Yes, Virginia, There Really Can Be A Strategic Kiosk Strategy
Written by Evan SchumanOctober 9th, 2008
If you’re going to be in New York City on Wednesday (Oct. 15), you might want to drop by the StorefrontBacktalk panel on strategic kiosk use (yes, there is such a thing) at the Javits Center during the KioskCom/Self-Service Expo show.
We’re going to start things off by examining Home Depot’s kiosk approaches and concerns (one of our panelists has been working on it for months) and then debate the security risks of kiosks, the difficulties of POS (and back-office) integration and—for laughs—talk about some of the more futuristic robotic kiosks in the wings. It’s from 3:15 to 4:15 PM and we’d love to have you join us. Someone needs to ask probing questions. If you don’t, I’ll have to, and what fun would that be?
-Dan Stiel
October 9th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
Personally, I avoid kiosks.
I don’t want to spend the time learning some software and hardware that I rarely use (different ones at every store) when a low wage human who uses the scanners and registers every day can quickly whisk me through. And it keeps them employed. Win-Win.
I’ve been through the local Ikea, as well as HomeDepot and other places with these things, and the lines are usually just as long, as everyone stares at the contraption trying to figure it out. Really, until designers and engineers use real people (no repeat users) to design these things, it will not be a huge hit. Certainly a few check-out clerks would be cheaper than all that equipment, and having to have people there to assist anyway? Of course they can’t amortize the employees, and the customers will get used to being annoyed.
FWIW,
Rob