Self-service technology continues to grow across a wide variety of retail markets. Many businesses, such as grocery stores and airlines, are using self-service kiosks to increase employee productivity and efficiency, improve sales, and enhance the overall customer experience. With self-service technology, customers do not have to wait for employees to assist them with certain tasks and they can expect the same level of quality service every time at any location, guaranteeing a more consistent in-store experience.
This proven self-service value proposition is extending into retail print and office supply stores, as well as hotels, libraries, college campuses, and government offices, just to name a few. It can be expected that self-service print and copy technology will also continue to expand where customers and small businesses are looking for ways to easily access and print files from mobile devices, USB drives or cloud storage accounts. Driving this movement is the exponential growth of digital and mobile technology, as well as the increased use of cloud storage accounts. Consumers are consistently moving more documents and photos to the cloud and desire the capability to print their content when needed, providing a new business opportunity for retailers to offer a self-service printing solution to cater to this trend.
Printing In Today’s Mobile World
It’s not surprising that today’s mobile technologies and devices are driving business decisions because of the way mobile capabilities are impacting consumers. According to Pew Research, 56% of U.S. adults own a smartphone, so it makes sense that consumers will want to do more with these smartphones and other mobile technology. Printing is a good example of this. Recent IDC research indicates that mobile printing is gaining traction on a year-over-year basis, and that smartphone and tablet users are generating more print volume compared to non-tablet and smartphone users. If you’re a retail owner, manager or the IT decision maker, you will want to find solutions that meet the mobile needs of your customers, and offering self-service printing stations is a popular choice.
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Meeting The Needs Of Consumers And Employees
The ability to simultaneously increase customer satisfaction and employee efficiency with the click of a button is also extremely appealing if you’re considering offering self-service printing stations. In many retail print and office supply store environments, for example, employees are using valuable time to manage printing stations and help each individual customer with simple tasks, while customers are forced to stand in line and wait for employees to help them. This problem can be alleviated by installing self-service printing stations that allow customers to quickly print a document without waiting or needing any employee assistance. Using a self-service station moves smaller print and copy jobs away from the retail counter, allowing employees to tend to other tasks and ultimately increase efficiency and productivity.
If you are considering a self-service printing kiosk, it’s important that it allows customers to conveniently pay directly at the station with credit, prepaid or campus cards. Few people carry change these days, so eliminating pesky coin-operated machines is also necessary. This added convenience of direct payment not only benefits your customers, but also your business because it increases customer loyalty and repeat store visits. However, keep in mind that when accepting credit cards, your self-service solution needs to be compliant with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) standards.
For any business owner, minimizing overall operating expenses and avoiding investment in new hardware to adapt to new technology are core considerations for the profitability of their business. A self-service printing station that is compatible with all types of mobile devices, cloud accounts, operating systems, and printers — new or old, regardless of brand — will significantly help minimize costs because you can update all print stations when needed while ensuring that your customers can still print from their current or future mobile devices and cloud accounts. Lastly, a printing station should be able to offer a centralized management tool in the cloud that allows you to centrally configure, monitor or update the print systems in real time across all stores from any location.
A prime example of a retail store utilizing multiple self-service printing stations is Staples. They are delivering a new way for customers and small businesses to easily access and print files from mobile devices, USB drives, and cloud accounts. The service also provides customers with the convenience of being able to pay directly at the device with credit or cash cards.
Quality, Convenience And Brand Value
So what does this mean for your business and your customers? It’s simple. A high-quality self-service printing solution that is easy to use, flexible, affordable, convenient, saves time, accommodates all types of mobile devices, and seamlessly integrates with existing printers provides a platform for business growth and brand loyalty. The solution should also provide powerful central management, configuration and reporting capabilities across store locations to provide even greater flexibility for your business.
As a retailer, you shouldn’t settle for anything less than what meets the needs of your customers, increases employee productivity, streamlines business processes, and elevates your overall brand.
By providing self-service technology, such as copy and print services, you have an opportunity to offer an essential and profitable service that generates additional walk-in traffic and allows employees to focus on additional tasks that will sustain business operations. Now is the time to pay close attention to today’s expanding self-service technologies and your customers’ increasing mobile device usage, and determine how you’ll leverage these trends to make the most impact on your business.
Tom Offutt is the Director of Business Development for EFI’s Fiery business unit. In this role he directs the exploration of new markets, partnerships, channels and technologies for the provider of digital print technology. Offutt’s entrepreneurial experience includes implementing a new mobile products division for Viewsonic, starting the thin client business at Wyse Technology and transforming Netier Technologies into a top three provider of embedded desktop products. He began his career with Hewlett Packard in a variety of management roles in information technology, manufacturing and marketing.
