Self-Service Fast Food Order Kiosks Transforming Customer Experience
Self-Service Fast Food Kiosks — Congrats McDonalds: Today Grand Opening NYC Times Square wonderful McDonalds restaurant and 18 polytouch 32“ kiosks are ready to take orders. In close neighborhood, at AMC Theatre Times Square there are 16 polytouch 24“ units, selling cinema tickets since 2 years. Design, performance and reliability makes the difference.
The same principles for self-order kiosks and increasing sales in fast-food restaurants work across market verticals. At an airline kiosk, a simple upsell to get better seating usually works for example. In hospitality its much easier to click off on extra services at check-in.
This is a nice article writeup by the Mashed writer.
Highlights:
Self-Service Kiosks encourage people to spend more
20% on average
Larger sales than in-person
McDonalds saw 30% increase
Machines automatically upsell — counter people do not
Kiosks positively impact customer mood
Touch screens create “experiential and effective feelings” in customers
Excerpt:
As they become more efficient and user-friendly, self-serve kiosks are transforming the fast-food customer experience. Many of us have seen this firsthand. After all, who hasn’t taken some secret pleasure in flicking through a digital menu? However, as FoodTec discussed in a 2018 article, self-serve technology is not only making fast food service more efficient, but also subtly changing customer behavior. Namely, it is encouraging people to spend more.
The numbers speak for themselves. FoodTec has suggested that self-serve kiosks increase customer spending, on average, by 20%, and this figure is borne out by data presented in a 2015 Harvard Business Review article. According to the review, major chains, including Taco Bell, McDonald’s, and Chilis have all reported self-serve kiosks generating larger sales than in-person ordering, usually by a margin of 20%. In one instance, McDonald’s even saw sales increase by as much as 30%. Self-serve kiosks aren’t just good for business — they’re great for business.
Consumer buying behaviors have evolved throughout recent years. Some of that is driven by technological advances, some by social and economic shifts, and some by consumers simply wanting more flexibility.
Shortly after the pandemic started, people flocked to fast-food establishments because they had contactless ordering, touchless pick-ups, and standardized menus, making the whole process simple and convenient. It provided an experience that was familiar, affordable, quick, and didn’t require a lot of in-person interaction.
And now we’re seeing many of those efficiencies, especially around the logistics of orders and pick-ups, increasingly borrowed by other elements of the food-service industry, from fast-casual, all the way through to and including other aspects of hospitality, retail, and even healthcare.
We’re all looking for simple, flexible, on-demand experiences. Interacting or buying from a kiosk or on a mobile app is much more convenient and efficient than making your way to the front counter.
Consumer-focused companies will need to invest in the data, technology, and systems required if they are going to deliver the kinds of exceptional experiences that will give them an edge over the competition and position them as customer-experience leaders.
Consumers want the purchase or patient journey to be as frictionless as possible, and in order to deliver on experience, there has to be close collaboration between the physical and digital channels along with innovation in building omnichannel capabilities. Whether the person is interacting with you from a desktop or mobile device, by kiosk, telephone, or a brick-and-mortar point, it has to be seamless.
Regardless of the industry, when it comes to serving the customer of the future, the key is to focus on being client-centric.
Customers Look For
Convenience
Control
Personalization
Self-Service Convenience
There’s a lot to be said for convenience. We’re all time-starved and looking for instant gratification. The trick is to remove all unnecessary obstacles in the customer or patient journey so consumers can achieve their objectives quickly and easily.
Covid-19 has only amplified the need for easy access to products and services, convenience, and relevant information. And delivering this kind of convenience has been shown to increase loyalty.
Consumers want service providers to look at the following ways of enhancing convenience:
Minimize waiting times
Manage queues/wait time effectively
Reduce ambiguity–explain exactly what I need to do next at all points in my task or purchase journey
Make my time investment feel worth it
So as each of our industries continues down its path of digitally transforming the customer experience, it’s important for each business to test the full experience and confirm that it makes sense.
For example, offering contactless check-in or a digital key on your phone from a hotel is great, provided the guest doesn’t need anything else to come and go as they please and enjoy their stay.
Unfortunately, when that digital check-in is performed over the app, we are discovering that sometimes there are pieces of the physical check-in process that have now been eliminated (or forgotten), but still need to be performed.
If the guest requires a parking pass to place in their vehicle, we need to think about another way to deliver that pass without asking them to wait in the check-in line. In some locations, waiting in line might not be a big deal, but if you consider large hotels and resorts like those in Las Vegas, long check-in lines are not how you want to kick off the guest experience.
While most digital keys work great, if the reservation wasn’t made in your name, it can be quite an ordeal to complete identity verification for another individual to get that digital key.
Self-service kiosks, unlike phones, can provide physical deliverables, like a parking pass, a wristband or even an encoded hotel key. And these kiosks can perform the required security checks to ensure continued safety.
Bottom line, we need to look at the whole process and ensure we haven’t created a service gap as we modernize and automate processes. Review every part of the experience to ensure guest wait times have been minimized and confirm you haven’t created ambiguity or another hoop for the customer to jump through.
Customer Control – Put the User in Control
With the rapid proliferation of technology at our fingertips, consumers are indicating they prefer the control that self-service options provide them. If it’s simply fast-food ordering from a kiosk or app or self-checkout at a retail or grocery store, consumers are increasingly drawn to self-service methods.
But why?
Minimize Errors by Staff
When you put the customer in control of checking-in, ordering, or the payment process, it minimizes the errors made by order takers. You don’t have to worry about either party misunderstanding the name, the order, or entering the wrong items. The user is less likely to make an error when they’re entering their own information.
Self-Service Customization Benefits
Consumers feel comfortable customizing their orders when they’re inputting the information themselves. If someone else is taking their order, they might feel pressured by people waiting in line behind them. Self-service kiosks will give people the chance to see a full list of modifications and make more informed choices, which leads to greater customer satisfaction.
How To Shorten Lines
Think back to the long snake lines at airline check-in counters. Just seeing that line created anxiety for travelers. Now that many airlines offer self-service check-in kiosks and mobile apps, the experience has been enhanced dramatically. This also puts the customer in control because they can decide if they’d like to wait in line or self-serve.
Customer Personalization by Self-Service
It all begins with data. Many service providers have the data, contextual, timely information that can dramatically improve and personalize the experience.
Personalized marketing can be something as simple as including a person’s name in an email or as complex as notifying them about a service they’re interested in is now available.
Self-Service Benefits
In order to deliver personalization, the organization might collect data on the person from a number of sources. This data might come from customer profiles or behavioral data from brand interaction, or it could be data purchased from another organization. Some brands are even using AI for hyper-personalization.
A business can benefit from personalization as it can help build and maintain customer engagement which often leads to purchases. It helps to create a stronger brand image and greater customer loyalty.
But there are risks too. When you collect that data and store it, you’re responsible for keeping it private and ensuring that it is only used with customer permission. You also have to ensure that you aren’t using it with aggressive, insensitive, or stalking tactics.
Personalization was once limited only to targeted offers. But this now can extend to the entire customer experience. Customers want personalization throughout their interaction because it enables them to allocate their time and money to their preferences.
The challenge here is that if we give you access to all our data, we’re expecting you to use it to enhance our experience, not just your sales opportunities. If I’m willing to sign up for your loyalty program and I use that program to book my next stay, I’ve agreed to give you my data. And many people are willing to give up their data, but you need to know that they want something in exchange. How will you deliver value in return?
This is where many organizations need to review the customer experience and ensure it’s being used to attract, engage and retain customers. Mapping the end-to-end customer experience to identify any pain points is necessary.
