What Is Self Payment Kiosk?

Efficiency and customer satisfaction are key factors for success in the fast-paced world of quick-service restaurants (QSRs). To streamline the ordering process and enhance the front-end experience, many businesses are turning to self-service kiosks as a game-changing solution. In recent years, self-ordering kiosks have become extremely popular, revolutionizing the way customers place orders and pay for meals. Due to their ability to increase operational efficiency and generate revenue, self-service kiosks are becoming a staple product in the fast-food industry.

This article explores the advantages of self-service kiosks in QSRs and how they help businesses thrive in today's competitive market.

The Rise of Self-Service Kiosks in the Fast-Food Industry

The adoption rate of self-service kiosks in the fast-food industry has been steadily increasing, with major chains like McDonald's leading the way. In fact, McDonald's has installed over 70,000 self-service devices worldwide, highlighting the growth trend of self-ordering kiosks in this industry.

Advantages of Self-Service Kiosks in Quick-Service Restaurants

Self-service kiosks offer numerous benefits to QSRs and their customers. Let's explore some of the advantages brought by self-ordering kiosks.

.Increased Operational Efficiency and Reduced Labor Costs

One of the primary advantages of self-service kiosks is the ability to simplify operations and reduce labor costs. By allowing customers to input their orders through self-service terminals, restaurants eliminate the need for dedicated staff to take orders, resulting in significant cost savings. Additionally, kiosks never call in sick or request time off, ensuring uninterrupted service and enabling staff to focus on other important tasks. With self-ordering kiosks, staff can efficiently fulfill orders in the kitchen, thereby increasing overall kitchen capacity and reducing customer wait times.

.Increased Revenue through Upselling and Order Customization

Self-service kiosks provide excellent opportunities for upselling and order customization, thereby increasing revenue for fast-food restaurants. Customers no longer feel judged for upgrading their meals or adding extra items to their orders. Studies have shown that self-ordering kiosks can increase the average order size by 21%, equivalent to an additional $5 per transaction. Kiosks prompt customers to consider additional menu items and promotions, providing an easy way to market and sell high-margin products. Additionally, self-ordering kiosks ensure order accuracy, allowing customers to precisely tailor their orders and reduce the risk of errors.

.Enhanced Customer Experience and Reduced Wait Times

Self-service kiosks significantly improve the overall customer experience by reducing wait times and enhancing order efficiency. Customers no longer need to wait for salespeople to take their orders or rely on busy counter staff to accept orders. Through self-service terminals, customers have full control over their ordering process, enabling them to browse menus, select items, and make payments at their own pace. This not only reduces frustration and wait times but also empowers customers to customize their orders without any social pressure. The result is a more seamless and satisfying dining experience.

.Easier Menu Management and Real-Time Updates

Fast-food menus often change due to ingredient availability, promotions, or seasonal offerings. Self-service kiosks make it easier for restaurants to manage menus and provide real-time updates. If a particular item is out of stock, the restaurant can immediately remove it from the menu displayed on the self-service terminal, ensuring customers have access to the latest options. This eliminates the potential disappointment when customers select items that are no longer available. By integrating information kiosks with the point-of-sale platform, restaurants can easily update menus and notify customers of any special promotions or limited-time offers.

.Seamless Integration and Easy Maintenance

Self-service kiosks are designed to seamlessly integrate into existing QSR operations without disrupting the customer experience. They offer multiple installation options, such as countertop, freestanding, or wall-mounted installations, making them adaptable to different store configurations and layouts. Information kiosks can be remotely managed, allowing for easy troubleshooting and maintenance anywhere with an internet connection. This reduces the need for on-site technical support, saving QSRs time and resources.

Overcoming Challenges and Maximizing the Potential of Self-Service Terminals

While self-service kiosks offer numerous advantages, it is crucial for QSRs to address potential challenges and maximize the potential of this technology. Here are some strategies to ensure successful implementation and utilization of self-service terminals:

.Optimize User Experience and Interface Design

Investing in user-friendly interface design for self-service terminals is essential to encourage customer adoption and satisfaction. The interface should be intuitive, easy to navigate, and visually appealing. Clear instructions and prompts should guide customers through the ordering process, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable experience.

