-By Stacy Straczynski

Taxes don’t have to be boring, according to Winntech. The Kansas City-based retail environment and interactive content solutions company recently completed work with the H&R Block on the redesign of its flagship store in Times Square. The revamp, which follows the tax preparation chain’s 2009 initiative to update its brand strategy, aims to provide its clients a more engaging experience via custom-designed high-tech elements.

A touch-capable video smart wall array, consisting of NEC 42-in. monitors, provides a customized viewing tour about H&R Block and its services. The playback is triggered by a motion and height detector, which not only plays the video on the screen closest to the customer but at the most comfortable viewing height for the individual, as well. Guests can interact with the touch-screen, while the rest of the smart wall runs the store’s advertorial video.

To further customize the customer experience, Winntech also developed eight virtual H&R Block employee hosts to serve a variety of demographics, one of which is chosen by the software via three questions each customer initially answers. The hosts guide the users through a selection of programs, including tax trivia, finding information about H&R’s tax professionals (videos, photos, areas of expertise, and biographies), and custom checklist generation to ensure tax preparation.

The inclusion of an interactive quote wall in the seating area of the office serves to enhance the brand image. Actual customer quotes, which clients can enter when they provide feedback via the store’s two custom touch-screen stations, are cast onto green Plexiglas via an electronic projector.

Additional technologies include a large-format 20-in. screen and ticker style monitor arrays mounted on perimeter soffits.

All hardware, software applications, and video production was handled by Winntech, who is currently working to scale the same technologies in all H&R Block franchises.