The concept of self-service has seen many evolutions. The first self-service gas pumps were introduced in 1964. Supermarket self-checkouts appeared in 1992. Airport check-in kiosks rolled out in 2000. Some customers avidly participated in these self-service options, while others flatly refused. Then, the pandemic struck. Within a short time, self-service shifted from novelty to normal. Most people now prefer to select, scan and pay for their items or services without intervention from a cashier. This means that brick-and-mortar businesses in hospitality, fast food, QSR, ticketing, venues, retail services, bill payment, and other industries need to introduce more ways for customers to shop with minimal contact. One of the best ways for brick-and-mortar retailers to offer self-service is through CIMA’s INLANE kiosks.
Don’t Ignore Cash Customers
Customers who pay with credit or debit cards have enjoyed using self-service kiosks from the beginning. However, a significant portion of society uses cash to buy goods and services. Some cash customers prefer to use notes and coins for certain purchases, and others may be unbanked or underbanked and use cash out of necessity. These cash customers also want the frictionless experience of a self-service kiosk. Yet, too often, they are sent to a different line which wastes time, causes frustration, and leads to a dissatisfied customer. If cards are the only payment option accepted by a retailer’s kiosk, a loyal group of customers – and their money – could go elsewhere.
Selecting a Suitable Machine
For retailers who want to implement more self-service options, the challenge is to offer the most convenience with the least disruption to day-to-day business. The best machine for your business should address the following retail needs:
Flexibility in configuration – Each business is unique, so the right POS machine should be configurable to match your particular sales volume and cash transactions.
Safety and security – Cash-accepting kiosks reduce cash shrinkage because employees don’t handle the money. The machines accept, count, sort, and dispense change.
Multiple form factors – Instead of reconfiguring your sales floor and checkout area, look for a line of machines that offer a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors that best match your interior layout.
Visual appeal – The payment kiosk might be the customer’s primary interaction with your business. Select a machine that leaves a good visual impression.
Ease of use and management – The kiosk should be easy to use and manage for your customers, employees and managers.
Fit-for-Purpose – The machine should be appropriate for your volume of business and provide a return on investment.
What CIMA Offers
CIMA has a diverse portfolio of hardware that can be configured to meet the needs of hospitality, fast food, QSR, ticketing, venues, retail services, bill payment, and other businesses that want to offer POS kiosks for their customers:
INLANE 300 is an entry-level compact, consumer-facing note, and coin recycler. Consumers pay notes and coins directly into the machine. The unit counts, stores, and dispenses change back to the consumer. The INLANE 300 is a low-cost cash recycling solution for small retail environments with lower cash volumes.
INLANE300 DEPO is a consumer-facing note and coin recycler with a safe for overflow funds. Consumers pay notes and coins directly into the machine. The unit counts, stores, and dispenses change back to the consumer. The INLANE300 DEPO is an affordable cash recycling solution for retail environments with low to medium cash volumes.
Cash@Kiosk is a self-service kiosk solution with an integrated cash recycler for self-ordering and self-checkout environments. It allows consumers to self-scan or self-select items to order/purchase and pay notes and coins directly into the machine.
Software – A critical aspect of these types of cash management solutions is software and the ease of integration for the POS and Kiosk software providers. CIMA’s integration platform (API) allows companies to quickly and easily integrate their applications to our hardware. Eliminating the complexity of integration is our number 1 priority for our software partners.
