A Business Needs a Touchscreen Kiosk
A touch screen kiosk allows interactivity through a specialized form of electronic display that reacts to touch or pressure of some sorts of physical objects placed on the display, like a finger, stylus or even a pen. While touch screen displays have been around for decades and can generally be found in public areas like airports, hospitals and restaurants, recent technological advances in the form of touch screen kiosks allow these facilities to offer more interactive experiences to their visitors. Touch screen kiosks can offer greater interactivity to end users since they allow for more manual dexterity, allowing users to manipulate menus, check out goods and services or manipulate other functions, like ordering from a cashier. Some kiosks also allow for video-based transactions.
In addition to improved manual dexterity, an interactive kiosk also offers more convenient. Rather than waiting for a cashier or a customer service agent to help you, with a touch screen kiosk you can actually do it yourself. And with many kiosks that are configured with digital functions these days it is even possible to conduct one-on-one transactions between a customer and a service representative. Interactive kiosks offer a convenient way to complete transactions while still allowing you to stay alert.
In order to operate this type of kiosk, however, you must first be familiar with the technology. Touch screen interactive kiosks use the same technology that you find in ATM’s and supermarket checkouts. There are two types of touch screen kiosks: analog and digital. An analog kiosk operates using a machine that displays an image as the touch screen is touched by a finger or stylus; digital kiosks, on the other hand, use a liquid crystal display or LCD panel as the image is touched. The LCD panel is divided into rows, from top to bottom, each displaying a different transaction.
The typical image you’ll find on a digital interactive kiosk is an application interface, such as ATM, web browsing, and check out options. This application interface is what a customer will see when they try to manipulate your system. There are two forms of interaction available: push response and touch start. This is basically how touch screen kiosks operate.
Multi-touch interactive touch kiosks provide your customers with even more options. The most common multi-touch digital kiosk includes a monitor, touch pad, a keyboard and mouse. While there are a variety of touch screen digital kiosk models to choose from, your best bet is to choose from at least three different models so that you have some sort of flexibility in terms of configuration. These kiosks can be specifically designed for your special needs or you can find a universal model that will work with any type of display monitor that has an eye sensor. Depending on your special needs, you may also want to consider a touch screen kiosk that has a built-in camera.
Touch screen kioskes are not only effective at eliminating paper costs, they can also lead to significant labor costs savings, especially if your touch screen kiosks are installed in high traffic areas, like retail stores, checkout lanes or entrance lobbies. These kiosks eliminate the need for human intervention and eliminate any errors that could result in a long wait time for a customer. While there are many touch screen kiosks on the market, you still need to compare prices, features and select the one that best fits your company’s needs. The best approach is to compare the cost per unit to the overall labor costs of installing the kiosk.
Saving money is one thing; saving resources is another. A properly installed touch screen kiosk is not only less expensive than traditional types of displays, it is also more resource efficient. Using touch screen technology to display digital signage is a highly resource consuming process. You will find that most kiosks require approximately 4 hours of technical labor to install. Since most touch screen kiosks have a direct connection to a database, the software that is used to manage and maintain the kiosk is also consumed by the touch screen kiosk.
Most touch screen kiosks will also connect to a secure computer or network, and will allow you to use a username and password system so that the public can access and use the kiosk. A proper operating system must be implemented on the system that runs on your computer or network in order to make sure that your interactive display screen does not crash or stop responding when there is a power outage. Your interactive display screen kiosk must also have an anti-spyware program and a virus protection program. By installing and using a touch screen kiosk, you will notice a significant reduction in labor costs and a greater efficiency in customer service.