DALLAS — Goodyear Tire & Rubber has announced a new interactive kiosk that details and simplifies a car's mechanical systems. The company will install the kiosks this month at the nearly 2,000 independent and company-owned retail outlets with Gemini Automotive Care.
The in-store kiosks are known as Interactive Learning Centers, and seek to make a sometimes-complicated automotive system easier for a consumer to understand. The kiosk employs moving images and cutaway views to demonstrate how major automotive systems operate, explaining the types of service and repair work needed to best maintain the vehicle.
"These kiosks will assist the consumer by clarifying a store's service and product recommendations," said Mark Boswell, Gemini program manager. "For a retailer group that's built upon providing consumers with trust, confidence and comfort, this system takes the Gemini program to a new level of communicating service needs."
The Goodyear Gemini team worked with Toronto-based Saitech International on the development of the kiosks. To accommodate both English- and Spanish-speaking consumers, a language button on each screen allows users to switch between the two at any time. On-screen "Show Me More" and "Related Information" buttons allow topics to be broken down into further detail.
According to Boswell, a trial of the kiosk during 2007 was "resoundingly positive, with more than 90 percent approval across all categories, including gender, age and occupation. Opinions of associates at Goodyear-owned retail outlets with Gemini Automotive Care echo those ratings," he said. Of further note was that 98 percent of women and 93 percent of men said the interactive presentations helped them in their decision-making process.