Pandemic or no pandemic, the customer is still king. But the customers of the future will expect more. Olea Kiosks has tremendous experience in helping our clients deliver an enhanced user experience throughout the customer journey. If you’d like to discuss how self-service kiosks can be used to boost productivity and improve the guest experience, contact us now to schedule a call.
The Krypto Kiosk series provides a secure and convenient 2-way ATM platform for self-service bitcoin purchase and redemption at retail outlets like convenience stores, gas stations, malls, and grocery stores. KIOSK Information Systems has extensive experience with financial services platforms, with a long history of success in high-volume nationwide deployments.
This ATM platform leverages important financial design elements facilitating simple field servicing while maximizing cash security.
21.5” PCAP touch display•QR code scanner for bitcoin wallet transfers
Card reader for credit/debit to bitcoin purchases
Bill acceptor for cash to bitcoin purchases
Bill dispenser for bitcoin to cash conversion
Printer for transaction receipts
Navigation pad to ensure ADA accessibility
krypto bitcoin atm kiosk KIS
ATMIA Conference
This year’s event will continue to be the largest and most highly regarded event for the ATM industry. The class schedule will offer a variety of educational opportunities no matter what sector of the industry you come from. Join us for a pre-conference workshop, select a few of the 18 breakout sessions to attend, and don’t miss out on the general sessions on the last day focusing on what is going on in the industry.
We know you are ready for some in-person business networking after a long pandemic with its associated social isolation. So we are offering you an exhibit hall filled with new technologies, innovations, and new business opportunities. You have waited long enough to attend the industry’s best and the world’s largest dedicated ATM conference. So register today!
Multiple news items and photos of FastPass+ Kiosks by Disney this week. Over on the “Blog Mickey” site we see photos of uncovered FastPass kiosks.
Excerpt
Of course, FastPass+ remains suspended at this time, and despite nearly each and every COVID-19 measure being rolled back or removed, Disney still cites COVID-19 as the reason that FastPass+ is unavailable:
As a result of the COVID-19 impact on operations, the FastPass+ service is suspended for the time being. FastPass+ service is not offered with the purchase of tickets or annual passes. We will share future updates at a later date.
disney fastpass kiosk photo blog-mickey.com article
MaDe Kiosk excerpt — The new kiosks replace D-Tech On Demand, which is being phased out at merchandise locations around Walt Disney World. But while the replacement is happening in places where the merchandise is produced, like at this shop, in stores where it could be ordered remotely but picked up in a different location, kiosks have been removed entirely. Our reporters have noticed the missing kiosks at places including The Darkroom and Star Wars Launch Bay in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Frontier Trading Post in Magic Kingdom.
EDITOR’S NOTE NEWS
A round-up of some of the latest kiosk and digital signage news to hit the editor’s inbox.
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Neil Anderson, Managing Director of Qcom Outsourcing explains how the effective rollout and installation of equipment can be amongst the most important ‘moments of truth’ for any technology manufacturer, systems integrator or reseller.
THREE THINGS EVERY RETAILER NEEDS FOR A NEXT-GEN OMNICHANNEL APPROACH
John Tait, Global Managing Director, TNS Payments Market takes a look at how a truly omnichannel approach in retail means more than simply having all of the channels. It’s more important what retailers do with those channels for their customers, and how well each channel interconnects with another.
BIG OR SMALL, TOUCH OR TOUCHLESS, LCD OR LED
Richard Slawsky, Adjunct Professor at the University of Louisville takes a look at the evolution, current status and future for kiosks, digital signage and large format displays.
TRUE IMPACT OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY ON WORKFORCE EFFICIENCY
echnological advancements always come with fears around the future of humans in the workforce. But humans weren’t replaced by computers when they were brought into the workplace, and Richard Bird, Regional Sales Manager at Mandata believes AI won’t replace us completely either.
ENSURING ROBUST NETWORKS IN DEMANDING APPLICATIONS
As more embedded systems adopt networked architectures, Ethernet switches play an increasingly crucial role. Martin Frederiksen, MD of Recab UK, explains how to select Ethernet switches for demanding operating environments.
SECURITY BEFORE PERFORMANCE IN OUR CONNECTED AV WORLD
It may be painful for AV managers in the connected world of cloud-based signage operating over corporate IT networks, but Jeff Hastings of BrightSign says security has to take precedence over performance and functionality.
MOVERS AND SHAKERS
A round-up of promotions, structural changes and new recruits across the kiosk and digital signage industry.
Interactive signage and digital self-service solutions company, Acquire Digital has partnered with Flyin’ High Signs and Gable to deploy a Digital Directory and Wayfinder kiosk program for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, according to a press release.
With nearly 300,000 daily travelers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest international airport within North America. In a facility with seven concourses and 195 gates, the airport’s goal was to provide a state-of-the-art digital experience to improve airport navigation, communication, and overall efficiencies.
The Gable team incorporated a design that would stand up to the heavy traffic at the airport and catch visitors attention from a distance. According to Flyin’ High Signs, the custom large format 75-inch touch-screen kiosks are in the final stage of installation throughout the terminals.
wayfinding kiosk – Click for full size
The touch screen kiosks feature real-time flight data, retail and concession information, two-way video guest services, advertisements, and other engaging content feeds. Two-way video calling software provides the ability for guests to speak to a live customer service representative who can also take control of the display to assist ADA passengers. According to the Acquire team, passengers can quickly scan their boarding passes to see real-time flight details with FIDs and Delta flight data integrations. Highlighted wayfinding incorporates multimodal transportation to include travel times to a passenger’s gate.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport Deploy Smart Wayfinding and Digital Directory Kiosks
Atlanta, GA, July 2021 – Industry leaders in interactive signage and digital self-service solutions, Acquire Digital has partnered with Flyin’ High Signs and Gable to deploy an innovative Digital Directory and Wayfinder kiosk program for Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The teams have worked diligently to provide a custom digital directory and wayfinding solution to improve airport navigation and inform the nearly 300-thousand passengers who visit ATL each day. The airport’s signage vendor, Flyin’ High Signs, is heading up the installation and support of 43 custom kiosks designed and developed by Gable.
With nearly 300,000 daily travelers, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the busiest international airport within North America. In a facility with seven concourses and 195 gates, the airport’s goal was to provide a state-of-the-art digital experience to improve airport navigation, communication, and overall efficiencies.
A Better Solution
wayfinding kiosk – Click for full size
With post-pandemic traveling increasing, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport wanted a ‘smart directory solution’ that provided tailored information based upon flight data or points of interest and dining options. Flyin’ High Signs, the airport’s signage vendor, incorporated Acquire’s Smarthub Wayfinder technology and Gable’s kiosks to achieve the high demands of a busy airport.
The Gable team incorporated a design that would stand up to the heavy traffic at the airport and catch visitors’ attention from a distance. According to Flyin’ High Signs, the custom large format 75” touch-screen kiosks are in the final stage of installation throughout the terminals.
Smart Features that Drive the Experience
The touch screen kiosks feature real-time flight data, retail and concession information, two-way video guest services, advertisements, and other engaging content feeds. Two-way video calling software provides the ability for guests to speak to a live customer service representative who can also take control of the display to assist ADA passengers. According to the Acquire team, passengers can quickly scan their boarding passes to see real-time flight details with FIDs and Delta flight data integrations. Highlighted wayfinding incorporates multimodal transportation to include travel times to a passenger’s gate.
