Did you wash your hands today? Of course, you did. Did an employee wipe off that interactive digital display in between users? Smart vending machines are very safe to use and because the interaction can be conducted by voice commands or by interacting with your smartphone. It’s also possible to provide tracked cleaning of smart vending technology to provide a safe and convenient service for customers. Ensure employee adherence to cleaning strategies is essential to limit exposure to a plethora of viruses and contaminants.
Whether the payment is digital or contactless — smart vending offers even more protection to limit COVID-19 droplet transmission than traditional types of retailing. Many consumers don’t just wipe their hands repeatedly with sanitizer; they often spray it directly on the keypads and touchscreens on all classes of kiosks, including ATMs, self-order kiosks at fast-food restaurants, transit ticket vending machines, parking ticket machines, movie theatre ticketing stations, and gas pumps. This practice can cause damage to these systems and millions of dollars are wasted on repairs and replacements as a result.
Hardware can be easily cleaned and disinfected as well. Using a smart vending machine to support your business is an excellent way to ensure if you are short-staffed because of stay-at-home orders or other issues, there is a way to continue to operate safely when customer’s visit an interactive content kiosk. Get the low down on how to properly handle your smart vending machine needs with this technology cleaning guide.
Cleaning
This is the process of removing contaminants and germs from a surface. Typically this is done by using a detergent product on a wiping material, along with some good ol’ elbow grease. Cleaning does not necessarily kill germs, but removing many of them, lowers the risk of spreading infection. By default, smart vending should be cleaned on a daily basis, along with ensuring the customer experience aligns with branded location expectations – don’t let customers down.
Sanitizing
This lowers the number of germs on surfaces to a specific safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements – often to specified levels such as reducing harmful bacteria on food preparation surfaces. Keypads, touchscreens, and delivery bins should be sanitized with every servicing. Providing hand sanitizer nearby allows customers to act as a barrier before interacting with smart vending machines.
Disinfecting
This kills 99+% of germs on surfaces. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove the dead germs, but killing germs on a surface after cleaning, can further lower the risk of spreading infection. Depending on your location, deep cleaning and sanitizing may not be enough. Is it clean or is it hospital clean? Every industry is unique to its requirements to service consumers safely, smart vending machines should be disinfected frequently and provide a safe experience for consumers at every touchpoint.
