T-Flex™ Coin Dispenser Helps Indianapolis Children's Museum Attract Attention And More Customers
With 11 major galleries and a constantly changing selection of mind-expanding exhibits, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis can entertain and fascinate even the most curious among us, regardless of age. Given its diverse offerings, who would have thought that the coin dispensers on the food court cash registers would attract so much attention?
"People are in awe of them, especially people visiting from other countries," said Steve Wells, General Manager of the Sodexo food court operation. "Many of our visitors simply haven't seen anything like it, so it's fun for them. Kids especially like watching the coins coming down the chute."
While the visual display is a welcome benefit, the two T-Flex Coin Dispensers the museum employs from Telequip, a world leader in automated coin dispensing solutions, were acquired for one basic reason: speed of service.
"We have island registers in the center of our food court area that serve multiple eating establishments; they're sort of a one-stop shop for all the dining options. These registers need to be quick, since we offer so many different food varieties and the volume, particularly during the lunch hour, can get pretty high," said Wells. "Next to those is a separate register that primarily services the 'sweets' area, which serves Starbucks, Dippin' Dots, and Slushies. This area can remain at peak capacity for as long as three hours in the afternoon."
When Wells and his boss identified the need for a way to improve customer flow in April 2008, Telequip provided a dispenser for a free test run ("I don't think most companies would let you do that," Wells noted). After a successful 30-day trial, the decision was made to add another dispenser, knowing that in June school would let out and museum traffic would increase substantially.
It wasn't long before Wells had concrete evidence to highlight the dispensers' value. "We determined that we can process about 25-30 extra customers per hour on the registers with the T-Flex during our peak periods," Wells explained. "Because we have them on two registers, we're averaging 50-60 extra customers. With an average transaction of $7.50, that's an additional $375-$450 of daily revenue. It's not long before the dispensers pay for themselves."
The time savings come from two areas, Wells said. "First, we are saving about 5-7 seconds on the actual transaction, since the change comes out much faster. But we're also saving as much as an extra 30 seconds with some customers who normally would count their change. Most customers accept that the change from the machine is accurate. In truth, the change really is more accurate, so that's another plus."
Although it is difficult to prove definitively, Wells is confident that the dispensers generate additional revenue in another way. "When people don't see lines, they're more likely to come into the food court and purchase items, where they might not if they see a big crowd," he said. "So the registers actually help bring in customers who would be more likely to eat after they leave the museum — just because the register area now looks so streamlined."
Wells also noted that his cashiers have embraced the dispensers with open arms. "The T-Flex really reduces the pressure on cashiers during the busy times. It's especially beneficial for new cashiers, who might get flustered when the lines start to get long. Knowing that the correct change is going to come out every time gives them one less thing to worry about. It also reduces the chances that their drawer is going to be short at the end of a shift."
You might say that in terms of how to increase revenue in a museum food court, the Telequip T-Flex Coin Dispensers are "Exhibit A."
About Telequip
Telequip®, a division of Crane Payment Solutions, has been manufacturing automated coin dispensing solutions since 1974. As the world's first choice for automated coin dispensing solutions, Telequip offers support for coin sets from over 15 countries, including the Euro. Our work force is comprised of product engineers, sales and marketing, customer service and assembly professionals at our headquarters in Salem, New Hampshire. The Telequip brand is synonymous with quality, reliability and longevity — delivering products that are second to none.
For more information on Telequip's innovative products and solutions, please visit www.telequip.com, or call (800) 225-0580.
About Sodexo
Sodexo, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated food and facilities management services in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, serving 10 million customers in 6,000 locations every day. Their dedication to excellent service, corporate citizenship, and fighting hunger all come from one goal — to make every day a better day.
SOURCE: Telequip