New ticketing system

DBCP said:
If the only reason for adding a POS system is that you can use a card, I'm not sure I see it being worth the money. Nearly every food and merchandise location, obviously with the exception of games, accepts credit and debit, even if it is using a dial-up Omni. What really is the benefit? That you can complete the transaction more quickly?

Edit: Grammar.

There's a benefit that a lot of people look past when it comes to POS systems. If they are implemented in the proper way, these stations can be used to selectively sell to the customer because you can see what that customer has purchased before. This could be more effective since the park is regional, and there is a big enough crowd of people that come multiple times a year where you have many opportunities to sell to them in a more efficient manner.

And another argument for a proper POS system is that as a resort guest, you can use your room card (not even your regular credit card) for purchases of any type, greatly boosting spending from your resort guests. This isn't a system just about credit and debit cards, it can and should encompass your resorts, even making them a central reason for the system.

In regards to what Jeff said, yes, admittedly you can't use it everywhere, but, the vast majority of locations do accept them, and those that don't are typically cart-venues. If they wanted to accept them everywhere that doesn't already, it certainly wouldn't cost much at all to add a few more Omnis here and there. Sure, a faster system might be nice, but why fix what's not broken? It does get the job done.

BlueStreak64 said:

There's a benefit that a lot of people look past when it comes to POS systems.If they are implemented in the proper way, these stations can be used to selectively sell to the customer because you can see what that customer has purchased before. This could be more effective since the park is regional, and there is a big enough crowd of people that come multiple times a year where you have many opportunities to sell to them in a more efficient manner.

Know more about your guests? Yes. Sell to them more selectively once they're in the park?Not so much. An amusement park is like being in a town monopolized by one owner. No matter where you go, the prices are set by the park. You don't have a lot of options. Sure, you could leave the park and go elsewhere, but you don't see the majority of people leaving the park to save $1 on some fries, do you?

BlueStreak64 said:

And another argument for a proper POS system is that as a resort guest, you can use your room card (not even your regular credit card) for purchases of any type, greatly boosting spending from your resort guests. This isn't a system just about credit and debit cards, it can and should encompass your resorts, even making them a central reason for the system.

It may encourage spending by being more convenient, but the concept of price still plays a roll. Just because I can charge it to my room rather than swipe the same credit card again isn't going to make me anymore likely to purchase a $7 hamburger.

I know another valid point about POS systems is inventory, and knowing how much inventory a location has. But, when your warehouse sends out whatever they want, no matter what your orders are and what a store's or food venue's location's employees inventory, your problem is not in knowing what you need more of, but rather in the warehouse distribution itself.

Would I be in-favor of a POS system at Cedar Point? Absolutely. But, when your groundwork and basic procedures, not to mention factors such as price, aren't in line the way they should be, the system fails to be beneficial, and price is hardly justified. These are ground-level parts of the park's operation that can't be fixed by a POS system.

Edit: Fixed Spacing

I think you're missing the point when I say "selectively sell." Prices don't affect your ability to selectively sell. Selectively selling is all about knowing your customer and knowing their purchasing habits, and selling them additional, or normal products that they may not have bought this time around otherwise. The best example I have is from my two years at Pizza Hut. Because this was in a small town, I got to know the usual orders of a few people (and this is without a POS system), and if they would leave a side item like breadsticks or wings out of their order, I would selectively sell them that additional product. In other words, after they had given me the order, I simply asked them if they would like breadsticks or wings with that, and it usually got an additional sale. Selectively selling is all about knowing what your customers purchase, and using that information accordingly. At Pizza Hut we had a whole list of things to selectively sell to our customers based upon other items in their orders, and you know what, it actually does work. Price points don't matter, its all about knowing your customers and knowing what items they like, or items that compliment what they initially ordered. Once again, price points don't matter here.

After reading through your post again, you made me think about something related to inventory as well. As it stands, at the food locations, if they are out of something they either place a call or physically send someone to get more stock if they can (speaking here based off of what I was told by my roommate, supervisor at Los Gatos). With a POS system you eliminate the need for either one of those. If the computer is keeping track of the inventory, it can send the appropriate orders out to the warehouse, which results in quicker turnaround for the entire system. In addition, with this kind of system (although I would assume and hope they have a decent computer tracking system for inventory at the warehouse), you could log or even place orders with your supplier when you need it, and you can be a lot more specific with your amounts.

Again, the principle of inventory makes perfect sense. I understand how it works; yes, it's a great system. However, if you've heard anything about how some of the warehouses operate, you'd know that the problem is not with knowing a location is out of something, it's with actually getting the item that's needed. Whether it's paper, person, or POS system telling you that Pagoda needs blue mugs is besides the point. You don't get any blue mugs unless you have people reading this information and properly packing and distributing said mugs from your warehouse... something, which from what I understand, is far from a reality.

Again, my point is not that this system could be incredibly beneficial. My point is that it can't be nearly as beneficial as it is capable of being unless some of the problems within the ground-level operation of the park are corrected, and that until then, they might as well save their money and just throw the Omnis in where needed. It's like remodeling your house to sell, and making the outside extraordinarily beautiful and leaving the foundation your house sits on in a collapsible condition and the inside a complete mess.

bingo.

