Unified Strategies Group (USG) conducted a USG Membership and Technology 101 Seminar in Atlanta, GA, on March 10 and 11. The Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel hosted 32 representatives from 26 USG member companies. USG staff presented new, rebate enhancing technologies and programs. Using the recently retooled USG website, www.usgvend.com, can increase member rebates substantially. Newly released programs such as Performance Central, PurchasePower 3.0 and the USG Order Center make it easier for members to attain all available manufacturer rebates. Tutorials regarding the new web programs were presented as well as a review of many new supplier rebate programs.
Day two of the seminar was dedicated to telemetry, cashless vending and related subjects. Bradlee Whitson, K&R Vending, Bridgeton, NJ, presented a soup-to-nuts review of telemetry from an operator’s perspective. Seven representatives from leading telemetry, cashless and technology suppliers participated in the event with each supplier covering specific segments. Two ROI presentations demonstrated payback from the business conversion, ending up with very similar, positive, results.
With the iPhone 6 containing a NFC chip, the Google acquisition of SoftCard and the expansion of the Google wallet, all based on NFC technology, smartphone payments are advancing rapidly and members need to be prepared for the change in the preferred method of payment that vending consumers may be looking to use.
USG is the leading nationwide, member owned co-operative for companies in the vending, micro market, OCS and food service business segments.
