Mt. Hood Meadows implements next-gen payment technology
Mt. Hood, located in Hood River Oregon, just south of the Columbia Gorge River stands at a colossal 11,249 feet (the highest peak in the state) and is richly adorned with grand glaciers, making it a prime location for winter sport activities. The Ski Resort, Mt. Hood Meadows has been around for more than 50 years, but that doesn’t mean that their technology has remained stagnant. After acquiring the neighboring Cooper Spur resort and a recent major renovation, Mt. Hood Meadows has been actively working on implementing next-generation technology to handle the sales and operations of the resort.
Why payments are important
While cash was king when Mt. Hood Meadows first began business, it is no longer the easiest and fastest way for customers to pay. The resort turns profit by churning volume at peak hours. If staff can blitz through certain tasks during peak hours, they can focus on their customers by providing service to as many as possible when they need it. Truth is, when you are cold, you don’t want to wait in a line for your hot cocoa. It turns out that there were new ways to make the payment process seamless for both Mt. Hood Meadows and its customers.
Technical troubles
The nature of this business already faces difficulty due to their relatively distant location and cold to freezing weather, ice, and snow. Previous payment processors they were working with were adding to the difficulties. The sheer volume of transactions they process daily demands seamless processing technology, and their previous payment processor was simply unequipped to handle it all. What’s more, with their previous partner, Mt. Hood Meadows regularly experienced issues with uptime. While this is something that the resort was familiar with, their partner did not have an adequate offline processing solution, putting them in an incredibly vulnerable situation should their network connection go completely offline.
Next-gen solutions that work
After a PayOps consultation, it was apparent that simply being able to take a credit card payment was not enough to help them grow their business. Giving servers the option to have customers pay at the table would reduce the time spent running back and forth from the register and speed up the time customers spend paying.
The application of Payment Logistics’ Pay at the Table solution goes beyond a traditional restaurant atmosphere. Mt. Hood Meadows uses Pay at the Table to take payments at pop-up bars and food service centers. This dynamic service aligns with the goals of Mt. Hood Meadows and most importantly, provides what customers want: an ideal mountain experience that enriches their lives.
After payment, customers have the option of receiving a digital receipt, giving the option to go paperless. The digital receipt boasts a digital marketing platform that lets the resort display any custom messaging they choose, from a simple “Thank you,” image to announcing the charities they partner with, to advertising current promotions. This connection helps further digitally engage Mt. Hood guests with their brand.
Conclusion
Currently, Payment Logistics and the developers at Mt. Hood Meadows are working on integrating their loyalty program so they can incorporate Pay at the Table throughout all their locations. Payment Logistics will also be working to strategically implement a QR Order and Pay solution at high-volume locations around the resorts for food and beverage orders. The Payment Logistics team is honored to bolster the value that Mt. Hood Meadows brings to its visitors and looks forward to seeing what more this lucrative partnership can achieve together.
