Self-Service

Call to Interact – How PepsiCo communicated a touchless experience

PepsiCo developed and piloted a unique touchless ordering kiosk powered by hand tracking technology allowing customers to order without touching the screen.

PepsiCo's "call to interact" tool shows the touchless kiosk interaction.

July 26, 2023 | by Saurabh Gupta, Ultraleap

Long before COVID-19, concerns around public touchscreens were starting to circulate. Then the pandemic hit, and it became front of mind for most of the world.

Recent research suggests those concerns are here to stay. However, touchscreens have become fundamental to the way businesses manage locations, using them to increase throughput and revenue.

Consumers value their convenience as well. If anything was to successfully replace them, the interface would have to be as frictionless as a traditional touchscreen.

Enter touchless technology

Touchless technology allows users to interact with a screen or kiosk in the same way as you would with a traditional touchscreen. While there are clear hygiene advantages to using this type of technology, it can also enhance the customer experience by giving users new ways to engage.

For example, Ultraleap's touchless technology can extend interaction beyond 2D interfaces into the z-plane. This means consumers can interact using larger, three-dimensional movements and gestures. It quite literally opens up a new dimension of interactive experiences.

But how do you communicate to consumers that they can interact in this new way? That you don't have to touch the screen to interact with the content?

Enter 'Call to Interact'

The "Call to Interact" or "CTI" is a well-known tool in UX design that can help deliver a seamless user experience. It clearly demonstrates to a user how they are supposed to interact with a new interface through sharp and concise onboarding guidance.

It is often a tool that we use to great benefit alongside new touchless technology experiences. It can shorten learning time and enhance the user experience whilst also empowering users in their first few seconds of using the technology.

PepsiCo used it to great success during its own pilot. In partnership with KFC Poland, fast-food specialist AmRest and agency Method, PepsiCo developed and piloted a unique touchless ordering kiosk powered by hand tracking technology. Users could order food and drink without needing to touch the screen.

The team created simple but effective calls to interact including an on-screen video and printed signage above the kiosk that clearly communicated it was touchless and how to interact with it.

The pilot went extremely well — most orders were completed in under 40 seconds, 80% of customers had a positive experience, and 85% were extremely likely to use it again.

Top three CTIs

Providing concise onboarding by clearly demonstrating how to interact empowers users in the first few seconds of experiencing touchless tech. This shortens the learning time and enhances the user experience. Call to interact guidance can come in many shapes and forms, here are our top three:

1. Full-screen video guidance: Full-screen video is a great way to onboard users. It is eye-catching and can demonstrate the required interaction in a clear and effective way. This worked really well in PepsiCo's pilot.

2. Cursor-based guidance: Another effective way to onboard users is to show small videos attached to the cursor. A video follows the cursor over the top of the content, so no room is taken up in a UI layout to demonstrate the interaction needed. The CTI appears on initialization, hides after an interaction, and shows again after eight seconds of inactivity.

3. Printed guidance: Simple text placed on the top of the kiosk communicating that users can use the screen touchlessly was effective in the PepsiCo pilot. Providing simple guidance on how to interact via a side-mounted panel displaying simple illustrations also helps, while floor stickers are effective in communicating that users can stand back from the screen to use touchlessly.

Combining touchless technology with the right CTIs means brands, retailers and businesses can demonstrate they are listening to consumer needs and create the best experience possible, while still maximising throughput and revenue opportunities.

The future of retail technology is here!

Saurabh Gupta is vice president of out of home at Ultraleap.