To provide directions on the go, passengers can access an interactive HTML directory on a mobile device by scanning a QR code or via text message transfer from the kiosk. In the future, the airport plans on implementing the Wayfinder API within the airport’s website to make the solution more accessible to visitors.
Acquire Digital, Flyin’ High Signs, and Gable foresee huge success in this partnership and the project itself. The deployment is expected to improve the overall visitor experience, facility efficiencies, and important messaging. The teams hope to use the Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport kiosk deployment as a way to constantly improve the solution to bring cutting-edge technology to other airports around the world.
Global Leader
Acquire Digital is a global leader in innovative digital signage software and interactive experiences. With over 22 years of experience in the visual solutions and digital signage markets, the company is known for its industry firsts. Its passion for reaching beyond the boundaries of digital signage has played a key role in shaping Acquire into the globally recognized company it is today. The company produces world-class UX and UI solutions that create an interactive and immersive experience.
Troy Engelland
Strategic Sales Manager (North America)
(+1) 248-214-8431
From CSNews July 2021 — Also CEFCO Full Release — In partnership with software company, Reji, LLC, and Olea Kiosks, CEFCO has launched fresh-food, self-ordering kiosks, featured in two CEFCO Kitchen stores enhancing customer service through made-to-order food offerings.
Editors Note: Fresh food at C-Stores is one of the new differentiators. Custom ordering from the kitchen (or the ghost kitchen?) has joined the equation for customer convenience and satisfaction
CEFCO CONVENIENCE STORES LAUNCHES NEW KIOSK SELF-ORDERING TECHNOLOGY AT CEFCO KITCHEN
Temple, TX (July 26, 2021) — CEFCO Convenience Stores launched new self-ordering kiosks with technology from software company, Reji, LLC, and the Austin model from Olea Kiosks, Inc. in two of its Texas-based CEFCO Kitchen locations. Both stores feature CEFCO Kitchen’s new menu lines, including made-to-order Mac & Cheese Bowls, Sandwiches, Grilled Cheeses, and new breakfast offerings to complement their current lineup of burritos, tacos, fried chicken, and more.
Click for Full Size Image – CEFCO C-Store Kiosk
This new platform continues to improve the CEFCO customer experience through fresh food menu personalization, offering a more seamless way to order food from CEFCO’s growing fresh food menu.
CEFCO Convenience Stores is a Temple, TX-based convenience store chain and is one of the top 40 largest in the convenience retailing industry, operating over 200 stores in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Florida. CEFCO employs more than 2500 team members, chain-wide. Since 1979, CEFCO has been committed to providing the best customer experience for every customer, every day, in every store.
ABOUT REJI, LLC.
Reji, LLC. is a software company revolutionizing self-ordering technology through its open platform. Reji specializes in self-ordering and self-checkout experiences, online ordering, point of sale, digital menu solutions, inventory management technology and also provides direct and competitive merchant processing. Based in Las Vegas, NV, Reji’s growth has been catapulted through partnerships in many industries including QSRs, Fast Casual, and Convenience. For more information, visit https://reji.io.
ABOUT OLEA KIOSKS®, INC.
Olea Kiosks® Inc. is a self-service kiosk solution provider for the attractions and entertainment, healthcare and hospitality industries. Its technologically advanced, in-house manufacturing, design, and innovation have made it an industry leader. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, customers include The Habit Burger Grill, Kaiser Permanente, Empire State Building, Universal Studios, EVO Entertainment, Scientific Games, and Subway. For more information, visit https://www.olea.com/.
Supply chain on several fronts is causing delays. Major touchscreen provider(s) are suffering a bit. We checked with multiple sources on availability and still lots of options though prices are a bit higher: AUO, Mimo, Insight, General Touch, TDS, Wells Gardner, Goldfinger, Suzohapp and of note, Keyser and TSI Touch for larger formats such as 32plus. Seems both Elotouch and Samsung are experiencing delays, though Samsung shortage affects digital signage market much more.
Speaking of Samsung, they are in process of sending us an evaluation unit of their new kiosk. We will do an evaluation for them. It certainly makes sense for them to offer as part of a broader more complete package than just screens.
Related to is the unexpected departure of the GRUBBRR marketing VP. They are a major demo partner for Samsung. Above our pay grade…
Tradeshows
The rumor is Networld is sort of kind of back to tradeshows. The Questex/DSE reboot managed by Brad Gleeson now includes nice guy David Drain of NMG. DSE in its terminal years was regrettable at best. But we do have InfoComm in October, ISE and CES for that matter. Oh, and the NRF BigShow…It was nice way back when we had a show JUST for kiosks and the digital signage people no doubt wish the same. But a wider audience is always better. No surprise to see ATMIA exhibiting at Bitcoin Trade Show either (or kiosks) and getting more traction than their own ATM-specific show (which is semi-mutating into Bitcoin show). The nextgen ATM is all about crypto, not cash.
The any & all vaccination requirement by HIMSS (August) is looking smarter and smarter
NRN Create October 4-6 in Denver — we have a couple of free full passes to give away as a sponsor. [email protected] or 720-324-1837. No vendors please. I’ll throw in some free drinks with me at the Brown Palace if that makes the difference. I live in Denver.
End of July gave us updated earnings reports for Mcdonald’s, YUM and Bloomin’ Brands to name a few. Pretty impressive numbers and major weighted keywords were “digital” and loyalty. See news roundup for more.
Price and availability checks — besides open-frame touchscreens, we also did a scan of all-in-one computers that are essentially hardened tablets. Is it a tablet or an AIO? Surprising to see so many options. Touch Dynamics got quite a few thumbs up.
Worth noting the US President proposed raising the U.S. manufacture content ratio to 75% and actually enforcing it. We have heard that before. Earlier he signed an order closing many of the loopholes. If something is supposed to be made in the U.S. then you might think it should be made in the U.S. Nothing is that simple for politicians.
Contact [email protected] for more information or call 720-324-1837 (Denver)
Let’s Go Italian — hard to beat video of robot making spaghetti, or Basil Street pizza APK vending (no microwave)
VA and better EHR – problems one after another. Now the project is officially paused
The new requirement by Windows 11 for TPM chip we are letting percolate. Reminds us of the ATM industry upgrading ATMs running XP Pro (not completely done either). Somewhere out there is some lonely ATM running token ring and OS/2, still working too.
Kicking it off WAS the Digital Mixer Event that Sixteen:Nine was to be hosting. Took all of 36 hours to get a full set of sponsors. Unfortunately, travel for Canadians is problematic.
Registration for that event is expected sometime after labor day.
Exhibits Only Pass is $299 but we have a limited number of free passes that we are happy to provide. You need to sign up for our no-nonsense ad-free monthly newsletter here. Or you can email [email protected]
The EU’s Digital COVID certificate officially comes into force from today, 1 July.
By Wednesday evening, 21 EU nations, out of the total 27, were connected to the system’s network and 6 others were technically ready. Some countries already began using the new health certificate in June.
According to the European Commission, all member states should now be in a position to issue and accept the pass, except for Ireland which has been delayed by cyber attacks.
A gradual implementation period is now in place, with a grace period running until 12 August for countries not ready on 1 July. During this period, other states should accept national documents on condition they contain data required at a European level.
But the launch comes under the cloud of the Delta variant, which is already prompting EU countries to restrict travel from countries where it is prevalent, such as the UK, Portugal and India.
The airline industry has also warned that EU countries are not coordinating their approaches to vaccine certification, potentially causing long delays at airports during the busy summer season.
