From bill payments and bookings to queue management, self service kiosks are used by tens of thousands of businesses around the world for thousands of common tasks and processes.

Installing self service kiosks in your business is a great way to reduce queues, lower your staffing requirements and reduce expenses. However, kiosks need to be used in the right way to encourage customers to interact with them.

In this blog post, we’ll share five simple tactics that you can use to make your kiosks more appealing for customers and increase the number of people that use your self service kiosks.

Use an intuitive, user-friendly interface

Although kiosks have become significantly more popular over the last decade, they are still new and unfamiliar for some shoppers. Using an intuitive, simple interface makes interacting with a kiosk easier for first-timers.

Use large text in your kiosk to increase readability and large buttons that make it as easy as possible for customers to operate. Remember that now all of your customers will be confident using a touchscreen kiosk and that a simple UI can be very helpful.

Provide plenty of help and guidance

Many shoppers avoid using kiosks because they’re concerned that they won’t know how to operate them. Make your kiosk more enticing by providing detailed help and instructions so that anyone – young or old – can use it.

Simple step-by-step guides for your kiosk’s most common actions are the ideal way to simplify operating your kiosk. Once customers have used it once, they’ll know the basics of operating your kiosk and won’t hesitate to use it again.

Keep offering over-the-counter support

Most customers will be happy to save time by using a kiosk, but many still prefer to make purchases or inquiries over the counter. Continue offering over-the-counter support for shoppers to make them feel more at home and comfortable.

Think of self service kiosks as a way to reduce your staffing requirements, not to cut them entirely. Shoppers that prefer over-the-counter support also benefit from self service kiosks, since they reduce the time they’ll spend waiting in line.

Offer a choice of frequently used languages

In regions where multiple languages are spoken, it’s worth offering your self service kiosk interface in more than one language. This is particularly important if you offer a product or service that attracts an international audience.

From bill payment systems to retail check outs, try to offer at least the three or four most common languages for your region. Many people will be more confident when using your kiosk if it’s available in their native language.

Position your kiosks out of the way

Kiosks should be positioned similarly to checkouts – in an area that’s convenient for customers yet out of the way of most foot traffic. When people have plenty of space, they’ll feel more comfortable using your self service kiosks.

If your kiosks are positioned close to a retail checkout, consider setting them off to the side so that kiosk users don’t feel crowded or compelled to rush through their transaction due to queues or foot traffic.