Love’s Travel Stops gamifies store operations
A travel stop and convenience store retailer is engaging store associates with a gamification platform.
By integrating gamification technology in restaurants across locations, Love’s Travel Stops is attempting to transform the way it serves customers and engages employees.
How it works
Love’s gamification system features three strategically placed 27-inch monitors that track key performance metrics such as greet times, order processing times and the time it takes for food handoff at quick-service restaurant brands located within its stores, such as Carl's Jr., Hardee's, Arby's, Bojangles, Taco John's, Love's Deli, Dairy Queen, Back40, Naf Naf, Subway, Godfather's, BB Sub and Chester's.
The gamification system tracks performance, with each store's performance is compared across locations with real-time recognition for top performers. Employees can earn badges for reaching milestones, achieving sales goals and promoting self-development.
According to Love’s, early data shows that gamified restaurants in its stores are, on average, 11 seconds faster in service, demonstrating a boost in efficiency with the competitive element between stores further enhancing performance.
"The gamification software helps us meet brand standards and contributes to our speed of service," said Carl's Jr. restaurant manager Tanda Hopper. "It engages my employees and creates healthy competition between our store and others—we're always trying to get the top rank."
Looking ahead
Love’s is investing more than two million dollars in the next five years to install gamification technology across its locations. As Love's expands, every new store will be equipped with this gamification technology.
"Our investment in gamification technology is transforming the way Love’s restaurants operate," said Joe Cotton, VP of food service for Love’s. "By incorporating cutting-edge technology, we can better engage our team members while optimizing the customer experience. Our customers have an appetite for convenience when they are on the go. This solution cuts down customer wait time and gets drivers back on the road quickly."
[READ MORE: Love’s Travel Stops manages food costs across quick service brands]
Family-owned and -operated Love’s Travel Stops is headquartered in Oklahoma City. The company's core business is travel stops and convenience stores with more than 640 locations in 42 U.S. states.