Display signage for retail qsr is the highest capital cost (aka big potato), albeit by themselves low margin
Selling those though often means selling a bunch of “small potatoes”, many with much higher profit
As Haynes sums it up — Recurring SaaS CMS revenue is the gift that keeps on giving.
Excerpt:
If you are active on the software side of digital signage, you’ve undoubtedly seen Samsung evolving its MagicINFO software from a low or no-cost add-on for small jobs to a full-featured enterprise platform that competes against pure-play CMS software companies.
LG has also had a product called SuperSign in the market for more than a decade, and that display manufacturer is also now marketing a full-featured product. The interesting wrinkle with LG is that it is touting a turnkey solution for QSR that includes built-in capabilities like queue management, open API POS integration and back of house workflow solutions.
It’s called SuperSign QSR, and it LOOKS like it is all in-house, as opposed to partnerships with third parties that specialize in things like queue management.
From MCA with thanks to Sixteen:Nine — older article from fall 2020 but it shows countertop kiosks for orders. Worth noting that Taco Bell announced cantina kiosks at Times Square back in April 2021. This precedes that by 6 months. Nice gallery of pictures.
Automated Restaurant Kiosks ala Taco Bell — Itsu ‘store of the future’ in pictures
cashierless restaurant of future
In Brief
Worth noting that Taco Bell announced cantina kiosks at Times Square back in April 2021
This precedes that by 6 months
Surprised we never saw any press from Elotouch on these units
This restaurant located in the UK/London
No cash
Sushi
The maki and nigiri sushi robots from Japan removes human handling, decrease food wastage and increase the speed of production, with one robot able to make 4,800 pieces in an hour
We have asked for update on results and progress and will post that here.
Excerpt:
Itsu, the Asian-inspired, healthy fast-food brand, has unveiled its new ‘Store of the Future’ concept, which uses robot technology.
The first site opened in London’s Great Portland Street earlier this month, with more to follow across the UK.
The new store design was re-imagined during lockdown specifically for the post-coronavirus world.
The brainchild of itsu founder Julian Metcalfe OBE, it was designed to limit touchpoints, and any unnecessary contact with dishes and between staff & customers, using ‘sushi robots’ and digital ordering technology.
At Great Portland Street, there is a single customer collection point and no front-of-house fridge to reduce multi handling.
The order and pay screens are card only, and enable orders to be placed in under 40 seconds, with customers able to customise hot dishes.
Olea Kiosks® Inc., today, announced the addition of its height-adjustable base for the Austin series kiosk. This new addition is available for ordering now.
With more than 2500 units in the field, the Austin kiosk is the most deployed Olea model to date. And this compact and versatile self-service kiosk now has a fourth option. The Austin Height Adjustable (HA), combines the Height Adjustable base with the desktop unit to deliver a slick, compact, and versatile self-service solution.
Aimed at the healthcare check-in market, this unit delivers full Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) height compliance as all of the user touchpoints can be positioned at a height under 48 inches. The unit is equipped with a paddle switch to activate the lift and lowering. The base raises and lowers a total of 11.9 inches to provide users of all heights and abilities with an improved user experience.
Self-service kiosks help to improve profitability while reducing operational costs. And while this self-service solution is simple in nature, the Austin can be configured in multiple ways to deliver check-in thoughtfully.
Note: The unit shown in the video is a prototype and includes only one UV sanitizing bulb.
In addition to patient check-in, there are many optional components that can be added to support identity verification, insurance information collection, as well as co-pay and signature collection. In order to support these features, any of the following components can be added:
Web camera
Receipt size printer
Barcode reader
Magstripe reader
EMV compliant chip devices
RFID/NFC devices
Document scanner
On-screen signature
NavPad ADA 508 device
“The Austin HA comes at a time when healthcare and businesses, in general, are constrained by the lack of human resources available,” said CEO Frank Olea. “Our engineering team worked extra hard to turn this unit around in a record amount of time,” added Olea.
In addition, an optional UV sanitizing system utilizing two powerful Mercury Vapor bulbs is now available with all of the Austin model kiosks. The cleaning cycle allows for sanitization of the touchscreen as well as the payment device. “We’re excited to bring this feature to market as we felt there was a need to keep not only the screens clean but the buttons on the pin-pads as well”, added Olea.
The Austin series kiosk is now available in 4 options: the HA, the Freestanding (FS), the Desktop (DT), and the Wall-mount (WM).
The Austin is also very popular with hospitality and frequently used in quick-serve restaurants (QSR), ticketing, and hotel check-in where this functionality is also a welcome addition.
Expected attendees – 250 to 500 high level attendees
KMA has 2 free passes available. Contact [email protected] or call 720-324-1837
Laura Miller and Matt with Vispero will be there (Laura will man our booth). If you want to schedule time with them send a note to [email protected] or call me. McDonalds noted that they are using Vispero JAWS to extend better access to their vision limited customers. Big news..
The M-Enabling Summit Conference and Showcase is dedicated to promoting digital environments and assistive technologies for senior citizens and users of all abilities. It is an annual meeting place for all who implement digital inclusion strategies or develop assistive solutions and accessible digital contents and services for workplaces, learning environments or consumer markets. With its theme of “Strategies for Inclusive Digital Transformations,” the 2021 M-Enabling Summit will highlight the major shifts in business, government and education driven by the pandemic that will affect anyone involved in inclusion, accessibility, services to Persons with Disabilities or compliance matters. A rich sharing of experience and interactions among advocates, business leaders and technology providers will provide insights on how to best meet the imperative to ensure that Persons with Disabilities have full access to critical digital contents and services.
Since its inception in 2011, the M-Enabling Summit has established itself as the ideal venue for corporate executives, advocates, accessibility professionals, policy makers, care givers and assistive technology experts to explore how to foster and drive digital inclusion. A powerful differentiator in establishing a positive culture and gaining a competitive advantage, digital inclusion is embraced by leading organizations across all sectors of activity. The M-Enabling program is designed to give participants the tools, knowledge, and networking opportunities to explore the latest innovations in enabling and accessible technologies and share good practices among their peers.
Bringing together professionals, corporations, service organizations, and key thought leaders, the M-Enabling Summit is an all-inclusive conference and showcase for professionals featuring innovative technology that benefits more than one-billion Persons with Disabilities worldwide.
As during previous years, the 2021 M-Enabling Summit will feature the annual IAAP Expert Workshop Day on October 6th organized by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, as well as sessions dedicated to the advancement of the Accessibility Profession.
Bringing together professionals, corporations, service organizations, and key thought leaders, the M-Enabling Summit is an all-inclusive conference and showcase for professionals featuring innovative technology that benefits more than one-billion Persons with Disabilities worldwide.
The M-Enabling Summit is committed to working with the venue, service providers, and vendors to customize a “health safety first” approach throughout all phases of event production and onsite execution. Review our health and safety policies.
InfoComm (AVIXA) is the biggest digital signage AV show in the U.S. KMA is an official media partner. See a list of exhibitors and information. We have rated this as a “green light” for safety given the safety protocols exceed the recommended CDC guidelines. October 27-29 is the date and yes we have free passes. Contact [email protected] for more info. Samsung is main sponsor. Also Blackmagicdesign and Crestron
CREATE in Denver this October, begins 10/4 and ends 10/6. We have a limited number of free passes and also free invites to the MenuMaster Awards festivities (hundreds of restaurant leaders meet and greet, enjoying free food and drinks at Mile High). As part of CREATE you can view interactive session with Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick on restaurant growth strategies. Other speakers include Blaze Pizza, Chipolte, Popeyes, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chicken Salad Chick, Bloomin Brands, Checkers & Rallys, True Food, McDonalds, Yum! Brands, Domino’s Pizza, Wingstop, Wendys, Hissho Sushi, & Applebee’s Grill & Bar. Contact [email protected] for more info.
