Businesses are moving towards kiosks to provide an improved service
The Covid pandemic has pushed many industries to embrace the use of self-service kiosks. To comply with social distancing rules and advice, many businesses needed to introduce an automated option. Limiting human interactions is one of the WHO’s key pieces of advice for stopping Covid.
In a business sense, these kiosks can help to cut down long queues, improve privacy and provide a faster service. Hospitality Technology found that 61% of people cited faster service and 59% noted shorter lines when using a self-service kiosk.
The kiosk industry itself is projected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 7.1% from 2022 to 2030. As the industry grows manufacturers are pushing the technology to fulfil a variety of services. In recent years we’ve seen wayfinding kiosks and advertisement displays popping up. The most recent development is the temperature kiosk. LamasaTech pioneered this technology to help stop the spread of diseases like Covid and have played a significant role in re-opening many businesses.
Keep reading to find out the different types of kiosks that can help your business improve its service delivery.
Jump to:
1. Temperature Kiosk
2. Self-Service Kiosks
3. Information Kiosks
4. Internet Kiosks
5. Advertisement Standing Displays
6. Wayfinding Kiosks
The Right Kiosk For You
1. Temperature Kiosk
With work-from-home orders lifted and your office returning to full capacity, you and your employees may be concerned about the spread of Covid. This is where temperature kiosks come in. A temperature kiosk will scan the user with its infrared camera and record their temperature. If the user provides a high temperature, the kiosk will alert them. Some temperature scanners can be linked to the door access allowing you to block entry to anyone who gives a high reading. The WHO recommends that temperature screening should be part of the package of measures to prevent and control COVID-19 at the workplace. Preventing potentially infected people from entering your workspace adds an extra layer of protection from the disease. It can also go some way to reassuring your staff that you have created a safe working environment to return to.
Another feature of some temperature kiosks is the ability to validate the vaccination status of your employees and visitors. LamasaTech temperature kiosks do this by asking the user to present their vaccine pass as they sign into the building on the device. Contact us today about your visitor and employee sign-in project and we’ll help you implement a modern check-in solution.
Most industries and businesses would find temperature kiosks useful but some specific examples would be:
- Schools
- Offices
- Business Complex
- Healthcare
2. Self-Service Kiosks
A self-service kiosk is a device that allows the user to directly interact with a company without the need to wait for an employee. They can be utilised in a variety of places but common examples include buying tickets at a train station or restaurants offering a quick payment system. The intention is to speed the payment process up and reduce queue sizes. The NCR Corporation found that retailers offering self-service options saw a 40% decrease in customer wait times.
To use a self-service kiosk, you simply approach the screen, touch the available option you want to select and then complete the payment process.
Another common use for self-service kiosks is as a sign-in device. Having one installed in your office, for example, would let your staff sign in for the day using an employee card. A sign-in kiosk, such as the LamasaTech Zentron 15, will have an RFID scanner to read your employee’s card or fob. The Zentron 15 also has a QR code reader that visitors could use if they were sent a sign-in badge pre-arrival. This helps you speed up this process and save your admin team hours in data management.
In the healthcare industry self-service kiosks are used as a way of checking in for an appointment. A big benefit here is that a kiosk reduces the need for face-to-face interactions. In a healthcare environment, Covid is a significant threat so limiting social interactions will help to reduce the spread of the disease.
Talk with our expert team today and they’ll help you find the best solution for your organisation.
3. Information Kiosks
As the name suggests, an information kiosk is a device that provides the user with information. The key is that this information is clear and digestible for your users. Although the information should be easy to understand it should also be detailed enough to not require an advisor.
When deciding on an information kiosk the main question you’ll need to answer is if you need interactivity. An interactive screen lets your users navigate different pages to find a range of information. A non-interactive kiosk will just display the information you have set. Tourist information points may utilise an interactive kiosk allowing the user to choose the type of information to be shown, for example, nearby restaurants or activities. While a healthcare centre could utilise a non-interactive information kiosk by having important information about the practice listed on the screen.
