Kiosks Serve The Customer
Kiosk models dispense gift cards, offer product equipment assistance

By Jeffrey Steele

Originally featured in:
P-O-P Design
Vol. 15, No. 1
January/February 2008
An official news publication of the In-Store Marketing Institute
popdesign.com

PORTSMOUTH, R.I. – Consumers wanting more control over the shopping experience will appreciate two new retail kiosks developed by Self-Service Networks. Introduced in October, they are the Thule Interactive Point of Purchase (TIPP) automated fit guide and the Electronic Gift Card Dispensing (EGCD) kiosk.

Both solutions were tailored to fit the needs of specific clients, says Self-Service Networks’ Rick Wessels, executive vice president – TIPP for Thule Inc., and EGCD for Stored Value Systems, a division of Comdata.

TIPP is a self-service, touchscreen kiosk with a printer, helpingconsumers quickly match appropriate Thule rack systems to their specific vehicles and gear-carrying needs. Customers are presented with a detailed shopping list for quick and easy selection of appropriate Thule products. The stand-up unit measures 24 inches wide, 54 inches high and 18 inches deep. Both stand-up and endcap models include a retailer’s pricing and SKUs.

The EGCD kiosk enables consumers to buy multiple gift cards in a single self-service transaction, and activates cards as they are dispensed. The unit is 71 inches high, 20 inches wide and 16.5 inches deep. Gift card transactions are processed through a partner network.

The Self-Service Networks Support Team centrally manages both units. InReach, its remote monitoring and content management software, ensures that each kiosk performs optimally. If need arises, Self-Service Networks enlists a proven group of nationwide on-site support providers to service the kiosks, Wessels says.

“Self-Service Networks manages every element of clients’ self-service initiative,” he adds. “Many self-service providers offer one piece of a self-service solution, such as just the hardware or software. We create initial consultation through installation and ongoing maintenance.”

To give clients solutions matched to their needs, Self-Service Networks contracts with various manufacturers and kiosk enclosure developers. This enables the company to provide kiosk enclosures and internal peripherals offering clients flexible, scalable self-service solutions usable across their entire retail sales networks.