M-Enabling Summit in Arlington, VA — Sachin Dev Pavithran, Executive Director U.S. Access Board will be delivering the keynote. We have a table and you can visit with Laura and Matt of Vispero. Contact [email protected] for more info.
NRF in New York in January — preparations are underway for our booth for NRF (and also NRA in Chicago)
“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and to date, the Laredo Regional Food Bank has served an average of 500 families weekly, and at the peak of the pandemic, up to 1000 families per week. During this time, the operations of the food bank changed 100% to drive-through services, resulting in long lines with an average wait time of 3 to 4 hours for services. With AdComp’s new app, the wait times have shortened to an average of 20 to 45 minutes,” said Ms. García. The app was developed and rolled out during her tenure.
With Mastercard dropping the magnetic swipe, non-EMV kiosks like these will upgrade at some point
City governments nationwide are joining a trend to make more cash payment options available to consumers looking to pay their bills, with Chicago undertaking a significant expansion and New York installing new kiosks for the first time next month.
Cities take in more income when consumers have additional ways to pay for parking tickets and taxes, while residents benefit from conveniently placed kiosks that don’t charge them fees and that have access to their data.
Chicago installed another 30 kiosks this summer under a contract with kiosk vendor and software provider CityBase, and plans to pepper the city with 119 kiosks by next June, up from 74 now.
New hospitality kiosk, contactless, which is designed for hotel food pantries and gift shops. Scan below and Pay and Go is the mantra and it makes a lot of sense. Having to wait in line for a bottle of water at the hotel can be a pain and there really is no reason for it. This solution is a cloud-based retail management system that allows associates to scan retail items, apply discounts, and charge to rooms on existing front desk terminals while managers track inventory and report on retail performance from any device.
Automated Retail Management and “Wait To Pay” converted to “Grab and Go”. ShopPoP is an in-store, guest-facing kiosk. It allows guests to truly grab-and-go without assistance reducing typical front desk burdens associated with offering a lobby retail store.
On the technology front these units are utilizing software from KioWare. Saves the solution provider time building their app (and focusing on their app) when a framework like KioWare automatically provides easy development options and built in compliance. QR code used is CR1100.
These people have a wide set of PMS integrations for companies such as Opera, Galaxy and PMI. Processor support comes with CreditCall, Shift4, Datacap Systems, Elavon, Bank of America and Chase Paymentech.
The “computer” is Windows-based and we are getting more details on that as well as enclosure manufacturer.
ShopPoP offered immediate relief, but cross-contamination concerns of touching a screen used by others in a public space grew as Covid cases grew. Impulsify’s development team, in partnership with Kioware (kioware.com), added a scannable QR code to the touchscreen kiosk that converts the guest’s phone screen into a trackpad eliminating the need to physically touch the kiosk to scroll and tap. There is no app download necessary, so the solution is immediately available to those who prefer it.
Contactless Card Reader Background
Ingenico’s PCI-certified unattended credit card terminal ShopPoP relies on for credit card payments already allowed for a contactless experience in the credit card portion of the transaction when NFC (tap) payment options are enabled. For more information here we recommend contacting UCP Unattended Payments. The actual card reader is the iUC285 from Ingenico. Worth noting too that Datacap Systems is one of the supported processors. More specifically Datacap Systems NETePay, though other they could easily also support Shift4, NMI/CreditCall, etc; ie; the list of processors already built into KioWare.
Features
Sleek design in a variety of sizes to accommodate space limitations
More specific details on an implementation schedule, company-owned versus franchisees, new kiosk versus existing kiosks expected prior to NRF 2022 which at the KMA Booth 1606 Storm will be showing the latest in accessibility technology.
Worth noting that in hospitality, Marriott uses the AudioNav now. Airline check-in such as Southwest Airlines has been using for a long time.
Storm Interface is also leading an open conference call later this month which will be a discussion session on strategies for extending accessibility to all manner of self-service. October 28th at 11 am CT. Contact [email protected] for invite. Limited seating available.
The technology will be added to all existing kiosks in company-owned restaurants in California, and 25% of existing kiosks in other U.S. states. [company-owned restaurants]
McDonald’s only operates around 5% of its roughly 14,000 U.S. restaurants, the company said. The rest are run by franchisees.
The company said it would add the new accessibility function to all new kiosks installed in any U.S. restaurant after July 1, including those sold to franchised restaurants.
“Initiatives to improve accessibility to products and information for those with disabilities or impairments should be recognized and applauded”, say Storm Interface.
Storm Interface, manufacturers of the AudioNav system interface, are working with McDonald’s to accelerate improvements in the accessibility of McDonald’s restaurant kiosks. McDonald’s was recently recognized by the National Federation of the Blind for its achievements in accessibility. Storm are pleased to have had an opportunity to work with McDonald’s delivering an effective audible and tactile customer interface.
“From the first meeting it was clear that the McDonald’s team had recognized the challenges faced by those who could not see, read or interact with a touchscreen” said Peter Jarvis SEVP at Storm Interface. “We were (and remain) impressed by their willingness to explore and implement new ideas and new technologies. Storm are delighted that the AudioNav device was chosen by McDonald’s to provide the integrated audio connection and tactile interface for navigation of restaurant menu options.”
“Inclusion is at the core of our values,” said Kelsey Hall, Senior Manager of Global Digital Accessibility at McDonald’s. “Implementing new options for our customers to be able to order independently is vitally important to ensuring the restaurant experience is accessible for everyone.”
Storm Interface’s AudioNav device is currently being deployed to McDonald’s corporate owned stores and select franchise locations across the US.
Background Information:
About Storm Interface
For more than 35 years Storm Interface have designed and manufactured secure, rugged and reliable keypads, keyboards and interface devices. Storm products are built to withstand rough use and abuse in unattended public-use and industrial applications. Storm Assistive Technology Products are recognized by the Royal National Institute of Blind People under their ‘RNIB Tried and Tested’ program. https://www.storm-interface.com
After 8 years of working with JD Sports Fashion plc aiding their #DigitalTransformation that drives their business forward internationally, we are proud to showcase the launch of their new flagship store at Westfield, Stratford which is one of our most technologically advanced builds since developing their NYC and Paris store back in 2020.
We have been working with JD to develop this flagship store for over a year, focusing on creating a captivating and interactive experience for their customers. Adding an additional 80 screens and LED displays to JD’s existing estate of over 3000 live devices around the globe, this store stands as one of our most innovative installations yet. All devices can be controlled through our EvokeCloud CMS that allows users to run bespoke and synchronized campaigns and interactive experiences across a multitude of devices on demand.
We also implemented several Innovative Wall Mounted KPOS Kiosks to assist customers in browsing, ordering, and making contactless payments to minimise the till queues at peak times. This powerful kiosk packs a fully interactive touchscreen display, integrated contactless Chip and PIN, security de-tagging and printer system, utilized to create a seamless consumer journey.
Footwear Order Screens and Software have been added to allow customers to browse, select, order, and try on any footwear using their mobile phone.
The shop looks amazing, well done to everyone involved!
Next Generation interactive experience creation with Intuiface
We welcome Geoffrey and Intuiface as a 2 Year Bronze Sponsor. Very robust authoring environment coupled with rapid application development (aka no coding required — all drag and drop templates). Complete portfolio of project videos to see end results. The extremely wide ecosystem for full-service provider partners is unparalleled in our experience. If you would like an introduction please email [email protected] or call 720-324-1837
With Intuiface, teams of any skill set can create, deploy, and analyze deeply immersive, personalized, multi-channel interactive digital experiences – running in venues, on their websites, and even in local apps – that are responsive to touch, gestures, sensors, voice, computer vision and more.
