Why Full Service Is The New Self-Service
By John Roach, Editor, Retail Solutions Online
Maybe it was the stunningly sunny Las Vegas weather, but optimism abounded at the KioskCom Self-Service Expo and the Digital Signage Show, held together at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center this week. The buzz from the event centered on the industry's continued technological innovation and the new opportunities it offers retailers.
The event's message this year was straightforward: Self-service and digital signage present retailers the dual benefits of revenue generation and cost savings, a knockout two-fer in a difficult economy. "Investments in self-service and digital signage, even in down times, can lead to transformative results," Nanonation founder, president, and CEO Bradley Walker said in the show's opening remarks.
Keynote speaker Josh Weiss offered proof of self-service's transformative power in his presentation, "Full-Service Self-Service." Weiss, managing director of Delta.com, self-service, and CRM for Delta Air Lines, touched on customers' changing attitudes that airlines and retailers alike have faced. For example, just 13 years ago, none of Delta's bookings came from self-service or online options; today, 80% of the airline's reservations worldwide come from kiosks and the company Web site.
Delta's self-service challenge was one that's common to retailers as well: growing globally while maintaining a best-in-class cost structure. The company's response, according to Weiss, was "to use self-service technology to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base." He noted that these seven keys were critical to Delta's successful self-service implementation:
- Personalize offerings to increase revenue.
- Create consistent user experiences across channels.
- Increase customer adoption through design and usability testing.
- Modify existing processes to increase adoption.
- Adopt new technologies to streamline processes.
- Resolve quickly any problems during service failures.
- Leverage technology as a brand differentiator.
The varied product offerings throughout KioskCom and Digital Signage Show exhibit hall highlighted the full range of self-service and digital signage technologies available to help retailers initiate these actions. (I'll provide a more detailed report on the products I saw in an upcoming story.) For example, retailers are now implementing interactive video cameras on kiosks, enabling company experts to address specific customer questions in real time. Such direct customer interaction offers retailers the potential for greater upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
"Why do we call these products self-service?" Fujitsu America marketing VP Peter Wolf asked rhetorically. "These days, consumers get the complete full-service treatment. And the applications are going to continue to become more sophisticated."
The self-service and digital signage space continues to evolve and expand, making the title of Weiss' keynote even more apropos. Smart retailers will look for creative ways to capitalize on these continued advancements.
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