From Christmas and Happy New Year wishes to Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day reminders – self-checkout systems can do much more to improve the shopping experience than just speed-up customer journeys.
Today’s customers want to create their own path to purchase with freedom of choice.
Self-service systems play an important role in this through modern checkout environments, including enabling customers to shorten their shopper journey and avoid long queues.
Additionally, self-service attracts new customers to enter stores who would not do so before, as they know they can purchase items quickly and easily: 'Scan, tap and I am done!' It's convenient for adults and fun for children, but for the retail marketer, there’s always room for improvement.
Why only offer a system with some flashing lights and 'beep-beep' sounds when you can do so much more? What if Santa Claus’s voice was to guide shoppers through their checkout process and leaves them with a warm smile on their face?
The fact that the self-checkout system is generally the last point of contact in a shopping journey means that a good or bad customer experience there could play an impactful role in whether or not the shopper returns to the store.
Seasonal store designs with a lot of creative and appealing decorations are great, but a final beep and a receipt printout are not the same as a cashier wishing 'Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays' after customers complete their payment. So, why not let the self-checkout do the same?
Happy New Year wishes are possible as well, or reminders for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day saying, 'Reminder – we are close to Valentine’s Day / Mother’s Day. Have you checked out our special discount on sweets and flowers?'
Explanations around specific products, a short 'quiz' during checkout, or 'storytelling' approaches are all possible and leave a lasting, personalised impression. Creativity is limitless.
Additionally, it’s easy to implement these experiences. The new generation of self-checkout systems, such as the DN SeriesTM EASY from Diebold Nixdorf, already include smart UI software that offers a rich graphical experience that retailers can easily configure to promote their seasonal incentives.
To watch an example of a retail experience video, click here.
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