What Makes Intuiface Unique?
Intuiface began with a passion for digital interactivity that started more than a decade ago.
We’ve combined years of dedicated research and customer feedback to produce the market’s most complete platform.
Try Intuiface for free
100% of Intuiface capability at no cost for one month. Try everything before you buy, no credit card required.
Coin-operated pulse machines were introduced in the early 1880s and have been an integral part of our lives in a variety of ways since that time. The application following their creation was considered significantly diverse, being used for car washes, laundromats, kiddie rides, arcade games, and a variety of other electronically-based systems. The design of these machines were instrumental in revolutionizing the industry of unattended devices, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t without their share of flaws. Coins getting stuck, dollar bill issues, incorrect change on hand from customers, and having to clear out the coin tubs at the end of each day are some of the many challenges that these machines frequently experienced, and it was equally frustrating for both the customer and the service provider. Covid-19 brought along with it a multitude of challenges in all shapes and sizes to countless industries, but it also offered the opportunity for previously unrecognized growth and adaption. In the instance of coin-operated pulse machines, the answer was retrofitting existing machines.
It’s been understood for a considerable amount of time that money is far from being something clean that we should handle on an everyday basis. Studies have found that 3,000 different types of bacteria live on a single $1 bill, and are one of the dirtiest things you touch every day. This is something that we’ve been aware of for quite some time, but not something most of us paid any mind to until once the pandemic began. People have grown exceedingly conscious of the dangers of handling cash, and have quickly lessened or completely ceased their interaction with cash and coins. Looking for a better solution to bacteria-free transactions is where contactless and cashless technology comes into play.
With the EMV certified Trio-IQ from OTI with EVO processing, your basic coin-operated pulse machine is transformed into a powerful and state-of-the-art cashless & contactless pulse machine. This modular combo platform combines telemetry with a 5-in-1 EMV payment reader that offers full integration to your coin-operated pulse machine, even with existing functionality and full payment options. The system even knows how to sample pulses that come in to estimate coin payment counting and monitoring. It’s a standard size and can be retrofitted easily with most existing equipment. The device also has full connectivity options such as Cable, WIFI, BT, and even 4G Networks.
More revenue potential
The smart billing process enables users to easily add more operations to an existing operation and get a single charge for all. This keeps them playing and spending more money rather than losing focus and searching for more change.
Integrated capabilities can also save on outlay. Some machines have need of an additional timer module that can cost up to $700. TRIO-IQ eliminates the need for a separate timer since it is capable of getting input directly from the machine and acting as a timer using its built-in display.
Fully customizable
Integrators love TRIO-IQ because it is easy to customize and configure and thanks to OTI’s open garden approach which provides you with SDKs and APIs.
Payment processes can be configured by the operator at will. Everything can be customized including the messages on the display, the amounts, pulses, coin up or coin down, etc.
In addition, custom configurations and immediate actions can be done remotely. No need to bother going in person to the machine.
New payment channels
TRIO-IQ supports it all; Credit cards/smartphones that support EMV, insert, swipe, tap and QR Code.
The QR Code can be given as a coupon in front of the machine. The TRIO-IQ knows how to read it and send it to the server for approval for further operation.
Reporting
There are various options for reports and notifications. For example, monthly activity reports – allows tracking and control and prevents theft as it happens today in the transfer of cash from the machine to the recipient.
Real-time reporting of faulty equipment enables operators to fix the problem in a timely manner, cutting down on the loss of revenue due to inoperable machines.
The bottom line
To sum up, there are several advantages of retrofitting Pulse Machines for cashless payments.
Adding cashless payment abilities to your coin-operated machine opens up new revenue streams. In the process, by connecting your machine to the cloud, significant cost savings can be achieved by more streamlined and efficient management.
Some research shows enabling cashless payments can increase revenue and profitability by as much as 28%. Consumers are likely to use your machine multiple times in one visit, simply because they don’t need an endless supply of coins or banknotes to feed into the machine.
Connecting your machine to the network allows you to run your machines much more efficiently. Cloud management systems provide real-time status data for each machine. This saves money in two ways; less downtime when a machine is not working and fewer costs servicing the machine.
Because HID is one of the biggest companies selling access readers and cards, the problem is especially significant for many integrators who essentially use HID as a single source.
Industry executives tell us the global supply issue is a huge problem across the board in security, and HID is just one example of the supply issue problems the global economy is dealing with. However, HID’s dominance in access control exacerbates problems for this market.
We held our quarterly call via Teams October 28th.
In attendance:
Access Board
The NFB
The Lighthouse for the BLind
American Council of the Blind
Open Doors
Goldstein & Levy
William Goren Associates
KioWare
KIOSK Information Systems
Pyramid Computer
Vispero
Kiosk Group
Tech For All
Storm Interface
Dynatouch
Dolphin Computer Access
NCR
Frank Mayer
We will issue a more formal response to action items and directions but to address some.
The Access Board mentioned another round of rulemaking regarding kiosks is on the table. We’ve noted the timeframe and announcement in our Kiosk ADA FAQ
Several in the audience were unaware that the KMA Code of Practice has been publicly available for download since Feb2021. It is in a redacted form without the legalese and in plain English. This is also listed in our Kiosk ADA FAQ
The call went over 90 minutes and was very instructive. The comments by the Access Board were very helpful as were inputs from the legal law establishment (Goldstein & Levy as well as Goren Associates).
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) requests public comments on the Draft of Promoting Access to Voting: Recommendations for Addressing Barriers to Private and Independent Voting for People with Disabilities. Under Executive Order 14019 on Promoting Access to Voting, NIST is directed to identify barriers to private and independent voting for people with disabilities, make recommendations to remove these barriers, and evaluate the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities. The Draft is available in the Federal Register.
The Draft was developed by NIST using information collected through the Request for Information that was published in the Federal Register on June 16, 2021, reviews of reports, papers and other literature, and engagement with stakeholder organizations and election officials. NIST is seeking comment on the Draft from persons with disabilities, disability advocacy groups, assistive technology vendors and professionals, non-partisan voting promotion groups, voting technology vendors, election officials, and other stakeholders.
Public comments must be received by 5:00 pm ET on November 22, 2021. Comments may be submitted at www.regulations.gov under NIST-2021-0005-0001 or by email at [email protected]. Complete instructions for comment submission can be found in the Federal Register notice. For questions about this request for public comment, contact Kevin Mangold, NIST, by phone at 1-301-975-5628 or email [email protected]. Users of telecommunication devices for the deaf, or a text telephone, may call the Federal Relay Service at 1-800-877-8339.
Comments for Next Rulemaking Session
You are welcome to submit suggestions and comments for the U.S. Access Board to consider during their next rulemaking session for kiosks and self-service. You also have until November 20th to make add comments for Voting and Accessibility — here is the Google form
We are doing an in-depth article on CR+M but not surprisingly Sixteen:Nine published an insightful post on new public safety kiosk from CR+M.
In Brief
LA-area manufacturer Olea working with Community Response + Mitigation – on an outdoor-rated dual-sided 55-inch display totem that has a keyed locker on one side that stores items like bleed kits, heart paddle kits, ballistic shields and other life-saving equipment that first responders need when they find themselves working an active shooter incident or other emergencies.
