The time for using coins, tokens, and tickets in an FEC have passed, accelerated by the need for contactless , cashless payments. Technology advancements in the family entertainment center software & hardware have created guest experience innovations that have improved many different aspects of FECs. Customers now anticipate arcade debit card systems, FEC kiosks, wireless readers, contactless and cashless payment technology when they enter FECs, meaning it is imperative that your venue meets their expectations.
Making calls? Your mobile can do almost anything. It essentially acts as a wallet now, allowing you to store membership cards, bank cards, event tickets and even your license. Mobile payments is becoming more and more accessible to businesses and consumers. And consumers expect that they can use their mobile to pay for anything.
Smartphones are now shipped with Apple Wallet or Google Pay, virtual wallets that hold consumers' credit cards and loyalty cards, allow customers to seamlessly purchase anything without any physical transaction or additional hardware being used. The mobile encryption technology make these payments more secure for both consumers and businesses alike. Customers at your FEC expect that this cashless technology (payment option) is available in your venue, allowing them to skip the lines to the FEC kiosks and reloading kiosks, minimizing their time spent waiting around.
RFID is a technology developed decades ago and today is being utilized in many different types of activities, often going by the name RF media. One of the uses for RF media is for contactless transactions. On the surface, this innovation may not seem to impact the FEC industry, however, it is transforming both the customer experience and FEC success.
Wearables are the latest development within RF media and cashless technology, progressing from a tap card to items such as wristbands. This is awesome for the customer experience, greatly improving the convenience of not having to carry around tickets or coins, amusement cards or arcade play cards. It also means when customers return, they can just reload their media (the value of the media sits in a tiny chip within the wearable) through the FEC kiosk and start playing immediately as opposed to having to sit in the queue.
These innovations made for the family entertainment industry aren’t strictly focused around the customer experience. The backend of the business is just as important to focus on. With new management emphasis on data-driven performance, there is heaps of new data you now have to deal with; you want this data because it informs you of exact customer behaviour (who is spending on what, games played, etc). But, no one wants to drown in data or have to hire extra headcount to analyse the data. This is why the automation of business reports is so useful to FECs. These are a great asset to FECs , help identify shortcomings and inform strategic decisions in the overall FEC business plan.
The automation of your FEC doesn’t stop at just the reporting of data. Technology has progressed to present FECs with numerous opportunities to improve their productivity and efficiency. Having the ability to seamlessly change or alter any game prices or details in real time, create revenue gap opportunities and develop the basis of loyalty programs are all things that have become automated.
Embed’s Mobile Wallet is a great use of mobile connectivity and cashless technology and allows customers to seamlessly pay and play without having to worry about lines and waiting around. This innovation is a breakthrough in the FEC industry and opens the door to new technological developments. Embed is the only FEC player to have Apple IOS and Google Pay compliance for its smartTOUCH readers. And there's no app download required. Furthermore, it takes your FEC to the next level.
Embed’s wearable RF media is another innovation that can provide huge benefits to an FEC through the cashless payment technology. The boost it creates for customer experience leads to tangible results seen in revenue and return customers among other areas. These can be used alongside with amusement cards or arcade play cards. Embed’s wearables not only improve and simplify the customer experience, but they are also comfortable to wear and have great customizable designs. They're great for birthday parties, and makes for a great bring-home souvenir.
For the backend of the FEC, Embed has a number of software solutions for various areas of the business. The TOOLKIT is the home of these solutions. REPORTS is a great tool that provides real-time reporting and automation through scheduling and emailing of reports. With all this new information being generated, it is key that you can make the most of it and REPORTS allows you to do that.
Central Games Management or CGM is another solution that is geared towards correctly managing another FEC component, the games. You can easily assess if they are correctly configured and make any necessary changes to the prices, or make any other modifications, quickly.
BOOKINGS are a great tool for developing revenue in non-peak times or appealing to corporate groups and people that may generally be outside of your normal target audience. It is a seamless software that allows anyone to book events at your venue from anywhere. This is great for an FEC as it creates prepaid bookings and allows you to proactively plan for the event which gives you peace of mind.