The three criteria for a successful kiosk deployment

Those who have used them may find kiosks easy to operate and an improvement in customer service, but retailers need to carefully analyze where they deploy kiosks, says Tim Peterson, director of kiosk marketing for Dayton, OH-based NCR Corp.

The three criteria for a successful kiosk deployment, Peterson says, are that kiosks be used for a high-frequency transaction, that they provide value to both the customer and the business and that they automate a task that the business wants automated.

A perfect example, he notes, is self-checkout at supermarkets, where customers are dealing with mostly low-value items and where speeding the process is perceived as a customer benefit. “Self-checkout for VCRs at Circuit City would not be a good idea,” Peterson says.

Other good examples would include government-installed kiosks for drivers to pay parking tickets or renew licenses. If such a system doesn’t work for the occasional customer, “there’s no severe penalty involved,” Peterson says.