Defined as forward operating post for first responders
What we found interesting insight — The company sells a variety of items, including lockers and cabinets that don’t incorporate screens. But I find this approach interesting because I could see media companies and large venue operators that sell their own media and promotion time having an interest in these. I could be corrected, but the smart city thing being sold by media companies as a way to win ad concessions hasn’t really played out. Justifying the presence of ad screens – and I know this will come across as a little cynical – may be easier when the presence of the screens is positioned as helping first responders and the public.
Special Announcement from The Industry Group – November 8, 2021 — this is the newsletter sent by KI
NRF Awards PopID
See information posted on NRF Big Show Website . The kiosk association in conjunction with Datacap has nominated PopID Pay-By-Face as a candidate for Best Payment Innovation. Please visit and vote so we can help promote contactless payment options such as this for a myriad of industries. This is a current solution already deployed and being deployed nationwide. It is not a trial balloon or idea.
About — PopID is a universal gateway for verifying an individual’s identity based on their face. Applications such as loyalty, payment and entry are available. PopID has various enter-by-face and pay-by-face solutions, PopPay. Ideal for retail and restaurants, PopPay can be used at drive-thrus, cashier/counter spaces, pay-at-table or via unattended kiosks.
Testimonial — An example of one of PopID’s many locations, Daddy’s Chicken Shack (located in Old Pasadena, California), implemented PopID’s kiosks early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Owner Chris Georgalas commented “We brought PopID’s kiosks in a few months into the pandemic, partly to act as a physical barrier between people and partly to help ease the ordering process… There’s no touching, there’s nothing whatsoever for [the customer] to do. I think it’s just amazing.”
CraigK in Denver
Craig Keefner | 720-324-1837 | [email protected] | LinkedIn (feel free to connect)
See The Industry Group website for a complete list of all self-service-related verticals that we inform and educate on. McDonalds kiosks, PCI EMV, ADA, digital signage and more.
Vote for PopID Best Payment Innovation for NRF 2022
PASADENA, Calif. & TOKYO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–PopID, Japan Computer Vision (“JCV”, a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp), and Wendy’s First Kitchen (“WFK”) announced today the launch of PopPay – PopID’s face-recognition-based ordering and payment system – in Tokyo, Japan. As a first step in the launch, Wendy’s First Kitchen locations in Akasaka Mitsuke, Shibuya Center, and Jiyugaoka will begin accepting payments using PopPay, representing the first time a QSR chain in Japan is accepting payments authenticated using a customer’s face.
“We believe that PopPay is a safer, more convenient, and faster way for our customers to order and pay. We will work together with our partner companies to make this payment method the one that our customers prefer”
Using the new system, WFK’s customers will be able to link their face to a credit card or First Kitchen prepaid card and then pay by simply smiling at a camera-equipped tablet connected to a self-ordering kiosk manufactured by PLANET Co. Ltd. (“PLANET”). They will also be able to see their order history to simplify their ordering experiences. In cases where consumers’ hands are full or when they don’t have their wallets with them, they will be able to make payments without the need for cash or a mobile phone.
“We believe that PopPay is a safer, more convenient, and faster way for our customers to order and pay. We will work together with our partner companies to make this payment method the one that our customers prefer,” said a spokesperson from WFK. “In the near future, we would like to upgrade the system so that customers can enjoy even more of the benefits of being a loyal customer with just one look, even if they come to the store empty-handed.”
PLANET and JCV have jointly developed a hospitality solution that uses face recognition technology to simplify transactions in restaurants, solve problems, and strengthen the creation of new points of contact with customers.
Building on their success with WFK, PopID and JCV, (a subsidiary of SoftBank Corp.), will collaborate to pursue additional business opportunities aimed at providing the PopPay platform to other restaurant and retail businesses in Japan.
Andrew Schwabecher, CEO of JCV said, “Hundreds of brands now accept PopPay in the United States, and we have witnessed exponential growth in consumer usage.” He also said, “We have worked closely with the PopID engineering team to customize the platform for the Japanese market, and we expect businesses and consumers in Japan to embrace PopPay as a better way to transact.”
In Asia, face pay has recently exploded as the preferred payment method for consumers, because it is more convenient and secure. “Multinational financial institutions believe that face pay is likely to become a global standard, because it is the most effective way to prevent payment fraud,” said John Miller, CEO of PopID. He also said, “Outside of the US market, we will create open loop platforms for banks, wallets, and other payment companies to enable consumers to link any payment system to their faces to spend against.”
In addition, a presentation for the media regarding this initiative (co-hosted by First Kitchen and JCV) is scheduled for December 1, 2021 (Wednesday).
About PopID
PopID provides a trusted and secure platform that enables businesses to give their customers and employees the option of authenticating their identity using advanced facial recognition.
Coffee is just one deliverable. A complete range of other “related” goods such as protein bars, chewing gum, salads and sandwiches available
Stores like these will have longer hours. That counts.
Decor set for solo workers but also group meetings
Key Points
Starbucks is opening a pick-up cafe in midtown Manhattan with Amazon that uses the retail giant’s cashierless technology.
It’s the latest step in Starbucks’ strategy to update its store footprint to meet consumers’ changing habits.
The first Starbucks Pickup with Amazon Go location opens Thursday in New York City on 59th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues, and two more are planned over the next year.
Excerpt
Click for full size Amazon Go Check-in KIosk
When customers enter the new store, they’ll first see a counter to pick up the drinks they preordered using the Starbucks mobile app. A digital screen hanging above the counter shows which orders are still being made by baristas.
To take advantage of the convenience of Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology, customers can use the palm of their hand, if they’re already registered with Amazon One. Otherwise they can use an in-store code from the Amazon app or insert their credit card. A kiosk near the entry allows customers to join Amazon One by inserting a credit card and scanning their hand.
DENVER, Colo., Nov. 23, 2021 — November news from the Industry Group and Kiosk Association. Events and Features This Month: First Responder Lockers and Kiosk; Bill Payment Kiosk Review; and McDonalds Deploys Accessibility to self-order kiosks. PRNewswire and APnews
Events and Features This Month
* First Responder Lockers and Kiosk — Our feature story on innovative new public safety lockers and kiosks from CR+M. The CR+M digital kiosk stores five CR+M belts, each containing five STOP THE BLEED® kits as well as a breaching tool and a ballistic shield. The units also provide a highly valuable real-time digital bulletin board, branding and advertising tool.
* Bill Payment Kiosk Review – an onsite review, photo gallery and discussion of 2021 payment stations used in retail telecom stores such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Xfinity Comcast.
* McDonalds Deploys Accessibility to self-order kiosks — McDonalds will deploy accessibility to all owned stores by the end of the year and any new deployments to franchise stores will come with accessibility included. Featured is the integration of the JAWS screen reader and the AudioPad hardware assistive technology.
NRF in New York January — We will be showcasing accessibility in multiple form factors and in the POS space. As part of the show, the KMA and Datacap Systems have nominated PopID in the Best Payment Innovation award category. As of September 2021, PopID announced that more than 100 restaurants and retail brands now accept PopPay throughout Southern California with around 70,000 registered users and more than four million facial authentications.
The Kiosk Manufacturer Association is now a member of the Digital Signage Federation — From KMA.global
As part of our continued involvement with interactive digital signage the Kiosk Association has joined the Digital Signage Federation as a dues-paying member. The Industry Group already has dedicated multiple digital signage channels covering digital signage, menu boards, media players and new touchscreen technologies.
