A How-to Guide for Buying a Phone Charging Station
April 13, 2016 | By The Veloxity Team |
If you’re considering buying a phone charging station, there are many things to first consider so here’s a how-to guide to help you out.
Whether you own a business or are planning an event, a cell phone charging kiosk is a worthwhile investment that provides a great benefit for customers.
- Audience
Just like with sales, know your audience and numbers. Typically, one device charging unit can keep about 400 people fully charged up and happy.
- Storage
A place to store a freestanding or portable charging unit should be taken into consideration before making a purchase. Got space? Stand-alone charging kiosks like the Veloxity LockerPower are typically stored in wooden shipping crates. The crates can be reused 4-5 times and should be kept inside. Portable units like Veloxity’s Power Pax will come in a cardboard box and should also be kept indoors.
- Price
How much something will cost is very often a concern. Do you go with the lowest price and possibly sacrifice quality? Or do you pay top dollar for a premium product with tons of features? The answer is likely somewhere in the middle, and you’ll chose a product that gives you the best bang for your buck. Purchasing or renting multiple units at a time often warrants discounts from charging station vendors so feel free to ask, it can’t hurt.
- Quality
Price and quality go hand-in-hand. It’s important that the product you purchase is up to your standards and provides excellent value. How exactly can you tell the difference in quality from one kiosk to another? That depends on the amount of features like how many cords are available or if there are branding opportunities. Warranties, which can be limited or comprehensive (keep reading for more). And finally certifications that give you a baseline for how reliable or environmentally friendly the charging kiosk is. One example of a certification program is Apple’s MFi system. Be sure to ask about the operating system and if the charging cables are MFi certified.
- Support
Cell phone charging kiosks are an investment for your business, so what good are they doing for customers if they don’t work? As an owner or renter you’ll want to make sure the station is always running. You also don’t want to waste time trying to fix issues on your own, so having access to a support line is necessary. Some vendors will charge a monthly support fee while others will provide it for free.
- Warranty
Protecting your investment is very important and sometimes overlooked. Besides support, you’ll want to learn about the warranties as a form of insurance and a way to save you both time and money if there happen to be any issues. Read the fine print and ask questions.
- Reputation
Before you buy something online or visit a restaurant, you probably read a few reviews and check background info on the company, so it shouldn’t be any different for a charging station. You don’t have to be a detective to find background info on the company you’re buying from. Just do a simple google search to see which companies they’ve sold to, or if they’ve sponsored any events. Ask for references.
- Safety
As a business owner you always need to have customers’ needs in mind. Usually chief among those needs is safety and privacy. You can’t provide a charging kiosk if it’s dangerous, or could compromise the security of their phone. For more information about the safety of charging kiosks, check out a recent blog post from Veloxity.
