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Four keys to kiosk success

NCR's Mike Inderrieden explores four crucial kiosk success factors that can improve efficiencies, lower labor costs, boost customer experiences and enhance brand reputation.

May 14, 2006

Mike Inderrieden

Today's travelers demand more. They want faster service, better information and greater control. In response, businesses are turning to technology to gain an edge by not only meeting consumers' needs, but by striving to exceed their expectations.

As a result, self-service kiosks are increasingly moving onto the travel scene. In fact, you will likely see more airlines offering self check-in kiosks than not. But before your kiosk solution can soar, you must move beyond "plug and play," or simply putting an application on kiosk hardware. By employing four crucial kiosk success factors -Utility, Visibility, Recognition and Usability - you can improve efficiencies, lower labor costs, boost customer experiences and enhance brand reputation.

Utility

A self-service kiosk must serve a purpose and be viewed as the best way to complete a task. Pressed for time, a traveler can find great value and utility in a self check-in kiosk that alleviates the wait of a 10-customer queue.

To determine what a kiosk should do, you must be able to define your own objectives, as well as those of consumers. When you are able to meet your business and consumer needs, the likelihood that the technology will be used increases - and the business reaps the reward.

To identify what functions will have the highest benefit, analyses can be conducted that produce honest and useful feedback. Recommended techniques include business discovery, time studies, focus groups or customer intercept surveys.

Visibility

In addition to being useful, a kiosk must be visible to consumers. In the hustle and bustle of an airport or hotel lobby, a kiosk must work hard to attract the attention of travelers.

First, a kiosk must be identifiable. Strategically placed, attention-grabbing signs around the kiosk can flag its presence, and communicate purpose and value. The screen itself may be used to capture consumers' attention with bright colors and moving graphics. The use of audio or music can also attract attention. Use caution, however, when adding excessive effects. Music, for example, may entice users in an airport concourse, but prove disruptive in an upscale hotel lobby.

Consumers must also be drawn to the kiosk. It should stand out from its surroundings, and be strategically placed near entrances and transactional areas. If the kiosk offers an alternative to assisted-service, like receiving a boarding pass, it should be placed where consumers are familiar with the transaction. For example, a kiosk used for airline check-in should be located near the front desk, and visible to those waiting in line.

Recognition

The third and often forgotten factor for successful kiosk implementation is recognition. Users must not only see the kiosk, but identify it as a tool to meet their needs.

How can you address this challenge? Your goal should be to ensure that the kiosk provides the right function available in the right place at the right time. Use creativity to produce recognition and overcome a kiosk's lack of ubiquity. Find ways for consumers to associate the kiosks with a function they value. And, encourage sales personnel, attendants and receptionists to introduce the kiosk to customers and help them become more familiar with the device.

Usability

If your customer has noticed the kiosk, recognized its benefit and decided to give it a go, you've won half the battle. But a kiosk must be usable in order to win a consumer's loyalty and ensure that they will visit the kiosk again. Usability is especially vital in a travel or hospitality atmosphere where such a high level of accessibility and service is demanded.

Usability encompasses navigation, layout, feedback and content. A consumer must be able to move easily through the application to complete their task or they may become frustrated and abandon the experience. In addition, consistent screen layouts are needed to ensure that users know what to do on a step-by-step basis. Visual and auditory effects are also important because they compensate for a touchscreen's lack of tactile feedback. Finally, content should include logical categorization of items, consistent wording and clear descriptions.

Hotel guests and weary travelers don't just want fast and easy service - they demand it. By employing these success factors, you can move from "plug and play" to a solution that truly meets the needs of your business and consumers. With successful implementation, the small footprint of a kiosk solution can provide the convenience and control you need to gain consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Has your kiosk solution taken flight?