The concept of human kiosks is already in use in the financial services industry, particularly with several credit unions. These FIs are using hybrid ATM/kiosk machines and video capabilities to communicate with remote-based tellers and other subject matter experts.
This business model provides personalized service, extended service hours, and an improved self-service user experience. A soon-to-be released report from Mercator Advisory Group entitled “The Evolution Of The ATM Banking Channel” provides additional insight into this topic.
Imagine having a question about your prescription medication late at night and being able to walk into your nearby Walgreens, Target, or Rite Aid (where the pharmacy has closed for the day), tap a screen, and talk face-to-face with a qualified pharmacist without delay.
Or maybe as a business owner or manager you have customers spread across large geographic areas, yet you still want to provide personalized service in specialized areas such as banking, accounting, or tax preparation? Experts can answer questions for your customers via remote kiosks without you having to leave the office. And you’d even have the ability to talk in multiple languages.
To many, these possibilities sound futuristic and unproven, but today they are simply cutting edge technology being harnessed to provide more personalized service and support to customers wherever and whenever they need it. One such name for this technology is the human kiosk.
These so called “human kiosks” feature a computer tablet-like format for consumer interaction. By tapping a button on the touch screen, the user accesses a two-way, face-to-face, high definition conversation with a remote expert. This video connection takes place across 3G and 4G networks and employs trained, on-demand experts who are automatically matched based on the consumer’s on-screen selections.
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