Pic Credit: Just Wicca

Touch screen technology is used to self-scan food at a checkout, check-into a hotel, find a store in a shopping mall, and look at exercise class times at a leisure facility. But now they can also be used to tell the future!

Kiosks are aiding the psychic sector with features that enable a person to have a personal clairvoyant reading via a high definition kiosk interface.

The technology, by the Psychic Friends Network, is said to boost the supernatural industry which includes millions of people and has grown considerably since the 1990s.

Robert Klayman, CEO of News Age Entertainment, which has an exclusive licensing agreement, said: “It is now much more mainstream for a person to consult a psychic. This makes it the perfect time for us to bring this popular brand back.”

Whether one believes in the controversial topic of palm, tarot card reading and spiritual world, touch screen technology can help in that;

- The touch screen enables a person to still have the ‘human touch’ experience but without the need to wait and queue.

- Having a reading face-to-face and talking out loud about the death of a loved one can be too difficult for some people but a kiosk offers the chance to be able to discuss the sensitive subject but without the awkwardness of human interaction.

- The technology can link a person with a psychic from hundreds of miles away, so distance should never be a concern.

- The printer feature allows a person to print out the receipt and reading overview to keep as a souvenir.

- The payment feature means one can pay for the reading via a credit or debit card as opposed to carrying cash around.

- What is more, the kiosk screen can display information on bereavement help or advice.

So, just as kiosks can benefit the hospitality, retail, banking and transport sector; a kiosk can also profit the spiritual medium industry.

Pic Credit: Totally Money

The issue of man vs. machine has been debated about across all industries for some time, since touch screen technology was created.

Since kiosks, ATMs, digital signage and touch screen PCs were deployed into banks, retail stores, and hospitals etc. many have argued that the installation has caused demise in staff employment.

But why does one have to choose a man or machine, cannot society have both?

That is one bank in Australia is trying to overcome by offering customers a mix of traditional human services with a teller as well as ATM services.

Bank customers who still want to use a teller but are tired of queuing up will have a faster option by using a video automatic teller machine. The video ATMs are to offer a ‘human touch’ in that they are still machines but that have an automatic link to a teller via a video screen. A teller will be available 24 hours a day to approve loan applications and accept cheque deposits in an aim to help customers and business people who find it difficult to get to a bank branch during the day.

The banking service already uses ATMs to enable a customer to make cash withdrawals but this new technology means that the customer can have both a technological service as well as a human, in one.

The technology takes into account security and the live teller can reportedly spot if a customer had someone behind them attempting to look at the PIN details. Further aspects are that there is no cash lying around on counters.

The video service allows a customer to hold up a form of ID to the scanner and once the live teller has verified the customer’s details, the loan application or cheque deposit is started. A printer feature enables all documents to be printed out, signed and then scanned back into the machine to be approved.

And if an ATM card has been lost, as long as the person has another form of ID, the teller can view it and approve for cash withdrawals.

Touch screen technology reaps tons of benefits to a business as well as the customer but people will always want some form of human interaction.

So why do we have to choose one or the other? Surely we should take advantage of the brilliant technology of a touch screen kiosk of what we have created and use it in conjunction with each other to make an enjoyable and efficient service for all!

Pic Credit: The Kidderminster Shuttle

Kiosks in Worcestershire, West Midlands have attracted criticism as they allegedly ‘discriminate’ against disabled users.

Wyre Forest District Council (WFDC) has installed some payment kiosks at the Worcestershire Hub and Kidderminster Town Hall in an effort to save the authority £25,000 a year through cutting staff costs.

However, the technology has caused outrage in the community in that a disabled man reportedly feels discriminated against as he cannot use the new machines from his wheelchair.

The kiosks, which cost the council £13,000, were deployed so residents could pay for council tax, housing bills and paying blue badge and other charges without face-to-face contact with a staff personnel.

