Kiosks are Dead, Long live the Kiosk

Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic many companies in different sectors and industries have had to adopt new technologies. Many of these new technologies are completely contactless. These contactless technologies have been adapted by all sectors and industries around the world. Here are a couple of examples of how certain sectors and industries are adapting to the challenges faced by the Coronavirus Pandemic with contactless technologies.

Restaurants

Many restaurants are struggling to adapt to the Coronavirus Pandemic. However, a lot of them have taken precautions in order to provide food safely to customers. One of the features that they have been promoting is the contactless order. Although most people are doing delivery, quite a few people have been going to restaurants to order and pickup. In order to experience this contactless order, I went to Taco Bell to test it out. So there are two ways that Taco Bell offers contactless ordering. The first bring that one can simply scan the QR code at the curbside and order there. Once the order is finished Taco Bell will do curbside delivery. The second way is that you can simply go inside and scan the QR code on their touchpad and this opens up a url through which you can order. Once the order is finished you can simply pick it up. This process is similar at other restaurants such as Pizza Hut,Panera Bread,Mcdonalds, and etc. 

Travel Industry

The travel industry is another area that has been hit hard by the Coronavirus Pandemic. The main area where contactless checkin and purchase is used is in airports. One can simply register online and bring the e-copy of those tickets and check in. However, in some instances a physical copy is required. In this situation a person can go to a self check-in kiosk and simply scan a QR code and sign in through their phone and print their tickets. In order to buy tickets they can go to the same station and order tickets by simply scanning a QR code or using the touchpad. Although airport industries started to pilot self service kiosks a couple of years ago, many airports have rapidly expanded their self service kiosks in the light of the pandemic. Some airports following this have been SFO,LAX,ATL, along with airports in other countries such as the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.

Supermarkets

Ever since the beginning of the pandemic a lot of supermarkets have seen a spike in their business. A lot of these supermarkets have taken appropriate measures in order to deal with the pandemic. They have been setting up shields, making masks mandatory, and promoting self service. Most supermarkets have had self service checkout centers for a while. So it’s simple one does the usual self checkout routine by scanning all of their items at the station. Then one simply uses apple pay to pay for their items. This was probably the easiest transition in all of the industries. This is because supermarkets have had these self service stations for a while and now they have simply just expanded the amount of stations they have. Some stores using these are Target,Walmart,Safeway, and Whole foods.

Visitor Management Systems

Due to the fact that offices are still open for business in many countries around the world, a lot of companies have been expecting visitors. The traditional visitor management system has always utilized the pen and paper. Usually, a visitor would come in on paper and then sign several release forms and proceed to their visit. However, with the advent of the digital age many companies have created contactless visitor management systems such as the one offered by Visitly. These new digital systems involve the use of a touchpad in which a visitor would sign in using a touchpad and sign all of the release documents on the touchpad also. This system has made it easier for both the visitor and the company. The visitors no longer have to go through the hassle of signing so many papers and now can simply do it digitally. Companies no longer have to keep track of stacks of papers that can easily be lost and no longer have to waste paper, since everything is now digital and can be stored easily. Due to the recent Coronavirus Pandemic many visitors have been hesitant to use a touchpad that can easily be contaminated. However, Visitly has been a step ahead in this situation. Visitly has come up with an innovative contactless sign in feature. Now companies registered with Visitly can set up their iPads to display a QR code. A visitor can now use their phone to scan the QR code, which will then display the Visitly sign in screen through which they can simply do the regular sign in procedure. Visitly also offers a QR code stickers that can be printed and pasted in various locations throughout the facility. One can simply scan these stickers with their phone and go through the regular sign in process. Due to this new feature, Visitly has made sign in safe and easy for all.

Summary

Contactless technology is the new future and it is here to stay for a while. With the Coronavirus showing no signs of slowing down it is best that companies look towards these technologies and fellow peers, in order to learn how to make their businesses safe and contactless. With companies and restaurants like Target,Walmart, Taco Bell, and Visitly it is best that people look towards these technologies to learn how to make their technologies safe and usable for all.

Authored By: Akhil Thimmapuram