And to reiterate, no, you can't use your debit/credit card everywhere in the park..I could come up with at least 20-30 locations off the top of my head that don't accept them...since we know that improvement in the service itself isn't going to change anytime soon at most food stands, then at least efficiency could be increased by other means...thus, a universal p.o.s. system...well worth the cost in everyone's eyes but the park's, apparently.

First why not Wi-Fi the whole damn thing and be done with it. I would imagine that it costs less that digging up the midway and wouldn't matter if you plan to wi-fi at least one location for temporary carts.

Second, if the warehouse is that inept at doing their job then I see a department that needs cleaning out. To avoid a potentially positive technology because some fools cannot be efficient is bass ackwards.

Third, the single largest reason in my opinion for the park to to use a POS system has been completely missed. The park wants to reduce cash sales at nearly any cost simply to reduce theft. Even the best paid cashiers will have some who take advantage of thousands of dollars flowing through one point of sale in one shift. The cleverness of theives is only less amazing than the amount of money they filter off the top.

Wi Fi is more prone to outages, especially in storms and on top of that is slower. Being hardwired is a much better idea.

Tell that to Disney.

Are you insinuating that Disney is hardwired? or wi-fied?

Well given the little antennae on all of the POS registers on the various carts, and a strong secured Wi-Fi signal everywhere on the property (says my iPhone), I'm going to put the two together.

That's what I thought you meant. However I haven't been to Disney in over twenty years, so I didn't want to assume. That and sometimes I'm alittle slow.

I can't see why wi-fi isn't a viable alternative to expensive infrastructure uprades. Especially to all the seasonal units within the park. There's really no reason not to have the ability for people to use credit or their room key to play the guess your weight game.

I just hope they're using a VPN in addition to WEP/WPA/Whatever it is they're using.

I just thought of something else here...and I know we're talking two different systems but...

Cedar Point already has wireless capabilities for its resort guests...why has this not been implemented for the employees? I've been in a lot of their departments, and I don't even think the systems they use are made anymore...

It just seems like a broken train of thought...some parts of the system are there...and could easily be expanded upon..other areas, like this new ticketing system: if you're going to tear the damn thing out, replace everything, not one component..otherwise, in the end, it's not going to be a big payoff in the end..

mk522 said:
It just seems like a broken train of thought...some parts of the system are there...and could easily be expanded upon..other areas, like this new ticketing system: if you're going to tear the damn thing out, replace everything, not one component..otherwise, in the end, it's not going to be a big payoff in the end..

One of the problems at CP is they don't want to spend the money for long term investments. They want quick return on investments so why spend big now and save later?

Sandcastle and Bon Air could be torn down and new nice suites be put up, have less maintenance issues, and make $600 a night instead of $200. But it'd cost them big now. Also the employee rec computers and internet service is rented out through a local company. In the long run they are spending more, but short term they didnt have to make a large purchase for the employees. They have things fixed each year besides being replaced.

DBCB said

It may encourage spending by being more convenient, but the concept of price still plays a roll. Just because I can charge it to my room rather than swipe the same credit card again isn't going to make me anymore likely to purchase a $7 hamburger.

Here is another way to look at the profitability of such a system on the suppliers end.

Every time you swipe a credit card Cedar Point has to pay transaction fee to the card company. (Most likely $0.25-$1.00 total). Charging a resort guest’s credit card 1 time over the total of their stay instead of them using their credit cards multiple times and getting hit with that fee could make a system worthwhile

What’s amazing about Disney You can do pretty much everything with your resort card, using in 25-50 times over the course of your stay. Still they only have to process credit transactions only few times I’d imagine over a multi day stay(not sure if they do it daily or what).

CP is definitely not paying a buck per transaction. I pay 3.49% and 45 cents, and it's only that high because I do insanely low volume. I doubt CP is paying more than 2% plus a dime.

It also doesnt have to stop at hotel guests, how great would it be if your SP was a credit card? I know I would spin for it, so long as my picture popped up for the restaurant attendants to see. It would also finally give them an accurate measuring of how much SPs add/subtract to the bottom line.

We can sit and agree over how hardwired systems do rule, and I know the advantages yes. But come on Jeff,
Speed is not the issue here because when do you ever exceed 2.4mb a second in data transmission when you are not downloading or uploading large files. What kind of data is Cedar Point sending? Uncompressed Blu-Ray video? Or text files with log information in it?

I say make it wireless because there is probably a ton of cables to be ran...and plus maybe you can make us a wireless wait time system while your at it.

Low quality wireless gear can suck, but properly setup good gear is perfect for networks without a need for lots of bandwidth.

And common credit card percentage rates used to at least be something like 2-3% for your VISA and Mastercard, but Discovery and AMEX cards were above 3% (thus why you don't see them accepted everywhere)

I don't understand why you're directing that to me. I made no comments about the speed of wireless connectivity.

As for the POS system, as was stated before the systems are not that hard to install and can be done in stages. In example:

Stage 1 - New Ticketing/Season Pass systems
Stage 2 - Installing servers for a POS system
Stage 3 - Run wiring to each permanent Merch location,
wi-fi to portable Merch carts
Stage 4 - Install POS system into Merch locations
Stage 5 - Connect the two systems, probably with a single cable, and upgrade software to talk between the systems.

I hope there not using a windows based product. I'd go with Linux based.