Self-Service

Jersey Mike’s Subs taps guest-facing tablet to boost transaction time, engagement

Jersey Mike's Subs developed a customer facing tablet that allows the guest to review their order, pay, sign up for loyalty rewards and view marketing messages.

A customer revuews an order before paying at Jersey Mike's Subs and is invited to sign up for loyalty rewards. Photo: Jersey Mike's Subs.

February 14, 2024 by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Picking up a sub at your favorite sandwich shop should always put you in a good mood. Paying with your credit card or using your reward points should be fast and easy.

Such were among the goals of Jersey Mike's Subs when it invested $175 million in a nationwide retrofit for its 2,500-plus stores over a recent 18-month period.

Scott Scherer
(Photo: Jersey Mike's Subs)

"We're a technology company as well as a restaurant company," Scott Scherer, CIO of the Manasquan, New Jersey-based company, said during a phone interview.

Focus on innovation

Special attention was given to the payment reader, a critical touchpoint for any restaurant. A traditional payment device oftentimes requires the customer to move to a customer-facing terminal with a 3.5-inch screen to complete their transaction.

"We started out of the gate with a fully integrated system," Scherer said. "But you had to walk to a customer-facing terminal with a 3.5-inch screen to complete the transaction.

"It's okay for payment; it's not ideal for communicating with the customer or promoting anything or showing them what's on their ticket. We decided to move to a tablet solution. Using an integrated card reader for the credit card piece and the rest was handled with a tablet."

Jersey Mike's Subs developed a 10-inch-wide customer-facing tablet that allows the guest to review their order, pay, sign up for loyalty rewards and view marketing messages. Guests can see a call to action via a QR code to become a "MyMike's" rewards loyalty club member or an invitation to participate in a local fundraiser.

Positioned opposite the attended POS terminal, the tablet resembles a self-order kiosk that allows the guest to complete their transaction with the assistance of an associate if needed.

All-in-one solution

Other restaurants also offer a customer-facing tablet along with a traditional card reader, Scherer said, but most force the guest to move from the table to the payment reader.

"It's confusing because there's a screen that you're working with on the tablet and then you move to a different screen and complete the payment, so we took all of that away and went with a standalone card reader that attaches to a tablet so all the interaction is through the tablet, other than inserting or tapping the card," he said.

Jersey Mike's Subs developed the software independently using Elo Touch Solutions hardware.

"We spent a tremendous amount of time getting it just right," Scherer said with regard to the flow of the tablet interaction.

Employee buy-in

The company's employees have welcomed the tablet since it makes their jobs easier and allows them to focus on interacting with customers.

"The ease of use from a customer's perspective reduces any of the training that the crew has to do with the customer," Scherer said. "It's very intuitive.

"We want the interaction between the customer and the employee but we don't want the interaction of talking the customer through a frustrating task. We'd rather be talking to them about their day, their kids and about their food. Not about, 'Oh, stick the card over there, oh, hit that screen, no, not that button, this button.'"

The tablet invites the customer to sign up for loyalty rewards. Photo: Jersey Mike's Subs.

Focus: loyalty rewards

One of the key benefits to date has been making it easier for customers to sign up for loyalty rewards. Close to half (45%) of the company's orders include loyalty rewards.

"We have a very successful loyalty program," Scherer said. "The tablet easily introduces the loyalty program, complementing the encouragement from the employees."

The new system also increased tap transactions from 8% to 67%, making payment five times faster. Company research found tap transactions take about one second compared to five seconds when a customer inserts a credit card.

The ability to list orders on the larger tablet also improved order accuracy since the screen gives customers visibility into what is being rung up.

For all of these reasons, franchisees, like customers, have welcomed the technology. "Anything that can improve speed of service is what they're asking for," Scherer said.

Jersey Mike's Subs does offer a self-order kiosk in one store serving a college audience, which is a non-traditional location for the company.

"It's mainly an online and delivery store where a large majority of the orders come in through the app...the subs are made behind the scenes," Scherer said. "In this particular store, the kitchen is behind the counter."

Scherer doesn't see self-order kiosks playing a big role, given the company's culture.

"It's not really our culture, it's not really our brand," he said. "We invite people to come to the store for the experience of seeing their sub fresh sliced or fresh grilled and the interaction between the crew. We don't want to be that convenience store prep shop where you walk in, you punch into a kiosk and then you walk and then you pick up your food."

Focus: customer engagement

"We want that experience, we want to share our lives with our customers, we want to engage with our customer, and the customers that come in really enjoy that," he said. "The customers that don't want to have that interaction can use our app or our website and place the orders that way. It's about our culture. Until we find a way to marry the bantering and the culture into the kiosk, it's not really our brand."

Going forward, the team continues to pay attention to technology. It is currently testing a cloud-based POS system to replace the original one.

"We are always looking for ways to use technology to improve the customer experience, so, for instance, how might AI improve the ordering process?" Scherer asked. "AI is getting much better but it still doesn't compete with human touch. As technology gets better we may get there."

The company does not release numbers on its technology investment.

Self-Service