Today’s consumer wants to easily scroll through their options, personalize their specifications, input their orders and pay for their items, all with a few presses of a button. Whether in a store or restaurant, touch-enabled, digital kiosks are a great way to provide consumers with this kind of streamlined, tech-driven experience.
While digital kiosks provide business owners with a great way to optimize operational efficiency, boost sales and streamline the ordering process, they can also deliver increased customer loyalty. Generally, consumers are happy to use any technology — especially new technology — for the sake of experience, convenience, accuracy and customization. Self-serve kiosks fit the bill on all of the above.
Meet the customer where they are
Since consumers are already interacting with the interface, digital kiosks are the perfect way for retailers and restaurant owners to serve up additional offerings in the sales interaction such as promotions, surveys and loyalty program sign-ups.
Traditionally, loyalty programs are sold at the register, meaning the consumer is required to share their email address and personal information with and in front of other individuals in line. The need to rely completely on the cashier is outdated, especially now that we are used to doing everything ourselves on our phone. With individualized, digital interactions, consumers are much more willing to actually take the time to sign up properly and avoid errors. Once a customer leaves the store, it is often far too late to successfully market to them, so giving them an easy option of signing up for a loyalty program during the check-out process is incredibly valuable.
In the age of “data is the new oil,” digital kiosks are a prime way for businesses to build in-depth consumer profiles by tracking loyalty customer purchases. From there, the data can be used as marketing analytics to approach customers with personalized offers at specific times and upsell certain opportunities. The real-time consumer analytics provide unparalleled insight into what the customer is likely to buy and the type of promotion that could further maximize the sale, and consistently bring the customer back.
Know your audience
By reinforcing quicker and easier shopping, businesses turn one-time customers into recurring visitors who are much more willing to sign up for loyalty programs. Plus, the accuracy and privacy of the self-serve kiosk process and the ease at which the information is collected make consumers feel more comfortable participating.
Once the user is signed up, the kiosk technology can also be programmed to recognize loyalty members every single time they make a purchase. As opposed to a cashier who may or may not remember to ask the guest if they’re a loyalty member, the kiosk will always do so and furthermore, make it easy for the member to scan their loyalty card or mobile app. Outside of the store, loyalty members are able to log in to their account and see the status of their funds anytime. Whether they have existing points or are looking to earn more, the system encourages users to physically return to the store.
Business owners can also program the kiosks to notify loyalty customers when they are close to reaching different tiers in spending and convince them to earn and redeem points. For example, owners can create a prompt that lets the customer know they “could have earned 2,000 points for today’s purchase if they were a member of the loyalty program,” or that they “have 500 points and can earn another 200 towards their next purchase if they buy a pint of ice cream.”
Optimize the check-out process
Without digital kiosk technology, it is extremely difficult to capture the same level of consumer demographic information or offer all of the benefits and perks associated with loyalty programs. It is a loss for both the customer and the business if a loyalty transaction isn’t tracked, which only happens through a human error at the point of sale.
Whether it be efficiently collecting pertinent information and sharing it with the customer or confidently upselling bonus offerings, kiosks are much more successful at convincing a consumer to do something.
With so many benefits available, digital kiosks are a fullproof way to enhance a business’s loyalty program and keep customers coming back for more.