KT Opens First 'KT Self Lounge'... Unmanned Operation at Night

Hybrid Unmanned Store
2nd Branch to Open in Garosugil in March

KT announced that it will open its hybrid unmanned store, 'KT Self Lounge,' starting from the 28th. The photo shows KT employees introducing the unmanned store at the first KT Self Lounge in Daegu Dongseong-ro. Photo by KT

[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Cha] KT announced that it will open the hybrid unmanned store ‘KT Self Lounge’ starting from the 28th.

The first KT Self Lounge store can be found in Dongseong-ro (Dongseong-ro 2), Jung-gu, Daegu, the largest downtown commercial district with heavy foot traffic, and the second store is scheduled to open in Garosugil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, in March.

KT Self Lounge is a store tailored to customers ranging from those who want to explore services on their own to those who need detailed consultations with staff. It is divided into unmanned and manned store spaces. Using a hybrid method, both staff consultations and contactless experiences are available during the day, while it operates as an unmanned store at night.

Customers entering KT Self Lounge first encounter the ‘Main Kiosk,’ which guides them through the five core functions and service locations of the unmanned store space: ▲Self ON Kiosk ▲Smart Mobile Experience Station ▲Vending Machine ▲Unmanned Locker ▲AI Experience Station.

Customers unfamiliar with unmanned stores can press the ‘Help!’ button on the main kiosk to receive additional explanations from staff or immediately move to the consultation zone for face-to-face service.

The Self ON Kiosk helps customers perform tasks such as bill payment and plan changes contactlessly by themselves. At the Smart Mobile Experience Station, customers can try various latest devices, compare them on a large screen, design a suitable plan on a tablet by themselves, and even activate a USIM.

The vending machine offers self-pay smartphones and various accessories for purchase. The unmanned locker stores customers’ personal belongings and provides services such as smartphone pickup for pre-orders, safe charging, and sterilization. The AI Experience Zone is prepared as a space to experience KT’s AI speaker, Giga Genie.

KT Self Lounge is open 24 hours, but face-to-face services (staff consultations) are available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day except Sundays. Customers visiting the store must wear masks and can use hand sanitizers that are always available in the store. Due to social distancing policies following the spread of COVID-19, the store will initially operate only during staff working hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Chanki Choi, Executive Director of KT’s Sales Headquarters, said, “We have prepared a hybrid unmanned store that customers can visit anytime at their preferred hours, from 2030 customers who prefer contactless services to those who prefer staff consultations, as a customer-oriented future-type unmanned store that approaches customers one step closer.” He added, “After opening, we will continuously improve KT Self Lounge in the direction customers want by reviewing feedback from visitors.”