But according to Mark Lawley, of Disability Action Wyre Forest (DAWF), the machines are not user-friendly and are out of reach for wheelchair users as the messages on the screens are not visible from that height, and there is no privacy as people can see over his head.

Lawley said that the self-service touch screen kiosk fail because they cannot be used any wheelchair users. He added: “I feel discriminated against. It’s not a very positive attitude towards disabled people. They really haven’t thought this through…The council is at risk of legal action if the service cannot be used.”

The Equality Act 2010 is the law which bans unfair treatment and helps achieve equal opportunities in the workplace and in wider society. The act covers nine protected characteristics which are; age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The Act does explain how reasonable adjustments should be made for disabled persons to avoid the disadvantage.

District council leader, Conservative councillor John Campion, said: “Changes have been made with the customer in mind. We recognise that one size doesn’t fit all and it’s very unfair to say we are discriminating against a certain user group.”

A spokeswoman for WFDC said: “We are aware that there are issues for people with disabilities and we are working to address them by providing alternative ways for people to pay and having customer service advisers on hand to help people who may have specific difficulties.”

Protouch offers guidance on the placement of touch screen technology in order to enable all users use the kiosk. By featuring internet access on the machines, help instructions can also be offered to those few people who find it difficult to use, and not just the disabled.

A retailing survey has revealed that the British economy is missing out on close to £850 billion in sales- simply because of poor customer service.

Findings by Best Buy UK show that some 85% of consumers would go out of their way to shop somewhere with better service and therefore businesses with poor service could be losing on their share of trade by up to £847 billion.

The research, which involved over 2,000 adults, found that 71% would pay more for good customer service and 71% wanted helpful and knowledgeable staff available when shopping.

A touch screen kiosk can benefit the retail industry immensely in that customers can be better focused on because staff can give their time to making their experience better, whilst menial tasks are taken care of by kiosks.

Deploying a kiosk is catering to modern day customer’s needs, as the survey found that most people do not want to be approached whilst they shop. Only a small minority, 23%, would like to be offered help within the first minutes.

Steve Jensen, managing director of Best Buy UK, said: “To thrive you’ve got to give customers the service they demand and deserve. We as customers shouldn’t have to put a price on good service. Unfortunately people perceive they have to pay more for what we believe should be a given. Every company is missing out on crucial sales if they don’t make customer service the focus of their business.”

The hospitality sector came out on top in the survey as it was the most likely to have satisfied customers, with 62% of restaurants and 45% of hotels.

Jo Causon, Chief executive of the Institute of Customer Service, said: “It is only companies that make great customer service a priority in store and in the boardroom too that will find success. Every business has to ensure that employees are given the right training particularly on those softer people skills to ensure they’re in the best position to deliver a positive customer experience. You have to fight for every customer now and keep them coming back or your competition will get there first.”

Protouch can help you please each customer by installing touch screen technology that offers more services in-store. A kiosk can help by offering more products online that they can buy there and then, ticket dispensing special deals and way finding features. Consider the future of retailing and better customer service with Protouch.

The UK funeral market is estimated to be worth around £1 billion a year, with over 600,000 funerals taking place each year.

At the end of the day, it is like any other business. It needs to find cost-effective measures to deliver the service and strive to improve the customer’s experience and to make it as simple and stress-free as possible, during such a distressing time.

Arranging a funeral is tough emotionally as well as financially and at a time when people are bereaving, the funeral sector needs to be as dignified and as understanding as possible.

Touch screen technology can help the industry as it does with any other company. A funeral kiosk that is located within a parlour can assist in cases where it is too much for a person to sit and talk to a staff member about arranging the ceremony.

Speaking about a death out loud can be too upsetting, especially because it reaffirms that the loved one is gone and that they are never coming back. Sometimes talking about it is too painful because it awakens someone into reality and makes things all too real. People may take comfort in making decisions via kiosks with practical questions such as burial or cremation answered on an interface. The entire funeral can be arranged without assistance if they wish!

