Technology innovation is rapidly changing how organizations interact with their customers. From QR codes, self-service kiosks, and near-field communication technology, these transformations are shaping customer experience as businesses deal with the effects of the pandemic.
QR Codes are Here to Stay, so is the Tracking They Allow
QR Codes have increased in popularity during the pandemic among businesses, especially for restaurants. With the COVID-19 pandemic empowering retailers to move to touchless transactions, QR codes allow individuals to easily view restaurant menus and even pay online. By implementing QR codes, businesses can track their customers and build databases to target and analyze for future purchases with the information they enter online. This has raised many questions for privacy experts. “People don’t understand that when you use a QR code, it encapsulates a whole system of online tracking between you and your food,” said Jay Stanley, Senior Policy Analyst at the American Civil Liberties Union. “Suddenly, your offline activity of sitting down for a meal has become part of an online advertising empire.” While QR codes may be convenient, individuals need to be aware that their information is being stored and tracked for future use.
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As Coronavirus Affects Restaurants Self-Service Kiosks May Help
Self-service kiosks are on the rise to help restaurants decrease labor costs, increase customer satisfaction, increase revenue through larger average purchases, and are safer as the pandemic continues to affect restaurants. According to Sam Zietz, CEO of GRUBBRR, an emerging technology company that creates and delivers ordering solutions that help restaurants increase business efficiency, restaurants that use kiosks realize an average increase in purchases of 12 to 22 percent. “What we are noticing is the consumer preference to use the kiosk versus interacting with a cashier. This change had already started but has accelerated because people don’t want to have physical contact or close contact with cashiers,” said Zietz.
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How NFC is Changing the Way we Interact with ATMs
Near field communication (NFC) technology is a method of wireless data transfer that detects and enables technology to communicate. NFC technology is being implemented in banks across the country. With this development, individuals are able to use smartphones in place of ATM cards at banks. As a result, ATM transactions have reportedly decreased from 45 seconds to 10 seconds, which banking executives believe undoubtedly increases customer engagement and allow banks to serve more customers on any given day. Mike Lee, CEO of the ATM Industry Association, commented that “the ATM is becoming a more important bank channel as bank branches are no longer cost-efficient. Cardless transactions take just ten seconds for customers to get their cash, compared to around 30 seconds for traditional card withdrawals. Speed is a very important part of consumer experience.”
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