How to Create a Best-in-Class Self-Service Kiosk UX: Part Three

Last week, we featured part two in a discussion about interactive kiosk UX, because although self-service is experiencing tremendous growth across multiple industries, there are still plenty of kiosk programs that ultimately fail. As many of those failures are related to poor user experience, we wanted to share some key factors that are universal to designing a best-in-class experience for end users. Today, we present the last part of our series on creating a user experience that translates into successful deployment in the field.

     7. The interface should put the user in the driver’s seat. While Millennials are least affected by concerns about new technology, even they don’t like to feel like they aren’t in control of transactions -- especially in public. It’s embarrassing, frustrating and inconvenient to need to seek out help when using a self-service kiosk. Plus, it completely defeats the purpose of eliminating or reducing a level of service, and that means less cost savings for the company deploying the kiosk in the first place. This is really a no-win situation all around, so it’s best to prevent it in the first place via lengthy user testing on the front end to work out any potential bugs in the transaction process. Which brings us to the next point…

     8. Test, test, test and then test again. Why? Familiarity breeds content, and that can lead to your end-user’s contempt if you don’t ensure that plenty of fresh eyes have tested the kiosk (in-lab, and in the field) in order to figure out any sticking points in the UX well in advance of full deployment. It’s essential that testers are from a range of backgrounds, too, because everything from education level to culture to age will play a part in their perception of the experience. While it may not be possible to create a completely universal user experience that appeals to absolutely everyone, unless you are targeting a specific demographic, it’s a good to at least try.

     9. Seriously limit the need for consumers to use any kind of search function, if one is included. This may seem like a minor detail in a sea of much bigger issues, but it’s actually incredibly important. Almost no one likes to type on a kiosk. It’s often annoying and frustrating and when you add in language barriers and differences in education levels, it’s a disaster waiting to happen. The need to type also slows down the transaction considerably, which can lead to a greater risk of the user abandoning the kiosk completely, especially if they see traditional manned lines moving more efficiently around them.

     10. Remember: your brand is on the line. In a world of omnichannel retail, kiosks may be only one way that consumers interact with companies, but it’s a powerful one. Do you want your brand to be perceived as inept, disorganized, or incompetent? Likely not. Think of your brand ideals and mission statement; this is what you want to present to customers via their self-service kiosk experience. Kiosks are an extension of brand, every bit as much so as a website, in-store or mobile experience would be. Every brand interaction matters, no matter the environment, so treat kiosks with the same kind of importance given to any other channel.

And with that, our series on creating world-class interactive kiosk UX has drawn to the close. Hopefully these three blogs have convinced you that RedyRef has what it takes to make your company’s self-service kiosk program a success. As an end-to-end manufacturer of vertically integrated kiosk solutions, we invite you to submit a request for proposal online or call (800) 628-3603 today to find out how we can help you give your customers the best possible user experience, too.