News

Maintenance: Do-it-yourself or hire a pro?

November 2, 2005

Planning, purchasing and installing a kiosk program is a big task, and one that deserves some applause when done properly. But once the machine is turned on, the real work begins.

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The level of maintenance a kiosk requires depends largely on the machine's specific role. Photo kiosks require regular replenishment of supplies like paper and ink; ticketing kiosks need new ribbons; and any kiosk that accepts cash needs to have its cassettes emptied on a regular basis.

Companies will often try to pinch pennies by doing some or all of this work internally, but it often makes sense to rely on a professional service provider.

"The chief benefits to using a service provider are a reduction in the cost of maintaining and supporting your kiosk infrastructure, access to industry-certified professionals, single point of contact for full life-cycle support, and variable pricing and service options tailored to a specific service level," said Anne Coyle, director of new business development for technical support and maintenance provider Pitney Bowes Inc.

Coyle said companies usually save money by relying on a service provider, given the economies of scale of the service business. This includes everything from better prices on supplies to the infrastructure of the business itself.

"Handling maintenance yourself requires an extensive investment in building out a service infrastructure from call center, help desk, to a network of technical `feet on the street' who can respond quickly to your customer calls," she said.

Also, kiosk deployments can - and hopefully will - grow. A business might be able to handle its own maintenance today, but when the number of machines in service escalates, it might become a prohibitive task. It's best to have the service and maintenance infrastructure totally in place at the beginning of the project, rather than trying to shift direction mid-stream.

Making it easy on staff

In addition to cost savings, using a service provider saves employees time and frustration. Francie Mendelsohn, president of Summit Research Associates, said she once inspected a kiosk that needed paper replenishment - and found a job that called for a pro.

"I looked inside and thought, `I would find any other job to do - I'd rather clean a bathroom than try to thread the paper through this printer,'" she said. "There were no instructions."

Mendelsohn also stressed the need for research before choosing a service provider.

"You have to ask yourself, do they have a depot service so that if you need a new print head they (will) have it, or will they have to order it? What kind of background do the people have who are doing the work - do they fix tractors in the morning and replenish kiosks in the afternoon? The capabilities of these companies certainly vary. So it's important to do your homework - and be sure to check their references.

"I'm always surprised at the companies that say `we'll do it ourselves,'" Mendelsohn added. "If you want your kiosk to be a success, you're going to have to pay to make it so."

This article appeared in theRetail Kiosk & Self-Service Executive Summary, Fall 2005.