Using KidCheck with Touch Screens

If you're looking to add that "wow" factor to check-in, a good touch screen is certainly one way to add it. And while they are cool (and expensive) there are a few things you need to consider before making the plunge to a touch screen experience:

1) Does KidCheck work with touch screens? - Absolutely it does. In fact, your primary demo system here in the office (affectionately called "Walle") is touch screen based and is pretty fun to use. (there is something therapeutic about being able to jab your finger into your computer monitor :)

2) How expensive are touch screens? - Figure that your touch screen monitors will add about $500 per check-in station. But there is a hidden cost. since the screens need to be easily usable by the public, they are typically in a prime location to be damaged (think parents with kids & cups of coffee) or just simply wear out. Figure in your budget you'll need to replace them every few years.

3) How will a touch screen impact my parent's experience? - While they are definitely cool, in general your parents will have longer wait times and a slower check-in experience. (ever wait behind someone at a RedBox trying to enter in their e-mail address?) Even though entering information on a touch screen is easy, for most parents its a completely new experience on how to interface with a computer. Figure you're going to add another 20-30 seconds per check-in than with a keyboard and mouse.

In our experience, a keyboard & mouse is faster (2x as fast), cheaper ($20 to replace) and more familiar for all involved. That said, if you wanna run touch screens, here are a few tips:

1) Buy a Good Virtual Keyboard Software Package - Once you add in your touch screen & load the drivers for it, you can turn on the Windows On-Screen Keyboard to enter in information. This is free, but has limitations. The Microsoft keyboard stays on the screen all the time & can get in the way of what's displayed. On our "Walle", we have loaded this virtual keyboard software. It works great, only displays when you click in a text box, is translucent (looks great) and has a "Kiosk" layout with big buttons so it's easy to use. As of the time of this writing, it's only $29 per station, so it's very reasonable too.

Microsoft's Virtual Keyboard

Virtual keyboard from "Hot Virtual Keyboard"



2) Setup an Attended Visitor Check-in Station - Because a new visitor may have more information to enter, leaving one station with an attendant to greet and enter information on a keyboard and mouse will not only improve speed greatly, but also give you a chance to connect with a new visitor.

3) Use a Bar-Code Scanner & Guardian Key Tags - This just reduces the number of taps on the screen a guardian has to make and helps keep folks moving.

4) Clean Your Monitors Regularly - This is kind of a no brainer, but donuts, stick fingers, kids that "wanna do it" all lead to smudges and dirty interfaces. A quick wipe with an alcohol wipe works wonders to keep things clean and safer from spreading germs.