How digital kiosks help to improve Customer Experience in retail

Organisations that can take advantage of kiosk and touchscreen technologies can expect to be seen as market-leaders in the eyes of their consumers, and their competition. But there is a caveat. The user experience provided by the kiosk must be smooth, highly responsive and improve the customer experience.

Locations such as airports and train stations have long used kiosk-based technology. Still, the first generation of these devices was often slow and subjected people to poor user experience. With today’s mobile processing power, and range of tablet devices, interactive kiosks and touchscreens have come a long way.

We’re in an age where tablet-based technology is a very realistic and efficient business solution. The ROI for utilising iPads and secure tablet kiosks is much higher now than a couple of years ago. Combine this with benefits like higher staff efficiency and increased customer satisfaction, doing things the old way doesn’t make sense anymore.

Benefits of Kiosks

Kiosks offer several benefits that improve the customer experience.

• Can be combined with needs-matching tools to match prospective customers to the best product for their needs
• Can place an entire wealth of information at the fingertips of staff and customers
• Can provide detailed information across a broad product range, helping to increase conversion and order value.

More in-depth product and user engagement

A kiosk places the full company and product information at the consumer’s fingertips. This enables them to explore and compare features and benefits, depending on their tastes and familiarity with the brand. Some may approach the kiosks with a product in mind and want to view specific detailed product information, while other customers may wish to browse and find products that best meet their needs.

Customised products and increased order value

Consumers can access a wide array of products, options and promotions via a kiosk, regardless of whether these are displayed on store signage. Consumers can view customisation options at their own pace. This encourages exploration and can lead to purchasing additional options and related products, increasing average revenue per order.

Improved in-store efficiency

Consumers are easily deterred from purchasing by having to wait for staff to become available. Intelligent, self-service kiosks tackle these issues. Convenient for customers, they improve efficiency and improve the customer experience.

Help staff answer questions

Offering a wealth of information, an interactive kiosk allows consumers to answer any questions they have about a product quickly. Besides, salespeople can use kiosks to support their own knowledge, when interacting with customers that have detailed questions. This leads to more knowledgeable answers and improved customer experience.

Why retail is an ideal use case

Intelligent kiosks enable retailers to create seamless, multi-channel customer experiences. Food companies use them to support online ordering and customisation. Retailers, like Argos, use kiosks as a way into their extensive product catalogue.

In a recent article, Bloomberg noted that sale orders placed via Taco Bell’s new app are generating 20% more revenue than those taken by human cashiers, primarily due to people selecting additional ingredients. In the same vein, McDonald’s recently expanded its ‘build-your-own burger’ touchscreen kiosk.

The uplift these brands have seen in sales partly results from customers being able to see and select from the entire menu, but also because restaurants now can promote add-ons, such as a new appetiser or seasonal drink.

Retailers are now able to deliver a much higher-value personal service through a digital platform. “The app’s biggest advantage is that it unlocks the entire menu”, says Tressie Lieberman, Director of Digital Experience at Taco Bell. The app interface displays not only add-ons but lesser-known items and sides that may get lost on restaurant menu boards - Bloomberg

The AEG Pilot

AEG’s consumer research found that consumers struggled to understand the differences across their range of products. This was compounded by store layouts and time restrictions of salespeople, who were busy working across multiple brands.

AEG saw an opportunity to help users make an informed product decision. With intelligent needs-matching, they would help their consumers understand whether the appliance they were looking at would meet their needs while simplifying the buying experience. They would provide the customer with interactive kiosks that contained relevant information about key product benefits, along with helpful content and video.

The kiosks asked consumers a short sequence of questions before providing intelligent recommendations. We ran a series of user tests with consumers of all generations, with all generations interested in using the technology, but at their own pace. The results were considerable. We saw a significant uplift in sales where kiosks were present, and the kiosks also provided AEG with a better insight into user needs.