Robust functionality is key for a gift card program that needs to handle both restaurant and retail business. For this high-profile restaurant and apparel chain, Smart Transaction Systems' gift card program was the only one that could handle both sides of the business efficiently — without breaking the bank.

Eskimo Joe's is one of the most well-known restaurants in Oklahoma. It got its start in 1975 when two college buddies decided to open a small bar in Stillwater. It quickly became a popular, if not legendary, hot spot in the Stillwater area and grew into a full-service restaurant. As their popularity and marketing genius grew, the demand for Eskimo Joe's gear fostered a full line of clothing, and a retail sales division was created. Today, Eskimo Joe's boasts four restaurants (the original Eskimo Joe's, Mexico Joe's, Stillwater Bay, and Joseppi's Italian Kitchen), three retail clothing stores, a mail/phone order catalog, and Web-based catalog.

Eskimo Joe's recently identified the need to upgrade its existing gift card program, a team of operational managers was assembled to discuss the features of the proposed new system. John Killam, Eskimo Joe's Vice President, led the team. It was determined that the primary requirement of any new gift card program would be the ability to accommodate both the retail and the restaurant sides of the business. Their current gift card system, while adequate for the retail side, did not have the ability to handle tips for the restaurant side. "We needed a smooth and logical process to capture tips, and we needed to increase transaction speed for the restaurant environment," said John Killam.

The team researched dozens of companies that offer gift card programs. According to John, there were several factors that led them to pursue a relationship with Smart Transaction Systems (STS). The first factor was functionality. In addition to functioning effectively in the retail environment, STS software had the ability to handle the special needs of the restaurant environment. "No one could compete with STS on capturing tips. The system is easy. Tips are captured just as they are on MasterCard and Visa systems, and this makes the process of training new employees a very seamless one."

The second factor that led the team to choose Smart Transaction Systems was speed. "STS has one of the fastest systems that we have seen." Last, but certainly not least, was price. "STS has the lowest per-transaction charge, and their system only initiates a charge when a dollar amount is added to or subtracted from the card. The tip functionality and balance-checks are free With STS, we also have the ability to check the balance of a card and even pull a card history right from the terminal." In addition, John indicated that STS was able to convert all of Eskimo Joe's old gift cards to their new system in two-to-three days. "The guys in operations love me for getting this system!"

Ray Clopton, President of Smart Transaction Systems, comments "We're very proud of the fact that Eskimo Joe's selected us over a large number of competitors. They're a highly respected company and their customers rave about them. Customers like Eskimo Joe's are a real pleasure to work with because they challenge us and help us to improve our service in new and creative ways." STS and Eskimo Joe's plan to continue to work together to provide a high-quality gift card program for Eskimo Joe's.