Rising Tide Self-Service Digital Signage: Why Dive in?

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Should it be due to perceived public attitude towards touch screens, employee job security, unfamiliarity with new solutions, or mere insensitivity towards providing more effective customer service, there are a handful of reasons why you might be letting the grass grow under your feet when it comes to adding self-service digital signage to your business. But unless you are holding a joker close to your chest that can turn the tables upside down, the obvious next move in the game of customer service has to be adopting self-service digital signage. What are the grounds for this claim? Read on.

Self-Service Solutions. The time is right

Today, everything is pointed towards the undeniable necessity of self-service solutions. Start with the impact of the pandemic. The popularity of public touchscreens may have seemed to wane along with the rising stigma against physical contact with just about anything outside our homes. But the ironic reality is that we are in need of those digital solutions more than ever with our altered lifestyle and the measures imposed on businesses such as capacity limits. Self-service kiosks are safer as they moderate the risk of human-to-human disease transmission when used with proper sanitation measures such as the use of disinfectant solutions, distancing, and touchless interactive options.

Besides, let’s set the record straight. Despite all the controversy around public touchscreens, haven’t we already grown comfortable with different forms of self-service experiences such as BOPIS (Buy online, pick up in-store) kiosks and QSR self-ordering kiosks? Although self-service digital signs have already long penetrated our daily lives, they have recently solidified their role as the most accurate and controllable alternative to direct human-to-human interaction in the wake of the pandemic.  

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With Digital signage technologies we can’t blame the tools

One factor that could hinder the adoption of self-service digital signage is the lack of technology awareness. But the encouraging news is that today’s tech is not just for the tech-savvy anymore. With the choice of the right audience engagement platform, businesses can not only provide self-service solutions more easily than ever, but they can also adopt countless technologies, including sensors, deep learning computer vision, audience analytics, touch simulation, and mobile device integration, bringing customer service to the next level. Find here a list of self-service digital signage technologies available for in-venue deployments.

This “multi-mode experience” example, created using Intuiface, illustrates how both touch and touch alternatives can be incorporated into a self-service experience using Intuiface software. This example includes, as a complement to touch:

• Motion detection
• Speech recognition 
• Web triggers (enabling captured speech to trigger particular actions)
  
  

Self-service kiosks & signage lets customers help themselves

Self-service and customer service: Some might think that these two things are of opposite nature, believing self-service takes place in the absence of customer service. But many studies hint that the best customer service is what empowers modern customers to seek out solutions for themselves while providing the right tools that enable an efficient and gratifying customer journey.  

• Across industries, 81% of all customers attempt to take care of matters themselves before reaching out to a live representative. (source)
• Over 50% of customers think it’s important to solve product issues themselves rather than rely on customer service. (source)
• 79% say they expect organizations to provide self-service support tools to help customers find answers without having to contact support. (source)
• 77% say that they view organizations more positively if they offer self-service options for customers looking for support. (source)
• 77% of consumers would be very or somewhat comfortable in a retail setting where only self-checkout technology was offered. (source)
• 66%of shoppers preferred self-service kiosks, and self-checkout is by far the most preferred solution. (source)

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Is digital self-service signage the best customer service?

Digital self-service signage is quickly picking up momentum as an essential form of customer service. The pandemic era urges its adoption, while technological availability and customer expectation propels its employment. On the other hand, there are important things to keep in mind and to implement before you include it in your customer service offerings. 

• Usability: Make the self-service experience user friendly. Remember self-service means no service if it’s useless and discourages audiences from using it. Aim for a design and interactive approach that is intuitive, familiar, and accessible to all people. To learn more, get our free ebook “10 design principles you need to know when creating multi-touch experiences.”
• It’s all about constant improvement: like customer service, self-service digital signage needs to be reassessed and improved throughout its lifespan. You don’t just set-up the solution and then abandon it. For modern self-service deployments to stay relevant and effective, they have to be monitored and reviewed regularly. Sure, you are right to wonder if the implied work is more trouble than it’s worth, but it doesn’t have to be if you choose the right software that can minimize the labor throughout design, frequent iterations, deployment, and assessment through performance analytics.
• Help users experience your own brand through the digital solution. Part of the reason why some digital signage solutions fail to engage with their audiences is the lack of consideration for aspects beyond functionality such as unique and immersive design or data-driven and personalized content. In order to achieve this, choose an audience engagement platform  that provides the freedom of design, audience analysis, and extensive content and hardware connectivity.

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