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CETW11: 3 ways self-service enhances the customer experience

Attendees learned about three successful self-service deployments.

November 8, 2011

It's no secret that self-service solutions enhance the customer experience, but deploying a successful platform can be difficult.

In a panel at CETW 2011 this week in New York, representatives from three major companies — Coca Cola, Avis Budget and BETTING — spoke about their experiences with launching or redesigning kiosks to better target their consumers.

Coca Cola recently rolled out a new interactive vending machine with a 46-inch touchscreen that allows customers to not only buy sodas, but also to play games and watch videos and commercials.

Consumers today want more than simply feeding their money into a machine to receive a soda, said Jeff Busch, director of foodservice and on-premise equipment commercialization, Coca-Cola North America.

"Our goal is to make vending a destination," he said. "That experience needs to be unique, and in order to that you have to keep content fresh."

What Coke learned from its initial launch

The company learned that self-service projects need to be simple, yet customizable.

"We learned that consumers are smart," said Jeff Busch, director of foodservice and on-premise equipment commercialization, Coca-Cola North America. For example, the first models had instructions on how to operate the kiosks, but consumers didn't need them. The more simple a kiosk interface, the easier it will be for consumers to operate.

That being said, customization is still key.

"What makes this an easy sell for us is the fact that every machine has a PC, every machine is wireless. That means every machine has its own IP address. We have the ability to go to a college campus and run content differently from a mall or an amusement park," he said.

Although being unique is important, it's important not to get too fancy. Simplicity is best, according to Busch.

"I always like to say,  'it's customization in a box,'" Busch said. "You don't want to get to out there because you don't want that consumer experience to be so different from point to point that they get confused. So, we give structure around it but provide flexibility within that structure."

Consumers love the kiosk, according to Bucsh, who said that sales have increased at each location that has the new machine.

"Wherever I plug this machine in, I guarantee a line," he said. "There's just something about it — to have that line tell us we are on to something."

Colonial Downs

Colonial Downs, a horse racetrack in Virginia, hoping to give betters an easy way to gamble inside bars and restaurants, embarked on a kiosk project of its own in 2009.

"All we had was an idea," said Ian Stewart, CEO of Colonial Downs, who partnered with NCR to develop the kiosks. The challenge was finding a way to ID consumers and also allow them to fund accounts. The companies came up with a kiosk that has a card reader to read gamblers' licenses and then allows them to fund their accounts and place bets within 4 minutes. They can also watch the races on the machines.

Although the initial deployment consisted of only 10 machines, the kiosks are now in 70 locations throughout Virginia. Before the kiosk deployment, Colonial Downs was the smallest account wagering company in the state; it's now the largest.

"We continue to grow," Stewart said.

Looking back, Stewart said he would have brought in someone to coordinate the entire process to make it go more smoothly. He also said the company should have better understood the software license issues, but he's happy with the deployment overall.

"It really shows that you can turn an idea into reality," he said.

Avis Budget Group

Avis Budget Group is always looking to help customers rent cars as quickly and as easily as possible, said John Turato, VP Technology, Avis Budget Group. Although the company has used kiosks for line-busting for years, it never really focused on the customer experience.

"How do you create a user experience when (customers) are rushing out the door?" he asked.

The company realized that the best way to help customers was to offer them several service options whether it's at-the-counter, a kiosk, online or via a mobile app.

"We are going to reengage with our customers and know them on a personal basis," Turato said. "Our strategy is to not only process transactions quickly but to customize the car rental experience for you."

From an IT perspective, Turato said, the idea is to provide the right level of technology at the point of need. Although Avis once heavily relied on kiosks, it is now refocusing to offer more mobile services.

Avis on Location, for example, is a new program that allows customers to rent and return vehicles on corporate campuses at virtually any location. Business travelers simply use their smartphones to reserve, pick up and return rental vehicles and an electronic receipt is automatically issued when the rental is completed.

"The mobile device has become the kiosk, and I think that's the trend you should all be aware of and start planning for," Turato said.