Kiosks can improve customer service, says an NCR survey

Consumers associate web-based, self-service kiosks with improved customer service, says a new survey from kiosk manufacturer NCR Corp. Among those who have used kiosks, 57% say they improve customer service. ”People are comfortable with the technology,” says Tim Peterson, director of kiosk marketing for Dayton, OH-based NCR. “The Internet has proliferated to such an extent that people are comfortable getting information for themselves.”

Consumers also find kiosks easy to use, says the survey. On a scale of 1 (very complicated) to 5 (very simple), 68% of users find them very simple (44%) or simple (24%) to use. "People are so used to using ATMs, pay-at-the-pump devices and self-checkout at supermarkets that they don’t find other kiosks difficult to use,” Peterson says.

However, only 17% of consumers have used a self-service kiosk so far. Of those 17%, 46% have used a kiosk at a mall, 39% at a grocery store and 35% at an airport. Younger consumers are more comfortable with kiosks than older.