As businesses across the retail industry increasingly recognise the omni-channel approach to selling, self-service kiosks are more primed for use than ever before. With the capability to work alongside the digital, m-pos and traditional art of shopping in store, these electronic-point-of-sale tools can offer multiple functions, many of which can be combined into one kiosk.

Increased sales, queue busting, convenient service, cheaper running costs and an alternative to staff assistance are among the benefits that retailers are seeing following kiosk installations. So, what are the functions that deliver these benefits?

1. Payment
   A kiosk can handle cash, card and contactless payment methods. A coin and note acceptor with a change giver can manage cash payments, a secure chip and pin device takes care of card payments, while an RFID and/or NFC scanner can handle contactless payment. A printer can also be added for receipts along with a barcode scanner to scan the products. Payment kiosks are ideal for busy stores that would benefit from taking the pressure off of staff at till points to enable them to better assist customers, speed up service and lessen queues. If your store has products that aren’t held in store, payment kiosks are also a great way of paying for an item such as a sofa or TV, and receiving it later.
2. Browser & Look up
   Many retailers simply can’t fit their entire product range on the shop floor and so they use a kiosk to manage the over spill. An on screen product browser can showcase all products along with their availability. For example, if a customer can’t see what they want in store, they can use the kiosk to find the right product and see how many are in stock and at which stores they are located. This works particularly well for furniture stores that can’t put everything on display. At the same time, if a customer finds a product and wants to know more about it, such as price or a full description, they can look up the item via the kiosk. A barcode scanner will need to be integrated into the kiosk so that they can do this. Additionally retailers can add cross selling and up selling content on screen to keep the customer fully informed on products available and to highlight complementary products.
3.  Ordering & Reservations
   If a store doesn’t have a product in house, an order or reservation function on a kiosk will help a retailer to secure a sale, rather than have the customer leave unsatisfied. The kiosk can be used to locate the product and find out how many are in warehouse stock or when they are arriving back in store. The customer then simply needs to select their desired item, confirm their personal details and state whether they would like it delivered to their home or if they will collect it in store. An on screen or physical keyboard can be integrated into the kiosk to be used by the customer to enter their information, and a printer can be added to provide a copy of the order/reservation details.
4. Collection
   A manned product collection point can be easily replaced by a kiosk to speed up service levels and put staff where they are most effective. Customers looking to pick up their shopping are prompted to enter their required details through an on screen message that is then sent to the collection bay for processing and the item is shortly delivered by a member of staff. Collection kiosks are particularly useful for out door pick up locations or in store by warehouse/workshop areas where serving staff are more scare. A keyboard or barcode scanner will be most useful for receiving collection information.
5. Loyalty
   Customer loyalty kiosks are a convenient way to offer a high level of service to your best customers without neglecting other shoppers. They can either be used to encourage customers to sign up to store membership or to access membership rewards. Kiosk users can view all rewards available to them via the on screen display and additional kiosk peripherals can be added to streamline the experience. A card dispenser and keyboard, or a magnetic card reader can be integrated to manage membership cards at sign up or reward activity, and a printer can be used to provide reward vouchers.
6. Promotions
   Retailers with a variety of promotions or discounts on offer can advertise offers to shoppers on screen and distribute vouchers using a kiosk with an integrated printer. Stores could also use a kiosk with an NFC scanner as a beacon to recognise customers with NFC mobile devices and send promotional alerts to them.
7. Navigation
   Big stores with several departments can take advantage of a navigational kiosk to help shoppers find out what products you sell in store and how to find their way to them. Virtual, interactive maps can run on screen with a printer on hand to supply a hard copy map to the customer. This service adds to the customer’s experience and acts as an additional support to ensure a customer makes the purchase they were looking for.
8. Help point
   For further customer support around the store retailers can install help point kiosks. An integrated microphone, web cam, head phone or telephone can give customers direct access to staff when in need of assistance. First aid, a lost child or call for a staff member can be alerted to store management quickly and conveniently.
9. Photos
   With the rise of digital photography, in store photo development is becoming increasingly popular among larger stores. Customers can sync their camera or phone images to a kiosk, usually via usb, and print them on the spot or place an order for a later collection.
10. Appointments/Check-in
    If your store provides a service that requires customers to make an appointment or check-in, such as with an optician, healthcare or pharmacy facility, then a kiosk can conveniently look after customers in the first instance. A keyboard and printer will enable the customer to both submit and take away their appointment details, while a record is made for staff to view.

Once you have selected the right function/s for your retail kiosk, the final task is to make sure your customers use it. A few basic tips to make sure your kiosk is a success are:

• Put the kiosk in a relevant or high footfall area of the store, so customers can see it.
• Use the kiosk and its surroundings to promote the function of the kiosk. Additional signage, a second screen and messaging on the kiosk body can be made use of.
• Use the on screen display to tell the user what to do next. Don’t assume that all shoppers know exactly how it works.
• Get staff on board. Encourage staff to refer customers to the kiosks or to use the kiosks as part of their customer service technique.

Tesco is one of the latest retailers to actively engage with the provision of a multi-channel customer journey. Following a trial of transactional in-store kiosks for its F+F clothing range is Andrew Beale, head of multichannel and digital development for F&F Clothing at Tesco, said: “In a digital age, we need to make technology work for our customers. It didn’t make sense for customers to interrupt their shopping experience if they can’t find what they’re looking for in-store – having to search again for that item again online when they’re at home. The introduction of the in-store technology effectively brought together our online and in-store offering and allowed customers to make purchases instantly.”

Chief executive Eric Abensur of Venda the company powering the kiosks, added: “Kiosks provide a fantastic opportunity to the consumer and retailer alike. From a consumer standpoint, customers are able to enter the store with confidence that they will be able to make the purchases they want without the fear of items not being in stock. At the same time, kiosks help the retailer to secure additional return from in-store footfall and ensure that the consumer does not leave the store empty handed.”

It’s reported that 88% of retailers with annual revenue over $1 billion cite “improving the customer experience” as one of their top three uses of in-store technology, according to a survey by RSR on The 21st Century Store: The Search for Relevance in June 2011. EPoS kiosks are just one part of today’s omni-channel retailing offer used to achieve this improvement. They work alongside mobile apps, digital signage, websites and social media to create a seamless experience-led approach to shopping. Meanwhile the customer, as they should, reaps the rewards that include: easy access to information, faster response to shopper queries, the ability to locate products quickly and quick and easy checkout.

Self service kiosks can be a part of your EPoS system. Click here for a quote.