Attendees at the Self-Service Innovation Summit next month in Miami will get an inside view of how the global technology player maintains its service delivery standards during a keynote presentation, “User Experience Determines Success: How to Achieve it with AI and a Trusted Partner.”
People from all walks of life enjoy customizing and printing pictures with push-button convenience from Kodak Moments, which provides photo products and services to consumers, retailers and entertainment properties over 100,000 touchpoints across 30 countries.
Keeping the multi-faceted services operating falls to a global team that ensures reliability, which includes ongoing maintenance and data analysis.
Attendees at the Self-Service Innovation Summit next month in Miami will get an inside view of how the global technology player maintains its service delivery standards during a keynote presentation, “User Experience Determines Success: How to Achieve it with AI and a Trusted Partner.” The presentation will be Tuesday, Dec. 5 at 4:30 p.m. at the Loews Coral Gables.
Daniel Parker, technical services manager and Rick Welch, senior client services manager, will describe the company’s delivery structure and how it plans to further streamline consumer interactions at a store level and enhance the frictionless experience for store staff.
Parker and Welch recently completed an email interview with Kiosk Marketplace covering some of the subjects they will discuss in Miami. Following are excerpts from that interview.
Q. Many people are familiar with Kodak Moments kiosks at retail, but not many are aware of how the company delivers its service. Please provide an overview of how the kiosks and printers are serviced — is there a customer employee on site that is responsible for assisting customers with questions?
Rick Welch: Support agreements with our retail customers are created with one overarching goal: helping them deliver a world-class consumer experience. We do this by creating a “toolkit” for success for each of our retail customers. The toolkit includes training for store associates and routine equipment maintenance enabled by our proprietary Kodak Moments remote equipment monitoring program. We engage our technical services organization for advanced onsite equipment repairs when necessary. Equipment issues can be diagnosed and repaired frequently without store associates being aware or involved.
Q. What are the retailer’s responsibilities for hosting a Kodak Moments kiosk and printer?
Welch: Kodak Moments shares site specification requirements to ensure the retailer has adequate space, power and internet access to install and operate photo equipment. The retailer collaborates with the Kodak Moments team on strategies to promote the photo category and increase revenue. Additionally, the retailer agrees to provide associate assistance, if necessary, to work with a Kodak Moments call center agent to resolve a concern over the phone.
Q. How are the kiosks and printers maintained? Is there a maintenance crew that visits the equipment to perform maintenance and refill consumables?
Welch: Retailer associates are trained to perform routine maintenance on printers and order stations to ensure quality output and satisfied consumers. Associate training, conducted during installation, focuses on printer cleaning, media changes and understanding workflow. The Kodak Moments technical field organization conducts an extensive preventive maintenance review at each retailer location at least twice every year. In addition, each break-fix field technician visit includes general maintenance activities.
Q. What are the main benefits to the retailer from hosting a kiosk?
Welch: Data analysis has shown that a retailer with a Kodak Moments photo department will experience a higher market basket due to customer visits to order and pick up photo products.
Q. To what extent have the kiosks and printers been updated since their introduction in 2013? How frequent are there upgrades?
Daniel Parker: Kodak Moments kiosks and printers are continually updated via software deployments and hardware upgrades to keep pace with market demands and innovation improvements.
Q. What new products or services have been introduced in the last one or two years?
Parker: Kodak Moments developers streamlined the system to enhance performance and other improvements to ensure reliability in the field. As an example, a power-saving feature is embedded so retailers can save energy. Thermal printers can now go into “sleep mode” when not in use. This capability is available on Kodak Moments kiosks, self-service print stations and Apex dry lab systems.
Upgraded software provides retailers greater control over order fulfillment and allows store clerks to modify a print order on site immediately. When a clerk can re-prioritize an order quickly, especially if a consumer is waiting, it’s a win-win for everyone involved. Feedback from retailers on this feature enhancement has been overwhelmingly positive.
Kodak Moments has also added a long list of premium photo items, such as custom cover journals, photo mugs, hanging frames and dozen more items.
Kodak Moments has become the trusted partner to manage and maintain third-party kiosks, such as health monitoring self-serve equipment. With this partnership, a kiosk fleet owner doubled its presence in the market at a greater velocity than planned.
Q. What role does social media play in Kodak Moments’ B2C business?
Welch:Kodak Moments provides content that can be used by retailers in-store or within other marketing communications, including digital media. Our goal is to support the retailers’ success.
Q. How does Kodak Moments market its services to customers and to its retail partners?
Welch: Kiosk top screens are created for retailers to showcase seasonal products and store promotions throughout the year. Top screen updates are managed remotely by Kodak Moments. Additionally, Kodak Moments collaborates with retail customers to provide content that can be used in multiple consumer marketing formats, such as circulars, point of sale and digital communications. Retailers and partners can find out about the product and services offered by Kodak Moments at our business-to-business website where there are links for more information. Visit www.kodakmoments.com/retail for more information.
Q. When did the company begin using artificial intelligence in its operation, and in what aspect of the operation?
Parker: Kodak Moments implemented AI in multiple capacities early in 2023. The initial implementation was for end user consumer/customer interactions, with integrations into our CRM and fulfillment service platforms.
Q. How has AI improved the customer experience?
Parker: Kodak Moments has seen greater customer satisfaction with real-time responses on simple questions since implementing AI.
Q. What features will be introduced in the near future?
Parker: Kodak Moments will implement several new features soon that will further streamline consumer interactions at a store level and enhance the frictionless experience for store staff. Additionally, premium products are ever-expanding to meet demands.
Q. What is the company’s biggest challenge?
Parker: The biggest challenge is keeping up with the pace of technology. These are exciting times and there are new opportunities to consider that enhance the ease of use and convenience for retailers and consumers alike. We strive to continually meet and exceed the quality and trust standards that retailers and consumers have come to expect from Kodak Moments.
To register for the Summit, click here.
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Founded in 2000, Networld Media Group is a leading media communications company specializing in digital media, events and associations in the technology, restaurant, banking, and retail industries. It’s media brands include ATMmarketplace.com, DigitalSignageToday.com, FastCasual.com, KioskMarketplace.com, QSRweb.com, RetailCustomerExperience.com and RewardsThatMatter.com. Events under the Networld umbrella include the Fast Casual Executive Summit, the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit and the Self-Service Innovation Summit.
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