in hope that the cutting edge technology would entice customers to use the systems. However, they failed to acknowledge brand loyalty and lack of trust for new technological products which left people unsure of what to do or how to use them. They just weren’t holding enough identity to make people try them out.

Nowadays, retailers are moving away from integrating kiosks simply as a new technology and learning to comply with their consumers needs. 

“For years and years if you were a brand marketer and a retailer attending a kiosk show, you would be overwhelmed that this is a technology show,” Bowers said. “It was a bunch of card readers and money changers and digital signage providers, but there was no body stepping up and telling you, ‘This is a branded solution.’”

In short, the solution to the problem is to simply create a kiosk that successfully solves a customers problem, but more importantly, branded well enough to show what services it offers. In doing this, it’s smiles all round. The retailer has installed a system that sells their brand, provides extra services for customers and in the long run reduces staffing hours. And the customer is happy as it knows it can trust your brand, it’s receiving top service and more importantly they feel like they are trying something new in this technology driven world.

For more information about installing kiosks into your business and how to brand it visit the Protouch website for more information.