.Provide Adequate Staff Support and Assistance

While self-service kiosks are designed to reduce the need for staff involvement in the ordering process, it is important to have employees available to assist customers when needed. Staff should be trained to provide support, answer questions, and address any issues customers may encounter with the self-service terminals. This human touch ensures customers feel supported and valued during their interactions with the self-service terminals.

.Continuously Monitor and Update Menus and Promotions

Regularly reviewing and updating menus and promotions are essential to maintaining the relevance and appeal of self-service terminals to customers. By offering dynamic menus that include new dishes and limited-time promotions, QSRs can entice customers to explore various menu options and increase sales. Ensuring that the menu displayed on the kiosks reflects real-time availability is also important to avoid customer disappointment.

.Leverage Data Analytics for Personalization and Insights

Self-service terminals generate valuable data that can be used for personalizing the customer experience and gaining insights into customer preferences. By analyzing order data, QSRs can identify popular items, customer trends, and upselling opportunities. This information can guide menu development, promotion strategies, and overall business decisions.

.Regularly Maintain and Update Self-Service Terminal Hardware and Software

Regular maintenance and updates of self-service terminal hardware and software are crucial to ensuring smooth operation. This includes performing routine maintenance checks, updating software to address security vulnerabilities, and promptly addressing any technical issues. Regular maintenance and updates help prevent downtime and ensure optimal performance of self-service terminals.

Conclusion

Self-service kiosks have become a powerful tool for simplifying operations, enhancing customer experiences, and increasing revenue in QSRs. By reducing labor costs, improving order efficiency, and enhancing customer satisfaction, self-service kiosks offer numerous benefits to businesses and customers alike. By addressing potential challenges and optimizing the utilization of self-service terminals, QSRs can unlock the full potential of this technology and maintain a competitive edge in today's competitive market. Adopting self-service kiosks is a strategic move that enables fast-food restaurants to create seamless, efficient dining experiences while maximizing revenue and customer satisfaction.

As the self-service kiosk industry expands, offering more choices to potential technology users, the growth in product supply now requires users to consider a broader range of options before deciding on which solutions to invest in. With improvements in customer engagement technologies, many businesses and organizations are discovering the benefits of self-service kiosks. From public libraries seeking to offer unattended services to retailers wanting to serve more shoppers with fewer staff, and utility companies interested in providing bill payment options after hours, the applications are diverse. In addition to large merchants, supermarkets, and transportation hubs that have used self-service technology for decades, many small retailers and organizations are now finding that self-service kiosks provide a great way to extend service hours with less managerial cost than traditional customer-facing options.

1. Hardware and Software Selection: One of the most critical decisions when planning for self-service terminals is the selection of hardware and software, which can be chosen together or separately. As kiosk technology has evolved over the years, many hardware providers have expanded into software development and vice versa. As interactive features have expanded, hardware providers of self-service terminals have recognized the need for software expertise. Many self-service terminal manufacturers find that this dual function enhances their ability to meet customer needs as they have more control over the entire project. The advantage of choosing both hardware and software from the same company is the assurance that the selected software will work seamlessly with the hardware.

2. Performance Management: Kiosks are used to manage a variety of tasks for businesses and organizations, such as registering personnel, accepting product orders, and answering queries. Once you have decided which functions your kiosk will perform, you will need a system to monitor the execution of these functions. For example, touch screens, keyboards, barcode scanners, and printers must be maintained. If the self-service terminal generates tickets or receipts, paper must be replenished regularly. Having network and power backups, also known as "system redundancy," is key to the successful operation of self-service terminals, as connectivity failures can be a major headache for operators and customers. IT support, whether through technicians, vendor support, or a combination of both, must ensure potential operational issues (such as connectivity failures, power outages, or kiosk malfunctions) are promptly identified and resolved, otherwise performance issues could damage the customer experience. Additionally, businesses and organizations must keep their user content up-to-date to enhance the user experience and ensure content remains relevant to consumers. Keeping content relevant may involve running network applications or videos in cycles.

