The new year is just around the corner, and savvy Dallas business owners have started to consider what improvements they want to make in 2017. While many of these planning sessions focus on increasing operational efficiency, you might want to consider an alternative approach: improving the customer experience. Whether you’re running a restaurant, a retail store, or a car dealership, creating the right atmosphere for a relaxed and happy customer is a key component of business success.

So how do you do that? There are many different ways, but some technologies are rising to the top. Below, we cover five great commercial audio video trends that we predict will hit it big in 2017. 

SEE ALSO: 3 REASONS TO UPGRADE YOUR COMMERCIAL AUDIO / VIDEO SYSTEM

1. Interactive Displays

Waiting in lobbies isn’t fun for anyone, but technology can help make the time go by faster. Interactive displays use motion or touch technology to allow guests to manipulate what’s on the screen. These customizable screens could be as simple as ambient art that reacts to hand motions or a trivia game that gives points for selecting the right answer. Restaurant patrons waiting for a table, children waiting for a dentist appointment, or key clients waiting for a business presentation—interactive displays can help all of them have a more enjoyable experience.

2. Serve Yourself Technologies

People know what they want better than any waiter or customer service representative could, so why not let them control the service experience? This “do it yourself” automation technology started out as a way for businesses to save money on staffing costs, but it turns out that customers actually prefer this approach. Common applications are ordering kiosks at restaurants or price check scanners at retail stores. You’re essentially giving your clients instant gratification. There are no delays or miscommunication—just an intuitive screen that provides simple options for your clients to choose from.

3. Digital Menus/Advertisements

Gone are the days where you have to send off menu displays or art to be custom-printed for each season. Instead, businesses are recognizing the efficiency of updating all of the signage throughout the building at the push of a button. Digital signage saves on décor costs, but more importantly, it gives you the opportunity to do more with your displays. You can promote daily sales or offers, adjust to fit current news, and provide customized experiences for each guest.

4. Hidden Audio Video

One of the things that often holds companies back from investing in high-quality audio and video is that they don’t want a bunch of cords and devices cluttering up the building. Hidden technology is available now, but you’ll see (or rather, won’t see) a lot more of it in 2017. That’s because it greatly contributes to the ambiance of your business. Instead of focusing on the clunky speakers or cords hanging from the televisions on the wall, your clients can immerse themselves in whatever atmosphere best fits your business.

5. Full Automation

In 2017, expect full commercial automation to become the standard for operational efficiency. It’s one thing to add a sound system or digital displays to your business; it’s another thing entirely to do so in a way that makes it super easy to manage. That’s what you get with commercial automation.

An automation system connects all of the commercial audio video components throughout the building into one cohesive management platform. Want to get your storefront ready for the day? Instead of walking around turning on each device one by one, all it takes is the push of a single button to get everything geared up and ready to go. You can even connect the lights, window shades, and thermostat to this system for even more efficiency.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until 2017 to start taking advantage of these technologies in your Dallas business. Give DeVance Electronic Lifestyle a call at (214) 389-4985, click the live chat window, or fill out this quick form to learn more about the fully customized solutions available.