News

Kick your business to the curb

October 26, 2004

In today's fast-paced world, no one wants to waste a minute. And with kiosks, customers don't have to waste any time at all, even while fueling up.

The average person spends four minutes waiting to fill up the gas tank. What if - instead of wasting those four minutes - customers could order lunch, watch a commercial or build rewards with a loyalty card? They can, with pay-at-the-pump kiosks.

Outdoor kiosks can entice customers into a store in several ways, notes Peter Kaszycki, president of Georgia-based kiosk manufacturer Pro-Tech. Customers at the gas pump, for example, are exposed to daily in-store specials. By timing kiosk content, stores with made-to-order sandwich shops can highlight timely breakfast and lunch specials. Customers use the kiosks to pre-order and pay for meals. Many stores offer to-the-car delivery service. Although the customer remains outside, the store profits from the additional food sales.

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Printing coupons at the kiosk encourages customers to go into the store, especially when the coupons reflect customers' past buying habits. Someone who frequently buys a certain brand of soft drink would likely make a trip inside to save 50 cents. Loyalty cards inserted into the kiosk can track customer purchases and post automatic rewards, replacing tiny punch cards found in many wallets.

Cooperative loyalty

Pro-Tech's Q-Bux Marketing Kiosk System is designed to promote customer loyalty. The kiosks are used in neighborhoods and communities for loading store specials and coupons from a variety of stores onto one card.

The Q-Bux card eliminates the need for shoppers to carry paper coupons, punch cards and key tags from numerous stores. The reciprocal arrangement among retailers drives traffic into all the stores. Advertising is in real time and is easily changed in reaction to customer demand and market trends.

Outdoor considerations

Outdoor kiosks are as fully functional as their indoor counterparts; however, they are built to be much tougher. "When you move outdoors, kiosks have to change and change dramatically," said Kaszycki.

Outdoor kiosks must be sealed against the elements and controlled for heat and cold; the screens must be highly robust to withstand vandalism.

Kaszycki recommends using one half-inch of safety glass in conjunction with projected capacitive touch screen technology. Users should be able to navigate the touch screen using bare or gloved hands. Electronic photo "eyes" on kiosks adjust screen brightness for daytime and nighttime use.