Here is background on the organization
Who we are
We are the only not-for-profit independent voice of the digital signage industry, reflecting the diverse constituencies that make up our industry. Our goal is to continue building a strong foundation for the advancement of the industry. To this end, we partner with our members and key organizations to provide education, networking, and advocacy to continue moving the growth of the industry forward. So whether you are launching a new ad-based network or you’ve been around since the inception of digital signage, our hope is that you will find the resources you need to thrive.
How it works
The DSF is governed by a Board of Directors, a volunteer member board that is elected by the DSF membership in an annual election. The board consists of an Executive Committee-Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, and Immediate Past Chairman, all of whom serve one-year terms in their roles. At-Large Directors are elected to two year terms on a rotating basis, so that there are four or five directors each year who rotate on/off the board. All of the association’s projects and initiatives are board-driven and supported. Outside of the Board of Directors are our Committees that execute the board’s strategic initiatives throughout the year. Committees consist of additional volunteer members who have raised their hand and give their time to work on these events and projects.
Our volunteers are our lifeblood – without them, we simply wouldn’t exist.
What we do
DSF has a host of projects and initiatives that are going on at all times. We host Regional Networking Events, attend various industry shows, offer educational opportunities, provide industry research, promote our members in a variety of ways, and offer business opportunities to our members. We are the exclusive association sponsor of the Digital Signage Expo, the largest digital signage trade show in the world, and our official certification program is with the Digital Signage Experts Group (DSEG). We are always seeking ways to improve and advance our members and the industry. If you have an idea, send it our way.
Why us?
Because the digital signage industry needs an independent voice. Since our inception in 2010, the DSF has tirelessly worked to promote the industry as a whole. We established Privacy Standards that have since been cited in national publications and before Congress. We established the DSF In-Forum to provide end users a business tool to freely and easily source RFPs for their projects. We established the Seal of Professional Excellence to provide a graphic representation of our members’ commitment to excellence in business practices. We provide monthly educational opportunities in a variety of formats to provide learning opportunities and conversations around topics and case studies important to the industry.
Comments – Latest outdoor display model in stock now, offering improved brightness output and thermal performance for full sun usage with key network control and operating system updates. Operationally designed and tested is more reliable than incomplete specs. McDonalds suffered display failures in California. The display and specs were exemplary (Samsung OH55s) however those were not a silver bullet by themselves. See reverse case study.
With an unmatched ingress protection (IP) rating and award-winning feature set, the new XHB553 is lighter in weight with significant mechanical and operating system enhancements that include thermal load diffusion, customized brightness scheduling, auto-source switching, power saving, and pixel shifting, to name a few. Even better – it is fan cooled to reduce heat build-up caused by thermal load from extended exposure to direct heat – The operating temperature remains the widest in the industry, ranging from -31°F to 140°F!
Peerless-AV’s Market Leading 55″ Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display Now Enhanced for Peak Performance in Hotter Climates
AURORA, Ill – December 7, 2021 – Peerless-AV®, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of the highest quality audio and video solutions and accessories, has announced the availability of the new generation 55″ Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display for all-weather, extreme temperature applications. The new XHB553 retains an unmatched ingress protection (IP) rating and award-winning feature set, but is now lighter in weight with significant mechanical and operating system enhancements that include thermal load diffusion, customized brightness scheduling, auto-source switching, power saving, and pixel shifting, to name a few.
To address performance requirements in hotter ‘desert’ or sunnier climates, the new XHB553 outdoor display is fan-cooled to reduce heat build-up caused by thermal load from extended exposure to direct sunlight. The display’s operating temperature remains the widest in the industry, ranging from -31°F to 140°F (-35°C to 60°C) and the patented thermal exhaust system keeps internal components cooled in extreme heat. It also offers 2500nits of light output and an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts brightness to match time of day conditions, thus reducing light pollution in evening hours and optimizing power consumption.
Click for full-size image — Outdoor Display Peerless-AV
The XHB553 is now 25% lighter than the previous generation 55″ and includes a gyroscopic sensor that detects any movement of the display. The XHB553’s IP66 rated design protects against the ingress of water, dust, dirt, moisture, and insects, and an IK10, tempered cover glass offers protection against vandalism and debris.
Additional new features include upgrades to the display’s network access and control functionality, as well as key operating system extras:
Auto-Source Switching: Allows the user to set the display to search for a secondary content signal if the main source fails, ensuring zero display downtime
Power Scheduling: Allows the user to set a specific frequency time and date for the display to turn on and off automatically
Brightness Scheduling: Eco and custom settings allow the user to use predetermined modes that set the backlight level intensity according to time of day, an important feature at night where regulations dictate brightness of digital signage, especially near roadsides
Power Save Mode: Allows the user to set the time for the display to power down or go to sleep mode if no content signal is present; The LAN port can also be set to passive or active mode to reduce power consumption when the display is not active
Pixel Shifting: Useful if using static content to avoid image retention; Horizontal or vertical shifting of an image can be set to a specific frequency
“Peerless-AV prides itself on providing the best possible solutions for our consumers, constantly thinking of ways to update or improve products to better suit the consumer’s needs,” said Nick Belcore, Executive Vice President, Peerless-AV. ” With an increased demand for outdoor displays built to last through extreme weather, sun exposure, cold, and more, we designed the XHB553 to excel and perform to the highest of standards in all weather conditions.”
The Xtreme™ High Bright Outdoor Display can be much more than a standalone unit. Peerless-AV also designs and manufactures stylish, fully integrated kiosk solutions, including Outdoor Smart City Kiosks (KOP2555-XHB) and Outdoor Digital Menu Boards (KOF555-1/2/3).
Grocer partners with InnerScope to provide customers with free access to hearing tests. Considering the aging population and the market for hearing enhancement this is akin to offering jewelry. Playing catchup to Costco perhaps. Progressive Grocer posted this.
The initial rollout of the digital kiosks are in the pharmacy department of the following Giant Eagle stores:
100 Settlers Ridge Center Dr., Pittsburgh
4010 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville, Pa.
30275 Detroit Rd., Westlake, Ohio
1700 Corporate Woods Parkway, Uniontown, Ohio
6700 Perimeter Loop, Dublin, Ohio
840 W. 3rd Ave., Columbus, Ohio
InnerScope and Giant Eagle will continue to strategically deploy the hearing kiosks within Giant Eagle’s more than 470 locations.
Good to see a point of view from Square. The reports include quite a bit of data. Wakefield did the work for them. They do multiple “Future Of” sectors such as Commerce, Retail and Restaurants. See the Town Square area of Square. Square is a big cheerleader for QR codes for sure. They make no mention of biometrics or facial we note. They include building community involvement and likely that entails spending time and money on social channels we would guess. Related of interest:
The Kiosk Manufacturer Association has arranged for a discount on the most recent IHL POS/mPOS market research report.
Future of Restaurants Market Report for 2022 Square
Excerpts:
79% of customers say that they’d prefer to order via online kiosks rather than directly through staff — and not just for fast food. 45% of customers prefer it for casual dining and 21% prefer it for fine dining.
Self-serve ordering exploded in popularity during the pandemic as a way to reduce contact between staff and customers. Over the past year both customers and restaurants have experienced its benefits. Customers don’t have to wait for staff to take their orders and payments. Restaurants are
able to turn tables faster, and recent Square data show that businesses average a 35% increase in sales within the first 30 days after they implement
self-serve ordering with QR codes.
11% of customers would avoid a restaurant with no digital menus
45% of restaurants say that they plan to offer QR code menus even after COVID subsides.
94% of restaurants surveyed say that they currently offer contactless payment options.
52% of restaurants surveyed say that they plan to offer tableside payment options.
