With the UK in recession and unemployment topping two million, the hospitality industry needs to ensure they are able to attract and keep customers. Brian Norman, Managing Director at Vista Retail Support, says that reliable EPOS systems play an important part in maintaining customer satisfaction.
Partnership to offer Vista QSR to Subway franchisees
Vista Retail Support, a leading independent EPOS maintenance services company, and Subtotal, a leading provider of advanced POS and CCTV technologies, have joined forces to offer Vista QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) to both new and existing Subway franchisees across the UK and Europe to design, install and support its entire in-store IT equipment.
The joint venture will see Vista QSR supply, install and deliver equipment that includes PC and till hardware and software, CCTV and comms kit (routers, etc.). The specialist software and hardware solutions can help increase the efficiency of the QSR operation. Once the systems are installed and running the franchisees have one number to call, which provides all post installation support for hardware and software. This service is available to both existing and new franchisees.
Richard Olds, CEO at Vista Retail Support, said, “In the current economic environment QSR operators are faced with increasing competition. Great customer service and till uptime can be the difference between success and failure. It is critical for these businesses to have access to service and support on their doorstep and at a moment’s notice. This partnership is great news for franchisees who have invested their own money to grow their own businesses. However, businesses must ensure they invest in a quality IT solution which can help them run their business better. The number of Subway outlets in the UK more than doubled from 565 in 2006 to more than 1,300 by the end of 2008, but this market remains incredibly competitive and EPOS downtime can result in lost business which may never return."
Joel Doherty, President at Subtotal, said, “The UK and European Subway markets have been looking for comprehensive services to support their IT investments for some time. To achieve the service and support levels franchisees require, a significant infrastructure of people, inventory, logistics and expertise must be deployed. Vista QSR has demonstrated this capability better than any organisation across the UK or Europe and therefore they represent the ideal Subtotal partner to bring enhanced service delivery and service options to the Subway franchisees. From a service and support delivery perspective the relationship between Subtotal and Vista QSR will be a game changer across the Subway market.”
Vista has been delivering support for stores from 1995 and has a fleet of its own installation and support engineers across the UK. The business covers all store systems from the microfilter outwards. This means that if a store has an IT hardware failure Vista will attend site and repair the item back to a fully functioning level to enable the store to take cash from their customers again. Vista offers this service 364 days a year and can offer fast fix times, which is especially relevant if the store only has one till.
Subtotal has supported the Subway brand for the last ten years providing advanced POS, CCTV and web based portal solutions across TUKI and beyond. Today the company has over 7,000 installs with more than 1200 in the TUKI market alone. The company continues to see growth across all facets of the business, however new services and service delivery models are a primary focus in the current business environment. With the new Vista QSR relationship, all of Subtotal's operations now transfer directly to a UK base which has been a long standing goal for the company. Sales, services, help desk, installations, inventory and warranty services will all be managed through the Vista QSR team in the UK and Ireland which strengthens the Subtotal brand and solutions in the market overall.
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