For those in Philadelphia, or out at the Jersey shore, the name “Uncle Oogie’s” is likely a familiar one. This old familiar name recently took on a whole new life when it brought in Ingenico for a new payment alternative: the ability to pay for a meal right from the table.
Using a combination of Ingenico’s smart terminals and Datacap Systems’ PDQ Signature Systems, Uncle Oogie’s could offer its customers a way to conclude a meal much faster than ordinarily.
Users will not only be able to use Europay / Mastercard / Visa (EMV) cards, but will also be able to use a set of contactless payment systems including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Android Pay.
When users finish their meal, they will no longer have to wait for wait staff to come to the table with the check, come back to the table to take the check up, and then bring back the change, where applicable.
Uncle Oogie’s owner Louie Cerone commented “Being on the New Jersey Shore, competition is very fierce, so I’m always looking for new and innovative ways to create a better customer experience.
In addition to improving our customer experience, the pay-at-the-table solution provides a number of benefits for our business and employees, including increased efficiency and table turnover.
With the Pay-at-the-Table solution, we’re also able to offer our customers curbside pickup, allowing them to receive their food and pay without needing to leave their car, which many of our customers take advantage of.”
The bad news, of course, is that it’s only a competitive edge for so long, and it’s also the kind of thing that all those competitors can easily capitalize on. Still, in the short term, it’s a definite advantage and it can also lead to a longer-term advantage if used properly. For instance, incorporating a rewards program into that payment system can be a huge help; Starbucks has already demonstrated what can happen when rewards are built into a mobile payments system, and there’s little doubt that Uncle Oogie’s can be the next key example.
Whatever Uncle Oogie’s does here, it’s certainly made a big jump. That jump is going to give it a real edge in the field, at least for a little while, and if nothing else, it’s bought itself time to set up its next big move.