"Kiosks Are Sexy," and They're Revitalizing Brick & Mortar with Healey Cypher of ZIVELO

Have you noticed the slow but sure trend of self-service kiosks in your life? Think about it for a moment. They've existed at the self-checkout line in the grocery store or at the gas pump, but now they're becoming an industry standard for checking in at hotels, ordering food at restaurants, and more. What prompted this kiosk take over, what technology on the back end is empowering them to ease not only the customer experience but the business' too, and what does it mean for the future of Retail, Hospitality and Food & Beverage?

Today we're joined by Healey Cypher, CEO of ZIVELO, a company which provides high-end self-service solutions, from the aesthetics of the outer shell to the software powering the whole operation. Cypher says a kiosk is more than a novelty; it can reframe how a restaurant, per se, markets its items and utilizes man-power, especially when the digital push everyone thought consumers wanted is falling flat. "Guess how many new apps the average consumer is downloading a month. Zero," Cypher said.

Industry giants like McDonalds are catching on to the trend; according to Business Insider, most of the company's 14,000 locations in the US will have kiosks in place by 2020. Cypher breaks down all the ways the self-service kiosk is changing the Food & Beverage industry, from a more engaged customer experience to increased revenue. But with potential come challenges as well, like outdated POS systems and fear of labor loss. If done right, self-service kiosks don't have to replace anyone; instead, it can make jobs more rewarding. "It's an uplifted human experience. Instead of saying 'what's your order please, hurry up sir,' they're saying 'hey, how are you,'" Cypher said.

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