Why is Self-Service Spreading?
Posted by Jan Nash on Fri, Nov 12, 2010 @ 03:13 PM
Offering great self-service options is significantly more important to building customer loyalty than “live service” for such reasons as it’s often quicker and gives customers more “control.” That’s the conclusion of a study by Harvard Business Review and Corporate Executive Board, RetailWire.com reports.
Whether you buy that or not, it’s apparent that consumers’ use of self-service technologies in retail is growing, says an article in SelfServiceWorld.com, referring to a recent IBM-sponsored report.
Retailers generally rely on kiosks as their primary self-service technology. Previously, we’ve blogged about top ways retailers use self-service kiosks to increase revenue, streamline store processes, reduce labor costs, and reduce paper costs. These ROI-boosters include endless aisle applications, deli ordering, employee self-service and loyalty card programs. Read more.
You can further increase the success of your kiosk deployment by offering multiple applications on the same kiosk. For instance, a deli-ordering kiosk could also offer recipes, nutritional information, loyalty coupons, price checking and wine pairing all on the same device.
In fact, the SelfServiceWorld article quotes Bill Phelps, a Zebra business development manager, as he points to an example of how the Metro Grocery chain in Canada offers a recipe-printing kiosk that also shows videos of recipe preparation. “They’ve actually filmed people cooking those recipes, so as you are walking by you can actually see someone making a recipe, and that leads you to go over and print out that recipe and try it yourself.” Read the article.
If you’re curious about other ways self-service kiosks can increase both customer convenience and same-store results, check out this recorded webinar produced by RIS News.
Discover more about kiosks and kiosk printing, including white papers on how kiosks can boost sales and improve operational efficiency, here.