The display can ask nerve-touching questions like is the deceased to be dressed in their own clothes, or play exerts of hymns to help the family choose what to be played at the service. And the information kiosks can provide all the info and photos that they need to make the right choices; for example images of caskets and casket furnishings.

A funeral kiosk can provide info on;

- Registering a death

- How to add an obituary notice in the local newspaper

- Local florists

- Pet care for animals left behind

- Local stone masons

- Bereavement advice and counselling help

- Obtaining a death certificate

- Finding a church

As with other touch screen technologies, a kiosk can reduce workload on existing staff so they can concentrate on other tasks such as comforting the families rather than arranging the funeral; and it reduces the strain without the expense.

Some postal service experts have issued warnings to the general public that the role of the post office will demise and they are part blaming this with touch screen kiosks.

In the US alone, the postal service is facing a potential $8 billion deficit this year as mail volume declines and due to this over 3,600 post office stores are closing.

It is said that many rural areas and towns are being left without a post office but not necessarily the Postal Service as the network is already included in drug and grocery stores and self-service kiosks.

Described as the ‘dead letter office’, many retail post offices are being replaced with kiosks as a more convenient access to the Postal Service products and services. Customers’ needs are still being met but via touch screen technology.

Reports argue that a large percentage of citizens from across the world no longer use post offices to physically conduct their post business. A study showed that 35% of the American’s post service’s revenue is generated from self-service kiosks, the internet and smartphone applications.

The postal sector is merely updating itself with modern day times as is other industries and reaping the advantages of touch screen technology. The same service is being delivered but with cost-effective solutions, as fewer staffs is needed at each branch. And of those offices still open, the staff’s time is better spent enhancing customer experience rather than undertaking menial paperwork.

In such a fast paced society, customers are demanding self-service technology and a kiosk to reduce waiting times. As a business you can meet these requests with the help of Protouch; Europe’s leading manufacturer and distributor of touch screen technologies.

A touch screen kiosk can be deployed to inform customers on various subjects be it tourist destinations and events, product info or health advice.

A kiosk can be located to inform the public on special offers, sport class or film timetables or a town’s heritage. But as well as the multitude of facilities, an information kiosk can also offer help to people on how to help the environment.

A unit has been installed in Douglas County in Nebraska, America to show the public how to reduce storm water runoff and decrease pollution. The county has deployed an internet kiosk to provide info on storm water and other environmental issues.

A top tip that has been shared includes turning the downspouts on a house toward the lawn or garden and away from the driveway leading to the street. There’s also information about demonstration projects.

The Environment Agency is the UK’s public body whose principal aims are to protect and improve the environment and to promote sustainable development. They are concerned mainly with rivers, flooding and pollution and here at Protouch we imagine that they could jump on the band wagon as the Americans have and reap the benefits of deploying touch screen technology.

Educating generations is paramount to tackling world-wide issues and the government is pushing citizens to become aware of their effects on the o-zone layer and realise how our resources are diminishing at a rapid rate.

If people are not told the correct facts and figures then they cannot be blamed for wrong choices and bad practices. A kiosk can aid to teach society how to focus on sustainability and be environmentally conscious and friendly.

Let Protouch help your business to help the world be a greener place; install a kiosk today.

Touch screen technology is used in varying forms from kiosks, PCs and monitors to digital signage.

There are a vast array of interactive displays in sectors such as hospitals, airports, supermarkets and libraries. But as the technology advances, car companies and designers across Europe are predicting that in the not-too-distant future, multi-touch windows in cars will exist.

A car window is simply a clear glass panel on the vehicle windscreen to keep the wind and noise out for the driver’s comfort and acts as a safety shield from road debris.

To date the car window is a non-interactive glass panel that is static but car industry experts expect that just as laptop and TV interfaces are fast becoming touch screen, so will the car window. So soon people will be looking at windows rather than just looking through them!

