Semnox Solutions, a provider of technology for the entertainment and amusement industry, has helped The People’s Choice Family Fun Center implement a complete conversion from its legacy point-of-sale system and technology software.
Semnox installed a state-of-the-art system with cutting-edge equipment that improves the guest experience, increases revenue, and helps manage staff shortages. Transforming this Chicagoland Area venue, which has over 80,000 square feet of arcade games, a large redemption centre, individual attractions, and hard rides, took only four days to complete.
A POS system, cashless payments, data reporting on all platforms, inventory management with redemption, and RFID functionality in the arcade with card roaming between Bertrand Lanes, a bowling alley owned by the same company that switched to Semnox in 2022, are just a few of the extensive suite of features that Semnox has installed at The People’s Choice.
More than 150 arcade games and attractions were transformed with Semnox RFID card readers. Additionally, 13 kiosks were installed with venue-specific technology that Semnox had designed and customised.
Klassic Kiosk
“Before Covid, we employed over 50 people, and we were half the size we are now,” says John Sarantakis, president of The People’s Choice. “Today, we have on average 20 employees. Since the pandemic, we’ve struggled to find people to fulfill positions and have been short on labor. The employees we have retained were becoming overworked, and customers were also frustrated with us having too few team members, especially on busy weekends.”
The People’s Choice chose various Semnox kiosk models. Semnox’s best-selling kiosk is the Klassic Kiosk. Its primary purpose is to dispense RFID cards, which reduces the length of lines at front admission counters. In addition, the kiosk provides upselling opportunities, guest registration, history and balance checks, multilingual and touch screen capabilities, attraction scheduling, and other features, including sophisticated reporting.
A pair of Semnox Klassic Kiosks were positioned next to the front desk. Additionally, the venue positioned one next to the birthday party rooms, one by the bumper cars, and one by the roller coaster attraction. “Doing so has not only increased our sales because of the sheer convenience of how we positioned them but adding them has dramatically improved guest satisfaction especially when they have children in tow,” says Sarantakis. “Having the kiosks throughout our facility also keeps our employees free to manage other guests’ needs.”
See also: Driving the digital shift: entertainment innovation with Semnox Solutions
Klaimprize Kiosk
The Semnox Klaimprize Kiosk has been the most significant game-changer for The People’s Choice, even though the Klassic Kiosk has had a significant positive impact. Visitors can exchange their arcade card tickets for prizes at a Klaimprize Kiosk. The number of tickets required for each reward and the total number of tickets the card has accrued are shown on the kiosk screen when guests tap their arcade card. A redemption counter employee retrieves the prizes for the guest once they have selected them and received a claim ticket printed from the kiosk.
The People’s Choice first purchased four Klaimprize kiosks and then added two more because it was so pleased with the first findings. Labour costs decreased by half because two personnel are now working behind the redemption counter on weekends instead of the four previously required.
The traditional redemption process can frustrate guests and employees. Guests wait in long lines to claim prizes, and many times, it can take several minutes per guest to pick out and collect prizes, especially when manual calculations are involved. Klaimprize Kiosks eliminate both frustrations and now there is virtually no waiting for customers to claim prizes.
“Beyond running the successful operations at The People’s Choice and Bertrand Lanes, John Sarantakis is a well-known subject matter expert in the Family Entertainment industry,” says Bepin Jose, president of Semnox America, located in Dallas.
“So, it was a privilege for Semnox when John decided to implement the Semnox Parafait suite of technology solutions to manage his venues. John has leveraged self-service technology from Semnox to enhance guest experience and operating efficiencies. The use of the Klaimprize for self-service redemption is a great example for the industry to follow.
“A large part of the functions previously performed by staff members holding scanners and displaying the progress of redemption on a TV screen have shifted seamlessly to the guests picking their prizes using a touch screen. We wish John and his team the very best as we look forward to accomplishing greater things together.”
24/7 support
Sarantakis has 24/7 support from Semnox and access to a reporting system that can be customised to an operator’s needs. “Reporting is at my fingertips,” he says. “Because of Semnox, I now know what my exact payout is on each prize. For example, we spent $529 on prizes on games that generated $13,000 in revenue in one week. Before Semnox, our reports were less sophisticated but harder to understand.”
Two more kiosks have been installed to offer “express checkout” for The People’s Choice pizzeria and ice cream shop. Plus, two more registration kiosks, Semnox’s Kustomer Kiosk, allow new customers to register their cards.
“Working with Semnox has been a great experience. During the conversion, they brought in their people making the installation seamless,” adds Sarantakis. “We didn’t lose any revenue and that just doesn’t usually happen, especially when switching over to a new system.”
Earlier this month, Semnox Solutions celebrated the successful deployment of its attraction booking software on self-service kiosks at Planet Play in Malta. By introducing this technology to Malta for the first time, Semnox is helping to advance the visitor experience and is raising the bar for the sector.
