Self-Service Kiosks: Why Customers Love Them, and Why They Walk Away

Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are under pressure. A look at same-store sales figures from McDonald’s shows growth of 2.5%. Taco Bell is doing better with 4% same-store sales growth. 

Others aren’t fairing so well. Brands like Jack in the Box, Del Taco, KFC, and Pizza Hut, according to Restaurant Business, see same-store sales declines from 2–7%:

These shifts in QSR market share come as customers temper spending. Meanwhile, restaurants look for ways to bring people back in, and when they’re in, get them to have larger order sizes.

One way they can do this is with better restaurant tech. Specifically, self-service kiosks.

Kiosks suggest the possibility of a win-win solution. Restaurants see them as a way to reduce costs and increase sales, and many customers seem to like the control they provide. Shake Shack, for example, has said kiosk users spend nearly 10% more thanks to personalized recommendations, like new product suggestions that match up with their order history. 

The global kiosk market is projected to hit $62.5M by 2032, and it follows that much of that growth will likely come from QSRs. Kiosks are quickly moving from a “nice to have” to something customers simply expect. That’s why more big brands are making investments:

• Arby’s is deploying kiosks at over 100 stores with the goal of improving the customer experience.
  
• Pizza Hut UK has introduced kiosks because they know customers want the added convenience.
  
• Burger King is rolling out more kiosks as part of a brand refresh designed to boost dine-in atmosphere and draw more customers in.

Installing kiosks is only the first step. The harder part is keeping them working consistently. When a kiosk goes down, whether for maintenance or some error, it becomes an advertisement for broken technology. See, for example, this self-service kiosk spotted at a Taco Bell at a busy airport:

Canopy’s recent 2025 Restaurant Tech Report highlights how kiosk malfunctions can break the customer experience, and how quickly trust erodes when they do. Turns out why customers use kiosks (and what frustrates them) is complicated.

How Kiosks Keep the QSR Promise of Control, Convenience, and Customization

When people think about what they want from a fast-food experience, it’s usually the same handful of things: food that’s consistent and quick at prices that feel fair. Kiosks help meet these expectations by giving customers more control over the process.

Here’s what our survey respondents say they’re really looking for when they walk up to a kiosk:

• Faster ordering (51%): Customers want to get in and out without wasting time. Kiosks let them skip the uncertainty of long lines at the counter.
  
• More time to browse (36%): At a counter, customers may feel rushed by the cashier. A kiosk lets them control the pace.
  
• Easier customization (34%): Everyone has their quirks when it comes to food orders. At a kiosk, customers can see exactly what they’re choosing and check that the details are recorded correctly — no awkward back-and-forth.

(More findings at the full report.)

When kiosks work well, they remove friction points of ordering at the counter from a person, like feeling rushed or worrying about mistakes. And when QSR operators take steps to make sure kiosks work consistently and correctly, the customer's experience with the technology can become one of the brand’s strengths.

When Kiosk Reliability Falls Short

On the other hand, kiosks can easily miss the mark of working the way customers expect. In fact, more than 80% of customers say they’ve had issues with them. The most common problems are broken receipt printers, frozen screens, or kiosks that are completely out of order (source, and more on this in a moment).

These issues create uncertainty that might make a customer less likely to use a kiosk again. No receipt means not knowing your order number or not being able to prove what you bought if something’s missing. A frozen screen halfway through an order means wasted time and frustration. An out-of-order kiosk during the lunch rush creates longer lines at the ones that are still working, making everyone feel hurried and annoyed.

These breakdowns compound. Before long, trust in the brand gets fried. 

Why Kiosks Break

From the outside, a kiosk seems like a single machine. In reality, it’s a collection of parts that need to work together. The touchscreen, the card reader, the receipt printer, the software, and the integrations with point-of-sale (POS) and loyalty systems … any of these component parts or processes can cascade into a rough experience for the customer.

Canopy works with QSR brands to monitor and manage devices in real-time. We see firsthand where things go wrong and how those problems can be prevented. Here are some of the most common issues, and how restaurants can address them before customers ever notice:

• Frozen or unresponsive screens: We’ve all been there: you’re halfway through your order, but the screen stops responding. You tap again and again, but nothing happens. The kiosk is locked up. This usually comes from outdated software or missed updates. With proactive monitoring and regular updates, restaurants can catch these slowdowns early and keep screens responsive so customers don’t get stuck mid-order.
  
• Receipt printer failures: You finish your order, but no receipt prints. Now you’re wondering, did it go through? How do you double-check what you ordered, or get a copy for your budget or work expenses? These failures are often the result of poor maintenance or not tracking paper levels. Real-time monitoring can alert staff when printers are low or starting to fail, so the fix happens before customers ever notice.
  
• Kiosks going offline: You walk up to a kiosk ready to order, only to see the dreaded “Out of Order” sign. For customers, it feels like the promise of convenience has been pulled out from under them. These outages usually come from weak system integrations or inconsistent networks. By strengthening integration with POS systems and using centralized monitoring, restaurants can keep kiosks online and ensure staff are alerted quickly when something does go wrong.

Most kiosk breakdowns come from the same handful of issues that can be spotted and fixed early with the right systems in place. Whose job is it to stay on top of this?

Reliable Kiosks Mean Customer Loyalty

Kiosks have the potential to offer reduced costs and higher revenues for restaurants if they work consistently. When they don’t, customers quickly lose patience.

Four in five customers say the technology experience influences where they choose to eat. This is even more relevant for frequent visitors, the ones who stop by three or more times a week, who rely on kiosks and mobile ordering technology the most (and report higher satisfaction with them). That’s an important signal that good technology experiences may lead to repeat visits. 

Kiosks can either be a brand-builder or a brand-breaker. A reliable kiosk experience makes regulars happier and helps QSRs build loyalty in a crowded market, but an unreliable one does the opposite. For QSRs betting on kiosks, the takeaway is simple: success is about making sure kiosks work every single time.