Kiosk and Waiting Room Guide - University of Missouri System

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A Kiosk is a digital check-in station for students. It allows students to indicate they have arrived and are waiting to meet with someone in your office. Students submit their information, identify their reason for visiting, and are placed in your Waiting Room queue.

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The Waiting Room is the digital queue that advisors and staff use to track and manage walk-in traffic and appointments in real-time. The Waiting Room shows who has checked in, what they need, how long they’ve been waiting, and lets you manage each student visit.

Staff View – Managing the Waiting Room

Log into Waiting Room:

• Within MU Connect, click the Menu icon on the left side of the page and click Waiting Room 

• From here, you can see any walk ins and scheduled appointments.

1. You can filter or select/view multiple services.
2. Select the appropriate tab to see any Walk Ins or scheduled Appointments.
3. In the Queue, you'll see any students who have checked into the kiosk.
4. In the In Progress section, you can see any meetings that are in progress - with yourself or anyone who has access to the service.
5. At the bottom of the page, you can click any of the quick access buttons to: 
   • Office Hours - Add a new set of Office Hours.  See the Creating, Editing, and Deleting Office Hours article for guidelines
   • Appointment - Schedule a new appointment.
   • Walk-In - Add a walk in - allows the student to skip the kiosk and allows you to sign the student in and record the meeting.
   • Group Session - Add a Group Session so that students can sign up in a group.
   • Reserve Time - Allows you to mark specific time on your calendar as unavailable for appointments.
   • Scheduling Wizard - Allows you to schedule multiple office hours blocks for multiple days in a single week. This is useful for setting up your calendar for advising rush periods and other times when you book several blocks of time for seeing students.
6. To check a student in and move them from the Queue, click the menu icon on the right

7. Click Start Meeting to indicate that you are now meeting with the student.  Click Student Left if the student left prior to meeting with an individual.

• See the NOTES article for more information on recording the meeting.

Using the Kiosk

Staff should log in to the Waiting Room to launch:

1. Go to: https://mizzou.starfishsolutions.com/starfish-ops/kiosk/index.html

   • Recommended Browsers: Google Chrome or Firefox

   • Bookmark the page for quick access

2. Select the waiting room and enter your password (Each office has a unique Kiosk log in. This is not the same as your personal MU Connect account.)

3. Click Submit

Student Instructions: 

1. Enter ID Number
   Students will type in their student ID to begin check-in.

2. Select a Service
   The student chooses which office or type of support they are visiting.

3. Choose a Reason
   Students will select the reason they are visiting (e.g., Academic Advising, Financial Aid Help, etc.). The available reasons are associated with the appointment type tied to the Kiosk.

4. Wait Time Display
   The estimated wait time appears in the top right corner of the screen. This is calculated by how many students are ahead of the student in the queue.

5. Answer Any Additional Questions
   Depending on the service, students may need to answer follow-up prompts.

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A self-check-in kiosk is a free-standing touch screen that welcomes guests and allows them to check themselves in without human interaction. Ideally, self-check-in kiosks are fast, efficient, and satisfying to use. They typically allow guests to check into their room, request upgrades, and print key cards. and may provide access to other services within the hotel.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Room Booking Kiosk. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Guests can easily navigate the touch-screen interface to manage their own arrivals without having to stop by the concierge desk. Some self-check-in kiosks can also scan documents and ID and process card payments to facilitate an almost complete concierge desk experience.

Today’s traveling guests are often independent-minded and guided by their phones. They rely on apps and technology to accomplish everything, from travel navigation to ordering food. Working with a kiosk is completely familiar and comfortable. In fact, for many, a kiosk is even more comfortable than chatting with a human at the reception desk.  

Most guests are used to the technological DIY approach and after a long day of travel, it can be relieving to simply press the “I’m here” button on the kiosks, grab the freshly programmed cards dispensed by the machine, and head up to their rooms. While kiosks may or may not be the perfect fit for your hotel, there’s no doubt that this trend is on the rise for good reasons. 

What are the potential advantages of integrating self-check-in kiosks into your hotel lobby and guest experience? These kiosks are popular not just because guests are becoming more tech DIY, but also because they provide a wide range of benefits for hotels and guests at the same time. 

Many hotels are struggling with staffing right now. Technology allows you to multiply their efforts by automating routine tasks and things many guests now prefer to DIY. Concierge self-check-in kiosks allow your front desk staff to focus on answering more unique requests, solving problems, or contributing their time to other parts of the hotel. 

If there are often lines at your concierge or reception desks during check-in hours, kiosks can significantly reduce this pressure. Kiosks do not require a human attendant and often complete the check-in process for each guest in record time. You can also set up several of them in the lobby for ultimate line reduction. 

A check-in kiosk can casually suggest upgrades to guests based on real-time availability. Room upgrades, extra rooms, extra guests, and room service are all just a tap away from extra revenue and an even more delightful experience for your guests. In fact, many guests are more comfortable exploring upsell options with a device rather than navigating offers from a human concierge. 

In addition to multiplying the reception capabilities of your staff, a kiosk also offers convenient all-night check-ins with no one at the desk. Guests who have already suffered late flights or long drives can check in and get to their rooms without ringing the bell or dealing with check-in cut-off times. 

Older guests may not be comfortable checking in at a kiosk. Some may still share the traditional appreciation for human interactions as part of the hotel experience. For these valued guests, simply keep your reception and concierge desk staffed with at least one person who can welcome and check them in. This aligns with the dual solution approach that many hotels maintain, as a concierge desk can also handle all guest requests that are too sophisticated for the kiosk to automate. 

A kiosk can be an excellent tool right up until there is technical difficulties. Software errors, key printing problems, or network failures can all suddenly remove the advantages of having a check-in kiosk or — worse — frustrate guests before they march over to the concierge desk in a bad mood. Maintaining multiple kiosks and being prepared with a restoration process can provide an essential solution for upgraded hotels. 

The quality of your kiosk software can make or break the investment. Guests expect a fast, intuitive interface that either does everything or does a few things really well. That means great software and fast performance. Always make sure you are investing not just in good hardware, but also in a software interface that will enhance your guest experience – not detract from it. 

Last but not least, let’s not overlook the future of self-check-in: Mobile apps. Several hotels have developed apps that integrate guest loyalty accounts to provide a new generation of digital concierge services. These apps can allow guests to order services to their room, make requests, book extra services, and access real-time deals through their phones. 

However, hospitality mobile apps are not the replacement for kiosks, they are the perfect addition. Guests without phones – of which there are still a few – can use the kiosks to check in and request services. Guests who left their phones behind can use the kiosks. But at the same time, a app that pairs perfectly with the kiosk can further streamline guest services with scanned QR codes, united service features, and integrating mobile services with lobby services. 

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