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3 Ways to Use Kiosks Outside Your Four Walls

Couple Using Kiosk
Article Highlights:

  • The future of engaging customers outside of your dealership.
  • Kiosks are an asset in every industry; how to utilize them in automotive.

When was the last time you bought movie tickets at the ticket booth? Or checked in for a flight at the counter?

These are two of the most common examples of how kiosks, specifically self-service kiosks, and mobile capabilities are becoming more prevalent in everything we do today. Contactless, remote, online – whatever you want to call it – we all crave this level of convenience. And with this convenience comes opportunity and connectivity. These new ways of doing business allow you to grow beyond the customers who walk into your dealership and interact with people you previously weren’t able to. Kiosk technology is creating a new retail experience for you to take advantage of.

Here are three ways you can grow your presence, without actually being present, by leveraging your kiosk technology:

Large Local Employers

A dealership in Glendale, Arizona partnered with a local hospital to set up a kiosk in the parking lot for hospital staff. Doctors and nurses were able to check in for their vehicle’s service at the kiosk and leave their key in the secure key lockers. The dealership then picked up the vehicle, performed the necessary service work, and returned the vehicle back to the hospital parking lot – all while the hospital staff completed their shift. Talk about a convenient and effortless experience that leads to better CSI and more customers.

Hotels

Imagine you are traveling for vacation and the check engine light comes on. You make it to your hotel but aren’t sure about risking it on the drive home. You’re booked with family activities all week and don’t have the time to find a repair shop or dealership to have your vehicle looked at, but wait… You notice a kiosk in the hotel’s parking lot. You’re curious, so you mosey over. Come to find out, you can schedule service with a dealership down the street. After setting an appointment and scheduling transportation, you check in and drop your keys off at the kiosk before your family breakfast in the morning. When you return at the end of the day, your vehicle is right where you left it, but the check engine light is gone. Talk about peace of mind.

Universities

College students and professors are always busy – running from class to jobs or meetings (and whatever else they can make time for). You can capture new customers in markets like these by catering to their hectic schedule and making the “chore” of scheduling service easy. At universities, students and professors can set up a service appointment and easily check-in when they arrive. Just like before, the vehicle can be serviced while they go about their lives. Talk about simple and pain free.

Future of Kiosks

When the automotive repair market is saturated with options, some perceived to be more convenient than dealerships, these ideas can help you meet people where they are and capture customers that might never have considered you.

With the world being more connected than ever, it is important you find ways to implement this connectivity with your customers. The touchless and remote experience that self-service kiosks provide will continue to drive retail operations forward. They aren’t going away anytime soon. Now is the time to start embracing the movement of self-service kiosks.

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Product Planning, Reynolds and Reynolds

Cory Coler is a member of the fixed operations product planning team at Reynolds and Reynolds. He began his career in the automotive industry in 2001 at a Toyota retailer, becoming an ASE Certified Advisor and Toyota Certified Assistant Service Manager. In 2005, he joined Reynolds’ Service Price Guides (SPG) department in Tampa, Florida and quickly became a subject matter expert for the product. In 2014, he transitioned to his current role in Product Planning where he is responsible for the enhancement and design of several fixed operations applications.

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