Professional drivers and four-wheel travelers are looking for speed and convenience, and operators said they are using technology to get customers in and out fast. Operators shared their experiences during the keynote panel discussion, Don’t Get Left Behind: What Innovative Retail Technology Should Embrace Now at NATSO Connect in Dallas, Texas.
Angela Coppler, a member of the NATSO Foundation board of directors and the moderator of the session, said that consumer mobile checkout installs are projected to grow 300 percent in the next two years, and contactless payment installs are slated to grow 190 percent during the same time period, according to IHL.
During the panel session, Gerald Daniel, chief strategy officer & EVP of ONVO, said he has implemented self-checkouts at the location for seamless transactions for customers. “We can have one cashier in the back and the others can focus on the customer experience,” he said. “We are investing heavily in technology at all of our locations.”
Sean Register, owner of Port Fuel Center, said drivers have told him that they are able to make extra runs to the port because of the time they save at the travel center. Register has added self-checkouts and is implementing a model that will let customers order at the pump via tablets.
Jeremie Myhren, co-founder and chief information officer of On-Ramp, said point-of-sale evolutions are exciting. “There is a lot happening in that realm, and there have been new entrants into the space,” he said.
New technology is allowing store operators to tie different POS systems together. “It allows us to be more modular,” he said, adding that operators don’t have to rely on one provider.
Customer adoption can be a challenge when it comes to technology, but Daniels said ONVO has put a cashier on the other side of the counter to help customers with the self-checkout experience. “That has helped the customers adopt technology,” he said.
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