Customer Experience

Digital signage takes on COVID-19 from all directions

Through tools such as customer queue apps, thermal detection and antimicrobial touch interfaces, digital signage vendors are taking on COVID-19 from all directions by protecting customers and employees and providing information.

Image via iStock.com

July 28, 2020 by Bradley Cooper — Editor, ATM Marketplace & Food Truck Operator

COVID-19 has majorly disrupted business operations in every vertical, as it has forced companies to address social distancing, increased sanitation protocols, masks, temperature checks and other procedures. During this time, digital signage and kiosk vendors have had to adjust their product offerings to help businesses keep up anti-COVID-19 measures.

Protecting customers and employees

Vendors are crafting a number of systems and solutions to help craft safer environments for customers and employees alike. For example, iGotcha Media recently unveiled its Health and Wellness system, which offers an entire line of COVID-19 related products.

"Our Health and Wellness System is a suite of modular applications, including: drive-in pickup kiosks, curbside apps, dynamic digital signage, customer queue apps, people counters, hand sanitizer kiosks, thermal detection, digital traffic signs, occupancy sensors, queue management, antimicrobial touch interfaces and sanitization robots," Greg Adelstein, president, iGotcha Media, said in an email.

BrightSign has also introduced a variety of products to enforce both social distancing and touchless interactive experiences. Its BlueFox Count App counts user's phones as they enter a building and can trigger content based on the number of users in a building.

"Depending on the total count detected, the BrightSign player is triggered to display various messages on the screen at an entrance such as 'Please wait, the store is at its maximum capacity now' or 'Please come in, we are only at 38% of maximum occupancy,'" Jeff Hastings, CEO, BrightSign, said in an email.

Self-service companies are also rolling out a large number of solutions, offering everything from touchless thermal detection to mask dispensers, according to a recent story.

Providing information

Since its inception, digital signage has been an important tool for communicating essential information, and that is doubly true during COVID-19. Digital signage can provide direct information on the latest health guidelines and safety tips for both customers and employees.

"Now more than ever, digital signage provides a vital link connecting businesses to their employees and customers. Social distancing and hygiene compliance in the workplace are key considerations for businesses trying to resume more normal levels of activity," Nanxi Liu, CEO of Enplug, said in an email. "Health guidelines change frequently, which underscores the importance of digital signage to deliver accurate, timely information to keep people safe."

By offering information such as how long to wash your hands, how to measure six-feet for social distancing and how to properly wear a mask, digital signage can help create safer environments and in turn better customer experiences.

"Brands and retailers are facing an unprecedented challenge. It's a balancing act – we need to restart the economy while simultaneously protecting employees and consumers from infection," Adelstein said. "We all wish to return to "normal" but this can only be accomplished with a shared commitment to safety. We believe that systems like ours can make a significant contribution to protecting the health of consumers and employees, while offering brands and retailers innovative promotional platforms."

About Bradley Cooper

Bradley Cooper is the editor of ATM Marketplace and Food Truck Operator. He was previously the editor of Digital Signage Today. His background is in information technology, advertising, and writing.

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