5 Pros And 3 Cons Of Using Self-Service Kiosks For Your Business

The advent of technology is not halting anytime soon. If anything, it's increasing in momentum and speed, delivering more shortcuts and convenience to consumers and users. One successful and effective technological invention today that many industries and businesses are looking to transition to is self-service kiosks.

While you can already find them in restaurants and automotive dealerships, more industries are looking to develop self-service kiosk technology for daily operations. This is an understandable phenomenon considering the numerous benefits it offers. However, as an entrepreneur, it's wiser to check both sides of this technology before completely delving into such an investment. 

Having said that, here are the advantages and disadvantages of using self-service kiosks for your business.

The Pros:

1. Improved Customer Experience

One of the ultimate perks of using self-service kiosks is that they offer information to consumers without having to depend on and disturb staff and employees. This is perfect for customers who prefer to read everything on the screen than deal with the business' employees face to face. This is the best support technology that tech-savvy people would like to take advantage of. And having said that, this will enhance customer experience.  

With such benefits, businesses are now investing in such technology to boost customer experience. For instance, car dealership businesses are now investing in and using an automotive service kiosk for their business as customers often enjoy a smooth experience through self-service kiosks. Customers can easily check in at these kiosks, reduce wait times, and enter the sales funnel before interacting with a sales representative. Not only will this free up a lot of their time, but they can finish the routine with no frills and hassles in between. For busy people, time is gold, and waiting in long queues will never appeal to them. Fortunately, self-service kiosks offer round-the-clock self-service, which is very convenient.  

2. Optimal Employee Performance  

For trivial but crucial tasks requiring error-free and accurate outputs, the self-service kiosks can do better than your employees' manual labor. Their systems can retain efficiency, consistency, and accuracy at all times, which might not be entirely possible if you let employees handle such tasks.

The repetitive tasks of guiding customers through menus and processing orders can be performed by self-ordering kiosks. This will save up more crucial tasks for employees instead. For instance, they will be the ones to do the filing of reports, engage and build customer relationships, and so on. Whatever industry you're in, self-service kiosks free up employee tasks so they can focus more on what matters for your bottom line. 

3. Data Collection  

Another advantage of self-service kiosks is the data collection part. No matter your business, these kiosks are the primary tools for customers to input their information and data. You can grow your leads, create funnels, and even convert them to sales later.  

Visitors can be contacted further in the sales funnel through their personal information. And the best part of this is that you don't have to make an effort to collect their data, as they willingly input whatever information they're willing to share.

Salespeople can use the data on these kiosks regarding their personal preferences, budgets, and timeframes for purchasing. Also, some kiosks allow integrations with other software and social media platforms. Users can automatically connect to their profiles through your kiosk. This is another winning factor for such a business strategy.

4. Boosts Sales

It's not surprising that kiosks allowing self-ordering can drive sales. There are several sales strategies that these kiosks can perform. For instance, it can do upselling. Self-ordering kiosks make automatic upselling efforts by showing all available and relevant add-ons or menu options for each selected item. Hence, customers are more likely to increase their purchases.  

Another sale strategy it uses is evoking emotions in human beings. This new technology entices people and makes them feel excited while swiping and servicing themselves. By moving fingers on touchscreens, the kiosks can create unique and enjoyable experiences aligned with playful and emotional elements.

When customers are happy and content with their experience, they are more likely to create a purchase. By eliminating the need for human interaction, self-ordering gives customers a feeling of privacy and more control. By feeling independent, they will feel more responsible for their actions and decide the purchase on their own.     

5. Giving More Control To Customers  

Self-service kiosks eliminate the need to wait in the long line so cashiers and service staff can assist you. With customers' preferences shifting toward speed and convenience, more restaurants are investing in technology that meets these needs. The restaurant businesses that set up self-service kiosks in their establishment will see an increase in their pool of customers as these people prefer more control over what they want to order. 

Unlike repeating their orders to the cashier, they can do the order themselves and ensure there won't be misunderstandings and order errors. People naturally love intuitive and tech-friendly devices, and self-service kiosks often feel safer than human interaction, especially in recent years. Giving customers control over their ordering process empowers them to patronize your business over your competitors. 

The Cons:

1. Hefty Upfront Cost

The up-front costs of investing in new technology are often the biggest concern for businesses. This can be considered a downside for those with a limited budget in technology investments. Restaurant owners and car dealerships will have to compute their return on investment before fully committing to this technology. 

It's crucial to consider all the elements included in these self-service kiosks. You also need to use electricity, scanners, and printers, and all of these tools require initial costs. The key is to create a financial breakdown of this investment to check if it's something your business can afford.

2. Possibility Of Theft   

Retailers using self-checkouts are concerned about this issue. These kiosks can be displayed outside of your business, which means they can easily get stolen in the absence of security measures. If your city is not entirely safe, thieves may steal or damage these kiosks.  

If you have self-checkout kiosks, another concern is when customers don't honestly scan items when checking out by themselves. This can lead to huge losses, especially when these unfortunate incidents frequently happen.

3. Dysfunctional Equipment

Another downside of self-service kiosks is their dysfunctional features. Such equipment could become dysfunctional, making customers agitated. In this case, employees need to step up and complete transactions. This means the process becomes longer and requires double effort. Having a frustrating self-checkout experience can negate the benefits of self-checkout. 

Conclusion

Maintaining your competitive edge requires adding value for your customers. And this can be made possible when you invest in self-service kiosks. However, to be sure it will be a significant financial investment, consider all the pros and cons of self-checkout before adopting it. A self-serve kiosk will likely be more popular with a younger demographic if you offer a fast-casual experience.