Are you considering getting on the kiosk bandwagon? Here are five custom self-service kiosk integration tips for restaurants.

Many restaurants have experienced great success with their self-service kiosks. Some of the standouts include Panera and McDonald’s, and many other big names, such as Taco Bell and Burger King, are beginning to follow suit.

Whether you have a single restaurant or many locations, integrating kiosks can improve the customer experience and, in turn, boost your sales. And there are a few steps you can take to ensure your kiosks are successful.

1. Test It Out

Before you officially launch your kiosks you should test them out with a few customers over a period of time.

Good user experience (UX) development for restaurants includes getting feedback on everything from the layout to how easy (or difficult) the menu is to navigate and customize.

Testing the digital application out extensively will allow you to fix any problems and ensure that customers find it easy to use. A kiosk system is all but useless if you haven’t worked out the potential bugs.

2. Ensure Your Brand Is Reflected

Your kiosk system should reflect the character and ambience of your restaurant.

The fonts should be consistent with the ones you use on your website and on your physical menus. The color scheme should match your signage and décor.

Pictures of your menu items should be taken by a professional – it is worth the investment – and should be clean and appealing rather than cluttering the screen.

And your customization options should make it easy for customers to order exactly what they want – and perhaps even purchase a few add-on items.

3. Make Self-Pay Simple

One of the most appealing features of kiosks is the ability for customers to pay right there, so you need to make it as convenient as possible.

They should be able to swipe their credit cards or, ideally, insert cards that have a chip, which are becoming increasingly common.

4. Provide Access To Your Loyalty Or Rewards Program

Panera in particular has been successful with their self-service kiosks due in part to their loyalty & rewards integration for restaurants.

Giving customers access to your loyalty or rewards program via your kiosks adds an extra degree of convenience and usefulness and can further encourage customer loyalty and satisfaction.

You can also use kiosks to offer special promotions and discounts that might actually prompt customers to order additional items.

5. Be Prepared To Make Improvements And Changes

Once you’ve launched your self-service kiosks, you’ll need to be prepared to continually making improvements as needed. Technology services for restaurants changes quickly and you need to be able to change with it.

Listen to your customers’ feedback and implement the various suggestions they offer when reasonable. You should also be prepared for the ways in which introducing kiosks will change how you operate your business.

In the long-run your self-serve kiosks will lead to a more streamlined ordering process, but at the outset you and your employees will need to make some changes.

For example, some employees’ duties will shift as your need for cashiers lessens. And you will also need to be able to prepare orders more quickly, as customers using kiosks generally have an expectation of speed and efficiency.