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How to Use a No-POS System in the Sports Industry

Sports venues are built to accommodate large numbers of enthusiasts, often with vastly different tastes in food and drinks. Read more to learn about how to use a no-pos system.

The sports industry poses a uniquely complex set of needs for point of sale (POS) systems.Sports venues including arenas, stadiums, courses, and racetracks are built to accommodate large numbers of enthusiasts, often with vastly different tastes in food and drink. Sports fans want to enjoy their concessions without unnecessary friction distracting from the reason they’re really there, whether it’s the ball, horse, puck, or car.Legacy point-of-sale systems simply don’t offer enough flexibility to meet these varying demands without undue delay. That’s where a No Point-of-Sale (No-POS) system comes in.In this short guide, we’ll explain how to implement a No-POS in the sports industry.

Step 1: Analyze the Benefits

Given everything you have to track and manage at your venue, the very idea of a No-POS system might sound like it’s coming out of left field.Why would you do away with the system that keeps everything up and running?Simply put, a No-POS system means that there is no reliance on a single point of sale. Instead, customers can place orders and make payments from their own smartphones, opening up the potential for limitless points of sale.A No-POS system puts purchasing in the hands of the fans, thus upgrading the experience of a traditional platform while increasing efficiency, versatility, and user satisfaction.You’ll be able to resolve some of the major issues with a traditional POS:

  • Long lines – Sports venues are known for winding lines at the cash register. And due to limitations on physical space and the need for smooth traffic, you can only accommodate so many points of sale. In contrast, a No-POS system eliminates the need for lines anywhere but the restroom.
  • Poor customer service – Long lines often lead to less-than-perfect service. Guests can’t read the menu from the back, much less ask questions. However, a No-POS system empowers them to ask questions and resolve problems before and after their order.

With a QR code-based system, you can receive orders and payments via smartphones without requiring your customers to download an app. Most importantly, your system can work for you—rather than the other way around.That’s the beauty of no single point of sale. It increases purchases by offering your guests the hospitality they want when they want it.

Step 2: Choose Your No-POS System

When it comes to sports venues, there are many people to consider: players, coaches, fans, and support staff. You need a system that can adapt to the changing needs of everyone present.To that end, look for a system with the following features.

Menu Customization

It should be easy for vendors to make adjustments to their menus in real-time depending on the kitchen’s needs.Look for a solution with an easy-to-use backend interface and highly customizable branded menus.

Hybrid Ordering

A hybrid ordering model allows customers to choose between picking up their food and having it delivered.A system with zone capabilities and routing technology can enable delivery people to offer fast and reliable service to an entire stadium of hungry sports fans.

Multi-Merchant Ordering

Sports venues offer a wide variety of vendors. This variety is a great way to provide audience members with what they want to eat and drink. Still, it can be time-consuming for fans who want something of everything without spending the entire game waiting in line.When you implement a No-POS system, sports fans can order food and drink from various vendors all in one transaction. They don’t have to wait in long lines (if at all). And they have the opportunity to peruse options from every merchant at once.

Step 3: Use Data to Plan for The Future

Restaurants have been catching onto the fact that the fewer obstacles between a customer and their food, the easier it is to order more. Sports venues aren’t far behind.You know that the more you can tailor your fans’ experiences to them, the happier they’ll be.And whether your customers choose to order on their smartphones (as most do) or pay the old-fashioned way, you’ll find all the purchasing data you need in one place. You can use this data to:

  • Plan your staffing schedule around periods of peak demand
  • Manage menus and future inventory orders
  • Run sales and promotions at appropriate times

GoTab’s Winning Platform

The sports industry knows the importance of versatility well.With the flexibility that GoTab’s No-POS system offers, you can provide sports enthusiasts with what they want when they want it—all with the simple act of scanning a QR code.From contactless payments to up-to-date menus, the up-sides of GoTab’s secure No-POS system are limitless. Likewise, our easy-to-use hardware and software-free solutions require minimal lead time to implementation.Request a demo today. The fans will thank you as they spend less time at the concession stands and more time in their seats enjoying the game.Source:

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Situated “in the heart of it all, yet tranquil enough to make you feel away from it all too,” The Limelight Hotel Snowmass offers 99 hotel rooms and 11 residences, as well as footsteps-to-gondola access in winter and summer — right in the middle of Snowmass Base Village.

The Situation

Especially over the last few years, the Limelight Hotels IT team had witnessed a significant shift to contactless technology in the hospitality industry. After evaluating friction points in the guest journey, aligning with modern technology platforms in their restaurant was determined to be an effective way to offer elevated contactless dining experiences to their guests while also evolving their technology platforms to continue to support long-term company goals. Limelight Hotel partnered with GoTab to provide an enhanced on-demand dining experience on par with the brand’s reputation for exceptional guest service.

The Solution

Reducing Staff Touch Points Without Sacrificing Guest Experience

Guests are now able to begin a tab from their room or the property’s restaurant by scanning a QR code, texting a link to friends or family members on the ski slope to add in their orders, then meeting up together at the patio or lodge to enjoy their meal and après ski festivities without interruption. By streamlining tasks like inputting orders and processing payments, this eliminates friction for hotel staff and allows them to focus on delivering renowned guest service for a memorable experience. Since partnering with GoTab, Limelight Snowmass has consistently seen higher check averages and sales.

“We found the Point of Sale platforms we were looking at offered the guest and staff limited opportunities to further reduce touch points or improve the traditional restaurant experience. The GoTab platform enabled the guest to take an active role over the flow of their experience while simultaneously reducing touch points and further streamlining restaurant operations.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

According to the Limelight Hotels team, some of the other platforms that were evaluated were either missing some of the pieces they were looking for, had weak customer support models, or had little willingness to develop integrations to existing hotel platforms already in place. To that end, GoTab integrated with cloud-based platform, Infor. Together, GoTab and Infor are providing dynamic solutions to support central, efficient service across hotel amenities and deliver exceptional guest experiences.

“Previously, guests would call down to the restaurant to begin an order from their room or while they were out enjoying the ski slopes. Using GoTab, guests can now place orders from anywhere on the resort, giving them the on-demand service they want without interrupting their day. GoTab empowers us to give control to the guest, reducing touch points and streamlining overall restaurant operations, making Limelight Hotel the resort of choice for Snowmass.”Nick Giglio, Manager of Hotel IT Operations, The Little Nell Hotel Group

Since introducing GoTab, The Limelight Hotel has seen a consistent level of upsells and items sold per check resulting in additional revenue capture. They have been able to maintain service levels in their restaurants during periods when there was reduced staffing available without significantly diminishing the guest experience.

The Benefits

Eliminate Phone Orders – Take Orders from the Slopes. Guests can start a tab from their room or on the mountain without interrupting the flow of their day.

Future-Proofed Technologies – Delivering elevated contactless ordering via integration with the Infor hotel management platform.

Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.

  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
  • Eliminating Friction in the Guest Journey – Maintaining service levels during periods of reduced staff without diminishing the guest experience.
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