For example, Toyota has collaborated with the Copenhagen Institute of Interactive Design to create the concept “Window to the World” in which car windows add an interactive layer to the scenery outside. At times the window allows the passenger to trace for example the outline of a sheep or cow but in other modes the screen estimates the distance of various objects from outside of the car.

The concept envisions the interactive window recognising objects like barns and bikes and offering vocabulary lessons in other languages. And the popular ‘pinch screen’ mode on many smartphones, in which the user can ‘pinch’ the screen to zoom in, would be available so the passenger could zoom in on objects in the distance of the car.

Glasgow University is undertaking a similar project with Fiat called “heads-up displays” in which computer-screen like windshields for the car driver display data such as fuel levels and speed so the driver doesn’t have to take his or her eyes off the road.

Another example is with Cadillac and Fusion92 who are working on interactive touchscreen car window stickers. The scheme is targeted at enhancing show rooms and it works by displaying the price and car features ordinarily but then when the customer walks by the car window, it comes to life making the glass a fully interactive touch screen kiosk. The prospective buyer can watch videos of the car in action, share information about the car over social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter and customise the car’s features.

Who knows what the future of touch screen technology will hold? Rest assured Protouch will keep you informed.

Pic Credit: SouthEndPatch

A touch screen kiosk can be already deployed in many car parks, both indoor and outdoor, in order to take payments from car users.

The advantages of kiosks in this transport sector include consistent and valuable service 24 hours a day. This is extremely beneficial in that most car parks are typically self-service and non-staff attended.

But as well as paying to park a car via a touch screen unit, one can now rent out a bike.

Bike kiosks are being deployed in various countries in an effort to encourage the public to ditch their cars at home, be green and go for an environmentally-friendly bike ride.

Some stations in America consist of bike racks with bicycles attached to a solar-powered touch screen kiosk where members can swipe cards to rent bikes. Citizens can pay a set figure for all day, or have free trips that are 30 minutes or less.

The bike kiosks will require the same approach as outdoor kiosks in that they need to be designed specifically to handle the environment and elements. The units should be sturdy, highly robust, weather-proof and readable in the high glare sunlight.

In urban areas, vandalism is rife so ensure the machines and the display screens are anti-vandal; and that it is made from powerful material such as special anodized aluminium and special powder paint for outdoor use. An internal heating/ventilation system is essential to keep the PC at optimum running temperature and a water proof shell.

The bike kiosks can be stabilised and secured through bolts set into a purpose-set concrete base and a sophisticated locking mechanism.

So why not go for a leisurely bike ride with the partner and kids this summer with the help of a bike kiosk!

EyeClarity store in Melton, Australia

Many kiosks are installed in local hospitals and practices to aid healthcare professions check-in patients, take medical bill payments and provide wellbeing information.

Further touch screen units are deployed in retail outlets to provide consumers extra products to buy as well as way finding services.

But it seems that the features can be combined, after a touch screen kiosk was implemented in an optician store.

The “Myeyes” kiosk has been installed in the optometrist firm EyeClarity, in Melton, Melbourne, Australia. It won Business Review Weekly Australian Retailer of the Year 2011 Award for best use of technology.

The touch screen kiosks help the eye health care profession by allowing customers to choose eyewear to suit their lifestyle and budget without the need of a technical and further education (TAFE) dispenser to assist.

It can be complex when picking out eye wear especially in terms of finding glasses that look right on each individual’s face as well as choosing contact lenses that are suitable for the eyes. A touch screen can help when staffs are busy and sometimes people may be intimidated by the fact that vision and sight is a personal issue. By using the kiosk rather than a person, the consumer can find out which eye wear is right for them without the need to share personal details with a stranger.

The kiosk can provide all sorts of information on eye facts to aid consumers in looking after their eye sight and a payment feature would enable the eyewear to be bought there and then without the need for cheques or cash-transfers.

Many retail companies are reaping the benefits of touch screen technology; do the same in your business with Protouch.