6 Benefits of Self-Ordering Kiosks Over Traditional Cashiers

Did you know about 93% of customers are likely to return if the customer service experience is a good one? In modern retail businesses, the ordering experience is a big chunk of customer service. From a business perspective, it becomes very important for this to go as smoothly as possible. 

Self-ordering kiosks play a major role in making the ordering process more satisfactory for customers, but they don’t stop there! There are plenty of benefits of investing in self-ordering kiosks for businesses as well. Let’s take a look.

Customer Experience

As already mentioned, customer service is everything for any business. Self-ordering kiosks make the ordering process a lot more seamless and efficient because there’s no need for customers to rely on another person. 

An automated process also means that they are able to take their time with selecting what they want, and personalizing their order to their taste. Menus on self-ordering kiosks will usually also have information that customers may want to know beforehand. This could be allergens or nutritional information that can affect their buying decision. You can also engineer the menu specifically to encourage more profitable orders.

Self-ordering frees customers of the dependence on cashiers and the judgment that comes with human-human interaction. This ultimately boosts their satisfaction.

Order Accuracy

Nothing frustrates a customer more than getting their order wrong. With a traditional cashier, the likelihood of making mistakes is a lot higher. This is particularly true during rush hours when there is a long list of orders to get through.

About 17% of customers are likely to leave after a single bad experience, and you definitely don’t want to risk that! With automation, you don’t have to worry about a machine getting an order wrong, no matter how many orders it has to take. 

While mistakes can still happen when the order is being processed by a person, the order that goes through is exactly as the customer had input it. 

Contactless Service

Not all customers like engaging with another person while shopping. This could be for any number of reasons: a bad day, social anxiety, the pandemic – the list could go on! Self-service doesn’t require another person around, and customers can do their ordering and shopping in peace. 

Collecting Data For Service Improvement

Self-ordering kiosks are also a great way for businesses to collect insightful data. While sales data is input into the system regardless, there is a high chance that customer behavior changes when dealing with another person. 

For example, some people may order less food if they feel that they may be judged for eating too much. 

As such, the data you get from traditional cashiers may not always be an accurate representation of your customer base.

On the other hand, when there is no human interaction involved, the data you collect will paint a more accurate picture of your customers’ preferences. It will also give extra information, such as the busiest time of the day, or the most-ordered product.

Using this, you can make informed business decisions.

Boosting Profits

A major benefit that self-ordering kiosks offer businesses is a boost in profits. For one thing, using a self-ordering kiosk reduces the cost of hiring labor to do the same task. For each 24-hour cycle, you’ll need at least two people to man the register, but that job can be carried out by a single kiosk. 

On top of that, with better customer experience and faster ordering, the process becomes a lot more streamlined and efficient. Not only does it provide customers with their orders faster, but it also reduces the time spent waiting in lines – something that can make about 75% of customers leave the restaurant.

Automation also means that upselling becomes a lot easier and more effective. In fact, customers are likely to spend about 10-12% more when self-ordering, than when dealing with a cashier.

Centralized Management

Self-ordering kiosks do a lot more than just manage orders, though many people may not be aware of it until they actually use them. These kiosks will also manage inventory, control pricing, and determine what products and advertisements are being displayed. 

They can also keep track of customer habits and display personalized options that cater to their preferences, thus building loyalty and encouraging purchases.

To top it off, since self-ordering kiosks run on POS systems that are connected via the Internet, they can all be managed remotely, from anywhere. This is particularly useful for franchisees who own franchises in more than one location since you can take control from anywhere.

With technology now entering every aspect of our lives, it’s no surprise that it has taken over the ordering process as well. While there are benefits to having traditional cashiers as well, self-service options hold their own space in business and customer service and are likely here to stay.