There’s been a pub on Malt’s Richmond Road site for decades and it serves as a focal point for the local Grey Lynn residents. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, the courtyard outside is as busy as the bar indoors.

Latest technology
Malt’s General Manager Tyrone Amanono was looking for a way to keep their courtyard patrons as well looked after as they would be inside.

“Our courtyard seats 70 people, with room for around 120 on busy nights. We have a smaller bar out there to save our customers the hassle of coming back inside,” Mr Amanono says. “It doesn’t make sense to have drinks available outside but have no method of payment.

We have a normal till outside but not many people carry cash with them these days.” Telecom provided Malt with Mobile EFTPOS.

The terminal is supplied by EFTPOS Specialists and connects to Telecom’s 027 mobile network. This means EFTPOS transactions can be made without the need for the terminal to be plugged into a phonejack.

“We were thinking of installing a phoneline for the courtyard and putting in another normal EFTPOS terminal out there but we were a bit worried about leaving the equipment outside when we closed for the night. Mobile EFTPOS was exactly what we were looking for because we can bring it inside when we’re ready to close,” Mr Amanono says.

Fast and convenient
“Our Duty Managers let customers know there is EFTPOS outside, which means we can serve more people than we used to. It’s convenient for people who enjoy the courtyard’s atmosphere, and at the same time we can actively encourage people to head outside on busy nights.

Mr Amanono says Mobile EFTPOS also helps Malt run their outside events more smoothly. “We often have private functions in the courtyard, so it’s been a real benefit in this respect. We’ve also recently started Sunday evening DJ sessions in the courtyard, so having Mobile EFTPOS means customers don’t miss the entertainment.

Perfect back-up solution
“It’s also a great back-up for the normal fixed line EFTPOS terminals. Our fall-back option used to be the old zip-zap credit card machine, but now we can just use Mobile EFTPOS, which limits the chances of us missing payment because of maxed-out cards.

Mr Amanono says he can see Malt using Mobile EFTPOS for other things in the future such as providing complete table service. “When customers have finished their meals we could go to them directly with the terminal and they can pay then and there, which would reduce the chances of people forgetting to pay and walking out.

“It’s a little out of the ordinary but it’s making life a lot easier for both our customers and our business.”

February 2007