A kiosk describes a stationary, compact, interactive kiosk used for advertising purposes in high-volume areas. Kiosks aren’t always staffed by humans; sometimes, they’re computer-controlled, offering customers a hands-on-service style experience. kiosks can be found in a variety of places, including post offices, restaurants, airports, retail stores and banks. The following are some types of kiosks:
Self-service kiosks can be found in airports. They are used by passengers waiting to check in or receive service before a flight. These kiosks offer basic services, such as measuring height and weight, but aren’t equipped to perform more complicated tasks, such as billing medical insurance or issuing a driver’s license. The lack of a live person to interact with customers can cause problems, especially in an airport environment where there may be a long wait.
kiosks located at restaurants are intended to improve the customer experience. Kiosks in restaurants can provide information about available menus, track customers who eat certain foods and provide other statistics, such as calories burned or how many items were purchased. kiosks at restaurants also typically feature coupons and promotional offers, which save time for customers who can simply show a printed coupon to get a discount on the purchase.
Photo kiosks are popular at theme parks and other amusement parks. They generally function as a place where a patron can take a picture of their favorite attraction, usually with a digital camera supplied by the park. Once the picture is taken, it can then be scanned into a display system, which identifies and displays the image on screen. Many photo kiosks are accompanied with an audio narrator that provides park information and encourages people to move from their current spot to another in order to take another picture.
Kiosks in airports offer similar benefits. Almost every airport offers one or more interactive kiosks. These serve the same basic purpose as any photo kiosk: providing information about available flights and helpful tips for using the services. Some have a video kiosk and others include LCD or LED screens, which provide detailed airport information. However, most airports have at least one photo kiosk, as well as an interactive kiosk.
Kiosks may also provide an improved customer base, as more people are able to access them. Kiosks provide quick access to the store, allowing shoppers to make purchases without leaving their seats. Self-service kiosks may not always offer a high density of customers, but those that do tend to offer a more tailored experience to individual needs. Self-service kiosks also tend to generate extra revenue from the beverage and food concession stands located inside, since customers are able to spend time learning about a product or service while they wait for something to be purchased.
The location of the kiosk is critical to its success. If the kiosk location is near a major shopping center or other high-trafficked area, it will not only slow down customer acquisition, but can also have the opposite effect, generating more traffic to the kiosk. On the other hand, a kiosk at a busy bus terminal or other low-trafficked area will likely see a higher number of customers. It all depends on how much the kiosk is promoted and managed.
Of course, there are many factors involved with the success of any kiosk. Different types of kiosks work best in different settings. For example, a photo kiosk is great for a bank or library location, where the booth has the chance to catch the attention of passersby. Self-serve kiosks, such as those that are often used by restaurants and other food courts are often used with the intention of generating more foot traffic to increase sales. But no matter what type of kiosk is decided on, it is important to plan ahead so the kiosk can be setup quickly and effectively.