Welcome back to our series on interactive kiosks. In our last article, we talked about why you should seriously consider incorporating these versatile tools in your place of business – ways you can use them to boost customer experience and save money. But what do interactive kiosks really do?

In this article, we will discuss how kiosks work. Essentially, an interactive kiosk is a computer system that uses customized software or web-based applications to serve specific customer service needs. Typically, all the public sees is a touch-enabled display screen or perhaps a screen and separate keypad. If you’re new to kiosks, check out this article for an explanation of each component and how they work together.  

Kiosks can be designed to stand on their own – within a store or lobby or mall – or they can be seamlessly integrated into multi-component merchandise or information displays. They can become permanent fixtures, fill a temporary need, or serve as mobile units you move from one location to another. They can be custom-built with virtually any type of housing, so they can provide round-the-clock branding along with their usability features.  

When you check in electronically for your flight at the airport or use an ATM, you’re using an interactive kiosk. The reason they are so popular with so many different types of businesses is their amazing adaptability.

What can interactive kiosks do?

They can display information that educates customers, or advertises products or services. Users can leaf through your brochure, watch a short video demonstrating how a product works, check prices, order lunch, compare cell phone service plan options, pay their electric bill, or see what their home or bedroom would look like if they chose that particular shade of blue paint.

Kiosks can take the place of a sales person, allowing customers to access information or complete transactions on their own. That can also make your salespeople more effective, by allowing them to devote more one-on-one time to customers who don’t want to assist themselves or need more complex help.

If long lines or wait times tend to be a problem at your business, you can strategically place interactive kiosks where waiting customers or patients can select short videos or other entertainment to make their wait go faster. Or they can serve themselves to pay a bill, make a reservation, or finalize a purchase – avoiding a wait altogether.

Installing a kiosk is a one-time investment (plus maintenance and perhaps the occasional upgrade, of course), but it will continue to return value for a long time, delivering excellent ROI.

You can install interactive kiosks virtually anywhere your customers or patients or clients or the general public are working, shopping, studying, waiting, or moving from one place to another. Many kiosks can be remotely operated and even maintained, further increasing their cost-effectiveness and versatility.

In our next article in this series, we’ll examine how you can use interactive kiosks to boost wireless sales. 

Palmer Retail Solutions strives to offer our clients the absolute best combination of innovation, quality, service, and value for our diversified custom store fixtures and merchandising displays. For more information about our designs, retail fixtures, cash wraps, kiosks, or point of purchase displays, visit our website at: http://www.palmerretailsolutions.com.