Self-service kiosks have been changing business for years. It’s becoming increasingly rare to find retail shops, restaurants, banks and public spaces that don’t utilize self-service kiosk technology in some form.  This trend has only continued. In fact, it was reported that the global interactive kiosk market was expected to grow from 24.8 billion in 2019 to 32.8 billion by 2025.

Chatbots are websites kiosks.  They offer the majority of the same benefits.  The main difference is chatbots are relatively new technology.  Developed in early 2017,  they are posed to grow from just over 2.7 million in 2020 to over 24 million in 2022.

Both the chatbot and self-service kiosk were developed with the same benefits in mind. 

• Saving
  COVID-19 has hit business revenue hard. Many had to downsize and furlough, causing profits to take a nose dive. For this reason, it’s critical that you do as much as you can to reduce your costs.
• Streamlining
  Your profits are a result of your efficiency. When you work quickly and effectively, you can achieve higher profits than you would with slow, inefficient manual tasks. Technology like self-service checkouts/chatbots can help increase efficiency within your business by automating and speeding up these tasks, saving on payroll.
• Selling
  Kiosks/chatbots can act as a natural upselling tool. Sales data can easily be collected. Armed with this data, you can gain a better understanding of what promotions are the most effective and which leave something to be desired. You can then leverage this information to create automated upselling prompts for your kiosks/chatbot.
• Adaptability
  Another of the many benefits of self-service kiosks/chatbot is the ability to easily adapt them to meet emerging requirements within your organization.
• Engage more customers
  Because ease of use is one of the key benefits of self-service kiosks/chatbots, customers frequently find it quicker and more convenient to use self-service kiosks/chatbots than going to the counter or calling. This type of customer experience leads to positive word of mouth by allowing customers to obtain answers to their questions whenever, wherever they want.
• Quicker service
  Another benefit of self-service kiosks/chatbots is that they circumvent the need for in-person visits to the brick and mortar space.  Lines are thereby shortened by those feeling the need to visit.  A kiosk/chatbot allows customers to “check out” faster.
• Improved customer satisfaction
  The ability to adapt to different requirements and serve more customers in a timely fashion means that self-service kiosks/chatbots are becoming integral to maintaining a satisfied customer base. Self-service kiosks/chatbots also enable customers to be more informed about the products you offer. 
• Differences:
• Kiosk:
• $4,000 - $7,000
• In-person only
• Chatbot:
• $1,200 - $4,800
• 24/7 access, anywhere, anytime, any device
• Answers the phone
• Integrates with Google Assistant
• Gets smarter with time without any training

Change inside a business is always challenging.  Understanding the Pros and Cons of such technology advances are key for businesses recovering today and for their future growth.  How have ATMs, airport kiosks, pay at the pump, and more changed the customers experience and the company’s bottom line?  How can Chatbots help your business?

For more information on how chatbots can benefit your business contact soolisAI at (864) 516-7541 and soolisai.com