Building Kiosks for High-Traffic Environments

One of the most important discussions around high-volume kiosks will be determining how many are needed to handle crowds at peak times. The last thing a business wants to see is long lines behind the very machines that are supposed to help reduce wait times during a lunch rush or on a busy travel day. Investing in the right number of digital kiosks will prevent delays that negatively impact the customer experience. At the same time, space planning matters, too. While businesses may want to install as many terminals as possible, they need to do so in a way that doesn’t cause bottlenecks or queues crossing paths.

When the primary objective is speed, businesses can make small tweaks to simplify the ordering and payment process. One is to keep interactions simple by only allowing digital-first transactions. In short, that means cash isn’t accepted and receipts are not printed. The second is to keep monitor screens smaller to limit choices and interactive options. Ideally between 15.6 and 21.5 inches for these environments, smaller touchscreens make it easier for users to scan immediate menu options without confusion.

Kiosks in high-traffic areas will withstand a lot of use and abuse. Therefore, their enclosures must be rugged and durable. But kiosk engineers are also cognizant of the devices and how they’re placed on kiosks themselves. Instead of using external mounts for touchscreens or payment devices, a manufacturer would opt to embed devices within the enclosure for added protection. It's also best to avoid any unnecessary design elements that can fail or show wear and tear quickly. Examples include LED lighting, graphic wraps, temporary signage cards, and plaques. The headache of replacing damaged peripherals on often-used kiosks could outweigh the desire to include those add-ons in the first place. Lastly, kiosks should be properly cabled in high traffic environments. Power and data cables shouldn’t be exposed, which can be a safety hazard and increase the risk of tampering. While durability seems like an obvious goal when planning a self-service program for high-traffic areas, designing with this top-of-mind can have a direct impact on your kiosks' uptime, that in turn, will influence your ROI.

Some users have a higher comfort level with technology than others. Thus, make it easy for all customers to operate the kiosk. Something as simple as properly labeling the machine can help instruct users on where to scan, pay, and more. Similarly, consolidating hardware like a barcode and ID scanner into one device reduces confusion about where to perform a task. Lastly, keep software flow consistent across your kiosk fleet to help customers feel familiar with your interface. These small details add up to greater efficiency and a better customer experience in the end.