3. Payment Management: For kiosks that accept payments, consumers now have options to use cash, debit cards, credit cards, contactless tap payments, stored-value accounts, mobile wallets, and cryptocurrencies. Their choice of options will vary based on their personal characteristics and the venues they frequent. Compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards is a major consideration if you are handling payments. PCI standards are enforced by payment card brands to control cardholder data and reduce credit card fraud. These standards can be challenging for businesses and organizations whose main concern is not managing payments. Therefore, organizations that accept card payments often find it best to have third-party payment providers handle customer payment information. Many operators of payment-accepting self-service kiosks outsource payment processing to third-party players, such as PayPal, Stripe, etc. Third-party processors maintain PCI compliance and ensure that customer payment data is never handled by the self-service kiosk operator. In addition to PCI standards, self-service kiosk operators must also provide payment devices that comply with EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) standards. Major card brands require unattended contactless (chip and NFC) transactions to comply with EMV requirements. Card brands have shifted the liability for card fraud losses to acquiring institutions, and to operators (or merchants), unless EMV-compliant cards are processed on EMV-compliant payment terminals. While cashless has become the preferred method of payment in most cases, cash remains important for many consumers. Therefore, kiosk operators need to consider cash acceptance based on customer preferences. Advances in cash handling technology can help businesses and organizations automate cash and digitize cash handling processes. Cash-accepting payment kiosks can also eliminate the need for staff to handle any cash payments, thereby reducing risks and increasing efficiency.

Project Title: Hong Kong Government Mandatory Provident Fund Self-service Terminal (MPFSSK)

Background

The Hong Kong Government launched the Self-service Terminal (SST) project in order to streamline the processing of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF), improve efficiency, and at the same time provide a convenient way for citizens to access the service. These self-service terminals are able to replace the traditional manual service and realize highly efficient human-computer interaction.



Client Description

The Hong Kong government required a self-service terminal that could allow users to use ID cards, passports, etc. for identity verification, and complete the online processing of Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) through a wireless network connection.

























Client Objective

The client's objective was to deploy 60 self-service terminals in all district government service halls to enable citizens to easily complete Mandatory Provident Fund inquiries and contributions. Each service hall will be equipped with 5-8 sets of terminals to minimize queuing time and increase the efficiency of inquiries and payments.



Technical Challenges

Camera design: The design of the camera was changed more than 5 times, from the material to the solution, in order to fit people of different heights, and it took more than a month of discussion to find the best solution while ensuring the practicality and durability for long term use.

Self-service body design: The design needed to take into account the needs of disabled people, and the design version was updated several times to find the best solution.

The Solution

Operating System and Hardware Configuration: The terminal adopts Windows 10.1 operating system, and the 18.5-inch LCD panel has a high resolution of 1920 * 1080, which is easy to operate.

Intelligent Recognition Technology: Camera: 5MP Full HD 1080P camera can clearly capture user images.

Network connectivity: WIFI/4G option provides internet connectivity. Ensures stable data transmission from any location of the device

Document Processing Capabilities: Document Scanner: 600 dpi resolution document scanner can clearly scan A4 size documents, equipped with QR code scanner enables users to complete payments online.

Mobility design: four universal wheels with brakes ensure that the device can be moved to the right position according to the needs of the use, four universal wheels with brakes make the device can be moved at any time according to the needs of the service and the layout of the space.

























Utilization Effect and Benefit Impact

User experience: The use of self-service terminals makes the payment of Mandatory Provident Fund easier and more convenient, saving people from queuing up in the service hall.

Functional adjustability: People of different heights do not have to worry as adjusting the camera to capture the face can be easily achieved.

Disability Consideration: Considering the needs of the disabled, the government service has been well received by the public.



Customer Feedback and Real Cases

Citizens have highly appreciated the convenience and efficiency of government services since the self-service terminals were put into use. Government staff have also reported that these self-service terminals have significantly improved their work efficiency and reduced the work pressure at the front desk. These terminals not only enhance the image of government services, but also set a new standard for interaction between government and citizens by providing a fast, secure and convenient way to deliver services.

Project Title: lien Self-Pay Terminal: Innovative Parking Solution



Customer Background

lien self-payment terminal machines have revolutionized parking lots. Adapting to an unattended operation model, these machines, like café robots, are able to work around the clock, accepting payments and completing transactions without employee intervention. We installed these terminals in commercial areas, highway rest areas, and parking lots near subway stations to promote contactless payment and provide fast service.

Customer Goals

lien's goal was to create a self-service experience that eliminated the need for face-to-face service and allowed customers to easily complete their parking payments. The terminals needed to have integrated printing capabilities so that customers could access their receipts immediately.



