'Freshii,' the Ontario-based restaurant famous for its real, fresh foods, has begun testing a virtual cashier system by the name of Percy. Percy can be encountered on a video calling device located at the cashier stand. When a customer approaches Percy, the screen will turn on and a person on the other end of the device will take the customer's order. Freshii's current Percy workers are staffed out of call centers in Nicaragua.
The restaurant did not provide details on the system aside from the fact that it is managed by a third-party company. Paul Hughes, the chief business development officer at Freshii, when speaking about the technology, stated "Just like with Uber Eats, Skip the Dishes, self-checkout options and other emerging ordering/cashier technologies, Freshii is always looking to be an early tester and adopter of new tech solutions." At this point in time, it is not clear whether Freshii will continue expanding its Percy system or not.
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Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Virtual Cashier Systems
- The testing of virtual cashier systems like Percy opens the door for other businesses to explore the use of remote workers for their front-line operations.
- Call Center Outsourcing
- Outsourcing the remote workers for the virtual cashier system, as done by Freshii, may provide new opportunities for call center industries.
- Emerging Ordering Technologies
- The introduction of Percy's virtual cashier system shows a growing trend towards the use of emerging technologies in restaurant ordering systems.
Where This Applies
- Fast Food
- The fast food industry may benefit from virtual cashier systems like Percy to improve the speed and efficiency of front-line operations.
- Call Center
- The call center industry has the potential to benefit from outsourcing remote workers for virtual cashier systems like Percy.
- Technology
- The introduction of virtual cashier systems like Percy highlights the growing need for businesses to invest in emerging technologies to improve their operations.
