As a business owner, you always look to increase operational efficiency and save costs. In recent times, businesses have become extra creative to reduce wait times and improve checkout processes, thus boosting their operational efficiency. One technology that has contributed to this efficiency increase is order entry kiosks.
These machines automate buying and selling for many businesses. They also improve data collection and monitoring of consumer behavior for many brands.
But how do you know what self-ordering kiosks will be perfect for your business needs? This guide to order entry kiosks will help you on everything you need to know, including how order entry kiosks work and how to select the best option for your business.
What are Order Entry Kiosks?
An order entry kiosk is a small, standalone booth or a similar structure used in selling products and services. Order entry kiosks stand out because they offer little to no human interactions – a feature that helps automate the buying and selling process for many businesses.
Thanks to their built-in technology, customers can purchase goods and services by interacting with the machine. They can fill in orders, make payments, and even learn more about other products and services offered by the business.
These kiosks are popular among many businesses because they ease shopping while boosting customer satisfaction. Such kiosks are popular at restaurants, hospitals, parks, and airports.
Benefits of Order Entry Kiosks
Some of the benefits of using an order entry kiosk are listed below:
Easy and Contactless Options
In recent years, order kiosks have added touchless services. These types of kiosks enable the completion of transactions without physical contact between the machine and the user. Contactless kiosk ordering systems gained popularity in the post-Covid era. They offer multiple options like voice commands, QR codes, proximity sensors, and foot pedal machines.
As expected, not all contactless kiosks offer the same efficiency or convenience. However, the most popular types of these kiosks involve a QR code that connects the machine to a user’s phone. Some of these kiosks are also ideal for individuals with disabilities, which makes them unable to operate on regular kiosks.
Fully Integrated systems
Some order entry kiosks come with full integration, which includes hardware, software, and even payment solutions. Fully integrated kiosk systems allow customers to perform multiple activities within one system.
These include orders, payments, tracking of user activity, and inventory management. Fully integrated kiosk systems might be ideal for hospitals that need to keep a patient’s medical records. They also work well with airport restaurants which need real-time information on inventory management.
Faster operations, shorter wait times
A self-ordering kiosk for restaurants allows for smoother shopping and shorter wait times. Such systems cut the ordering process, allowing restaurants to serve more customers. The reduced ordering process results in greater operational efficiency and more profits. Restaurants, in particular, need short wait times as they look to increase customer retention.
More orders
Kiosk ordering systems help users place more orders while keeping wait times short. These order entry kiosks offer a wider variety of services.
Spending more time going through the menu of available options helps customers shop for longer periods. For some businesses, self-ordering kiosks might be the best way to offer customers more goods and services without increasing order processing times.
Better order accuracy
Another benefit of order entry kiosks is greater order accuracy. One drawback that many businesses face is human error from employees when taking customer orders. With kiosk ordering systems, customers place orders themselves, resulting in fewer mistakes and greater efficiency. Many kiosks allow customers to have personalized orders, which results in faster checkout times.
Save money on workers.
Perhaps the main advantage of order entry kiosks is the reduction of labor costs. Thanks to available kiosk technology, customers handle their orders directly. This significantly reduces the need for backroom staff. For instance, many restaurants can reduce their workforce by using self-order kiosks.
This automation of repetitive tasks leads to an increase in cost savings via the reduction of manual labor. Some order entry kiosk solutions also feature a website, allowing customers to purchase goods and services online.
This reduces the need for dedicated sales staff, thereby reducing costs. Some companies might invest money saved from reduced labor into their marketing campaigns, thereby growing the business.
Better Customer Experience
Order entry kiosks have also increased customer satisfaction among many businesses due to greater autonomy given to customers.
With the ability to manage orders, correct errors, and even track their usage, self-order kiosks provide a more enjoyable experience for most users. Furthermore, these systems offer 24-hour services, allowing users to purchase goods and services despite time and location constraints.
Features and Capabilities of Custom Order Entry Kiosks
Customizable branding
A custom order entry kiosk should help strengthen your brand positioning. As such, you will need kiosks that offer customizable branding. This allows you to customize the kiosk’s interface to match your brand. Examples include customizable colors, logos, and layouts. Furthermore, custom entry order kiosks should also offer flexibility in menu presentation.
Secure payment options
Another factor to consider when installing an order entry kiosk is the payment options available to customers. Your priority should be kiosks that offer safe and secure methods for payments. Some kiosk systems offer card payments and cash deposits. They can also integrate with popular online payment solutions like MoneyGram.
Self-service technology
Self-service technology allows users to complete transactions without any help. These kiosks allow customers to make purchases and complete orders quickly. Self-service technology also results in more efficient service delivery.
One factor to consider when looking at kiosks with self-service technology is their ease of use. The interface of any self-service kiosk should be easily usable for many customers to ensure maximum satisfaction.
Integration with PoS systems
Another essential factor you should consider when purchasing a custom entry order kiosk is integration with Point Of Sale (PoS) systems. You can automate payments using custom kiosk ordering systems integrated with Point of Sale machines.
This streamlines order processing by ensuring that orders are reflected in the PoS system, resulting in faster order processing as customers’ orders are filled in a shorter period. Such integration also optimizes inventory management by ensuring that the kiosk reflects the real-time availability of items.
Industries That Benefit from Order Entry Kiosks
While kiosks have become very popular in recent years, some industries benefit significantly from installing such systems. A few of them are listed below.
Fast Food Restaurants
Restaurants in the fast food industry enjoy service delivery, which boosts and enhances customer satisfaction from order entry kiosks. Furthermore, a self-ordering kiosk for restaurants helps improve the flow of customer orders, which improves business efficiency. Such operational efficiency is key to remaining highly competitive in the quick-service restaurant business.
Retail Stores
As a retail store owner, a kiosk ordering system can immensely boost your business operations. These kiosks support self-checkout processes, allowing staff to concentrate on enhanced customer assistance.
They also help with inventory management and personalized shopping recommendations via AI-driven analytics that elevate the shopping experience. This could also lead to customers spending more money on items.
Retail kiosk software also aids in gathering consumer data. This helps businesses to better understand customer preferences and behaviors. Retail brands can also use self-ordering kiosks to optimize inventory planning and marketing efforts, thus leading to enhanced customer satisfaction.
Hospital and Healthcare Facilities
Hospitals and healthcare operations also benefit from self-ordering kiosks. These machines streamline clinic activities by improving patient interaction and regular check-ins. They can also reduce the workload for front desk staff while decreasing wait times.
Furthermore, kiosks help patients to process payments while providing medical data in a secure manner. Finally, healthcare kiosks can also give educational material that helps increase patient knowledge. For instance, patients can access informational materials from a kiosk without the need for dedicated personnel.
Theme Parks and Entertainment Venues
If you are in the entertainment sector, a kiosk ordering system can help streamline your business operations. They can ease ticket sales, display schedules, and offer visitor information. They can also enhance customer experiences via reduced wait time.
Self-ordering kiosks also offer interactive experiences like virtual tours and event calendars. Finally, they are helpful during high-traffic periods by helping to manage large volumes of visitors effectively. During such periods, the speed of order processing is key to keeping your customers happy. As such, a kiosk has become necessary for entertainment businesses.
Conclusion
Custom order kiosks might be the next step to raise the efficiency of service delivery in your business. By offering greater automation, shorter waiting times, and improved customer experience, order entry kiosks can elevate revenues for many firms.
While there are many options, the essential features of order entry kiosks listed above can help you find the best solution for your business. You can get all your custom kiosk solutions from BestKiosk. If you are in need of custom order entry kiosks manufactured to your specific requirements, contact us now to get a free quote.