The Challenge

The self-service terminal had to provide easy ordering and payment services. At the same time, it had to ensure that the printing of receipts was fast enough to accommodate customers who were in a hurry to leave. More importantly, the terminal should blend into its environment without disturbing other customers or pedestrians.

The Solution

The terminal is equipped with a 21.5-inch widescreen display to ensure intuitive menu selection and easy payment flow. A built-in 3-inch thermal printer prints receipts in high resolution at speeds of up to 250mm/sec. For semi-outdoor areas such as parking lots, we installed vertical self-service kiosks, while wall-mounted kiosks were used in subway stations to avoid obstructing the flow of customers.

Results and Benefits

The self-service payment terminals significantly reduced labor and administrative costs and directly increased the efficiency and revenue of the parking lot. Accurate order processing and fast receipt printing shortened customer waiting time and increased overall customer satisfaction. Ergonomically designed modular terminals are easily adaptable to various environments, increasing the number of repeat customers and expanding business accessibility.

lien Self-Pay Terminal: Revolutionizing the Parking Service Experience

Customer Background and Needs

lien is committed to providing convenience and efficiency for busy modern life. Borrowing from the Korean model of unmanned cafes, lien introduced self-payment terminal machines in the parking service area. These machines introduce an unattended management model for parking lots, handling vehicle entry and exit 24/7 through fully automated operations with no human intervention at all. We have deployed these terminals in busy urban business districts, on-the-go highway rest areas, and next to fast-paced subway stations to promote a more convenient, no-touch consumer culture!

Goal and Vision

As technology advances and customer behavior changes, lien's goal is to create a parking payment system that is efficient, convenient, and requires no human intervention. The terminal was designed with the user experience in mind, with the goal of streamlining the payment process and speeding up the efficiency of vehicle flow, with the ultimate goal of allowing motorists to enjoy a fast and stress-free parking experience.




留安自助缴费终端：彻底改变停车服务体验

AI and data are critical tools for success In a subject familiar to data scientists

The vast amount of customer and operational data that modern technology (including POS systems, analytics stacks, security systems, etc.) can generate may be both useful and overwhelming. Any amount of data is only available when it becomes actionable information, so make sure (a) your systems can communicate with each other, (b) they are generating useful output, and (c) you are sharing data fairly and complying with regulations between your operations and partner ecosystems. That's why careful selection of software stacks and partners is an integral part of success.

Micro-markets are key to self-service success According to Phil Deckers

Director of Technology Solutions at global convenience service provider Sodexo InReach, in a post-COVID world, micro-markets are gaining ground, with data and AI playing a crucial role in optimization. AI has proven to be a crucial tool that can handle all this data and combine it with geographical, demographic, Nielsen, and IRI marketing data to gain insights, enabling scientific experimentation for product optimization and new strategies. "Data-driven decision-making" has long been a mantra in the IT world.

Retail self-service is on the rise Especially for large retailers

as other departments are asked to "fill in" kiosk needs, rather than being led by executives dedicated to kiosks, "finding someone who is focused on what you're trying to accomplish in what you sell is very difficult; it's always someone else's job. In the grocery and restaurant space, linking your self-service terminals to your brand's loyalty program is an effective way to bring reciprocal customer traffic back to your stores; however, if the relevant departments are not streamlined in this way, you will feel a headache." "Right now, you just plug them in and leave, and then you hope for the best, and sometimes it works very well. But, clearly, the future is integration with retailers, and I'll use Kroger again, [a brand with one of the most successful loyalty programs]." How do you plug in? Savvy self-service terminal operators need to know how to build relationships with the right people and departments in the retailers (or chain restaurants) they work with while striving for a simplified future.



Finding a Balance Between Self-Service and Warmth



A few days ago, I was looking at a coffee solution where you have your beans to cup, and you have your barista on-site. If my barista is going to make the same four drinks as the beans to cup, why do I have someone there? It's about doing the habitual things, it's about putting a smile on someone's face. This is where you get this balance, using your grab-and-go as a disruptor. It's a great use for expansion. Or leverage markets to expand your footprint, as you don't need everyone to come to one place, but you can do a distributed market across the whole campus.




























全球便利服务提供商索迪斯 InReach 技术解决方案总监表示，在后疫情时代，微型市场正在取得进展，数据和人工智能在优化中发挥着至关重要的作用。