IKEA kiosk by Protouch.

More and more business are moving into the self service industry to reduce staff costs, expand their revenue and improve their customer service. They may set companies back a little bit of money when it comes to the manufacturing and deployment, but once this has been organised and the budgets have been set, kiosk systems are sure to improve the way your business is run.

To give you an idea of why kiosk deployment is successful, here are a few tips in how to go about deploying the kiosk and what you need to do to ensure that it is successful.

When deploying a kiosk it should cover these seven steps to ensure it is a successful business move.

Engage

The first stage is to grab the customers attention. Use digital signage, kiosk enclosures, banners and staff to help promote the kiosk. Large screens in stores directly grab the customers attention and engage passengers to look to see what services or products they are offering. Make sure the kiosk cover is designed to your branding and stands out in store. Don’t just put it in the corner, make sure it is in a prime postion for everyone to see.

Inform

Consumers will only be interested in information if it is to the point, clear and concise. Reams of writing and no illustration will instantly deter them away from your kiosk. A kiosk is meant to speed things up so make sure that you get to the point so customers can get on with their day and feel happy with the customer service they have received.

Xen X5 kiosk from Protouch for Kiddicare stores.

Interact

Interact with your customer throughout the process. Make sure that they can follow a step by step guide and don’t feel stuck along the way. It is highly important that you make sure the whole process is simple and that your customers feel engaged with the whole process and not left to feel confused by how the system works.

Transact

If your kiosk allows customers to purchase products and services, then a good technique is to provide related services and products that they may be interested in when it comes to purchasing their items. This is a great way of selling without harassing the customer.

Fulfill

The fulfillment of the order needs to quick and precise. Don’t leave the customer hanging around for their receipt. They have made their purchase and wish to leave as soon as possible. Once the transaction is processed don’t make them click through thousands of pages to sign off. The quicker the service is the more likely they are to use it again.

Maintain

Don’t just leave your kiosk to rot away. Make sure you update it regularly and keep it in tip top shape. Add additional products and services and make sure that it is always running smoothly and keep the software updated.

Customers

The customer knows best so make sure that you listen to their feed back about the kiosk and whether you need to make changes to suit their needs and requirements. They are are the end user at the end of the day so you need to make sure it is directed to the type of information and services they want.

As soon as a customer enters your store the first thing they should expect to see is a kiosk system, which stands out, is inviting to use and can offer them additional services, valued customer service and a solution to their problem.

You need to make sure that your customer’s first impression of your kiosk is a good one and that they would happily come back and use it again.

Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates, a kiosk consulting firm, said, “If the software isn’t easy to use,  I don’t care how gorgeous a kiosk is, (the kiosk) will ultimately prove to be a failure,” she said.

Many businesses tend to drag whatever is on their website and place it all on the kiosk failing to conduct usability tests which can result in the kiosk system failing.

Here are a few common problems that happens when it comes to the deployment of kiosks.

Too complex

Easy to use system which customer's can easily navigate around.

Some kiosk systems can be very overwhelming, particularly for first-time users. It is so important to make the kiosk as easy and simple to use as possible.

Make sure you receive user feedback when developing your kiosk, involving them in all stages. The worst thing you can do is leave customer feedback till the very end as the whole idea and kiosk system may not be in favour or the users and you will have to go back to the drawing board.

Non consistent

Kiddicare Kiosk by Protouch. Consistant design both on and off screen.

Many kiosk deployers like to have lots of colour, various screens and font sizes to add variety to the kiosk.

This is a bad move.

“Don’t completely change mid-stream what you want the user to do,” Mendelsohn said.

If you have a ‘next’ button make sure you keep it consistent and in the same place throughout so customers become familiar with the system.

With sound or without sound

Sometimes you need sound in busy retail enviroments so the customer knows what's going on and what to do next.

If you work in a busy environment where there is a lot of sound then a kiosk with sound isn’t going to be too much of a problem. However, if you work in a quiet environment, the sound of a kiosk system can be annoying for staff and embarrassing to customer’s using it.

Sound is good in small doses, maybe a little ping here and there which can increase a kiosks usability.

Some users need to be walked through the process and sound can help them do this quicker by directing them to the next step and what will happen next.

“From a user interface standpoint, having the ability to put clicks and beeps or some other type of mechanism to validate that, yes, you have touched the button and it’s going to move onto the next activity can be very helpful,” said BobVentresca, Vice President of marketing for kiosk and digital signage provider Netkey Inc.

Website as your interface

This KFC kiosk allows customers to order their food which will then be sent to the kitchen to be made.

Many people start off a kiosk by putting their website as the main page, when in reality a kiosk and a website are two very different things.

“Time and time again we have learned and our customers have learned through experience that that is not the way to do business,” Ventresca said. “That is not to say you don’t leverage your website and leverage the content and information that is on your website.”

A website is designed for people who have time to browse while a kiosk system is deployed in a retail and often very busy environment with the primary aim of allowing customer’s to quickly find product information or services that they require.

“With the advent of things like the Web services, you can still use all of the assets you have developed for your website – it just needs to be displayed in a different way, one that is most appropriate for an interactive, self service environment,” said Ventresca.

New technology can be an exciting and innovative new addition to your business if deployed in  the correct manner. It is important to consider your customer throughout the whole process and ensure that the system you are developing will suit the end users needs and requirements.

Protouch are proud to announce the merge with and Data Vision Europe (DVE), a leading supplier of hardware and software for public access digital media. The combined business will operate from Protouch’s existing modern manufacturing facility in Camberley, Surrey and use the Protouch brand.

All of the key employees of DVE will relocate to the new location and join the rapidly expanding sales, marketing and technical teams at Protouch. The merger is expected to be completed during July 2010.

 The merger will combine DVE’s cutting edge software services and product design capability; including its acclaimed “Gorilla Media” software and the extensive experience in multi location roll outs of public facing  IT solutions  for global brands such as McDonalds, BT and Virgin with the high volume hardware manufacturing, design, sales and marketing capability of Protouch .

Protouch feel that DVE have entirely complementary skills which when combined will be undoubtably provide the most comprehensive range of solutions for public access software, interactive terminals, kiosks and digital media.

Protouch’s Managing Director Tom Quarry says, “DVE’s capability fits seamlessly with Protouch’s existing multi functional kiosk approach. It’s vital that both our hardware and software services meet with our clients’ needs to deploy a wide range of public access kiosk applications across all industries.

“We’re confident that with the addition of Mike Kellond and his team plus the tools available within Gorilla Media we will greatly improve our offering to give our clients cost effective, customised, touch screen solutions.“

 Mike Kellond, DVE founder and 15 year industry veteran, will assume responsibility for the software services activity at Protouch. Gorilla Media, developed by DVE, is a multi functional software package providing remote monitoring and management, secure and locked down browsing for public access, broadcast advertising management and scheduling, payment and ticketing options.

Gorilla Media has been tested and approved by a number of major corporations including BT and several major banks. Mike will drive the integration of Gorilla Media in to the Protouch product offering and be responsible for the strategic evolution of all software services at Protouch going forward. He expressed his delight with the merger with Protouch “I see this as a major opportunity for DVE and our customers. The relative strengths and weaknesses of the two companies are a perfect match and the combined company will be capable of providing forward looking improved service to its customers “.