Get in touch today and our team will help you find the perfect information kiosk for your requirements.
In line with the trend for the entire industry, the interactive kiosk market specifically is set to see considerable growth. Global sales are set to double between 2021 and 2028 according to Statista. Information kiosks, in particular interactive ones, are definitely a type of kiosk you should know about in 2024, as owning one could soon be a requirement for all successful businesses.
4. Internet Kiosks
Often found in public waiting areas or the reception of hotels, these kiosks provide the user with access to the internet. For a fee, the user will be able to browse the web for a set period at one of these terminals. Once that time has expired the system will lock and the user will need to deposit an additional fee to continue to have access.
Due to the nature of being connected to the internet, these types of kiosks do have the threat of cyber-attacks and hackers. It is important to ensure that your internet kiosks have some form of antispyware and antivirus protection installed. These will alert you to any attempts to hack your system or steal personal user information.
With the kiosk having access to the internet, it can send updates on software or hardware issues it has detected. Maintenance is easily managed because the kiosk will notify the designated technician when there is a problem.
5. Advertisement Standing Displays
Sometimes referred to as advertising kiosks or totems, these standing displays are a way of presenting your digital signage. Advertisement displays are versatile in where they can be placed, from outside on the street or inside a shopping centre. By using a digital signage system, you can create advertisement content and schedule what appears on your display. If you are looking to promote a new product you can show that off on a display inside your store to draw more customers to that product. While a totem outside your store could display an offer you have to help attract more customers into the store.
You can get 14 days of our digital signage platform free today – just click here!
A recent development with advertisement displays is the integration with mobile technology. Mobile internet traffic accounts for almost 55 per cent of total web traffic. Taking advantage of this will give digital advertisers a greater chance to engage with their audience. When designing your digital ads for your standing display you should look to incorporate a way of targeting mobile users. The best way to do this would be to include a QR code. Customers scanning this with their phone would be taken to the product page for the item the display was showing. They could then purchase that item there and then without having to even enter your store or search for your website.
6. Wayfinding Kiosks
The purpose of a wayfinding kiosk is to help the user locate where they are and find how to get to their desired location. This could be done by showing a simple 2D map highlighting the current location. In this modelling system, different floors are represented by individual colours. A more advanced option and the most common choice is 2.5D. This presents the map from a bird’s eye view while providing more depth to the image. 2.5D can give a clearer image of the location and better represents the difference in floors.
Common places to find a wayfinding kiosk include large shopping centres where your customers are looking for a specific shop and can use the wayfinding kiosk to get directions. Airports are also usually home to these types of kiosks as less frequent flyers will struggle to navigate the airport on their own.
Large workspaces are also using wayfinding kiosks to help employees and visitors find where they need to be.
We’d love to hear about your wayfinding kiosk project, contact us today and our team will offer you expert guidance.
In buildings with multiple businesses operating, a wayfinding kiosk can direct your employee or visitor straight to the right office without them having to wait at reception.
Wayfinding kiosks can be a useful tool in keeping your customers around, particularly in a retail setting. 80% of customers prefer to receive assistance in navigating to an item using either their mobile device or a kiosk.
The right kiosk for you
In 2024
the kiosk industry is only going to keep developing. Automating services is now expected from customers and employees. They want you to reduce waiting times and speed up the check-in and payment processes. Each of the kiosks mentioned above can assist in achieving these goals. From guiding your customers to where they want to be, to attracting them in with eye-catching adverts outside.
Kiosks don’t just provide a quick way of delivering information but also offer health protection. Covid is still a threat to public health and social distancing is one of the main tools in combating its spread. All of these kiosks help to limit face-to-face interactions and in the case of the temperature kiosk, actively looks to prevent infected people from entering your building.
Here at LamasaTech, we know our kiosks. If you are interested in finding out more about using kiosks, don’t wait to get in touch. We are here to help.
