McDonald’s did it with food, placing burgers into customers’ hands in 30 seconds, rather than the usual 30 minutes. Other restaurants followed suit, and now fast food restaurants are a mainstay of society. Toyota did it with the Prius, as gasoline combustion engines used to annihilate all would-be competitors; but the Prius hybrid came along and established itself as a popular alternative to traditional gas guzzling vehicles. It paved the way for broader adoption of all-electric cars, which together with hybrids, are steadily eating away at the market share of conventional combustion engines. Apple did it with the iPhone, putting a robust Internet browser, touchscreen, and dazzling camera in the palm of your hand. It’s all standard fare now, but that wasn’t the case before Steve Jobs came along.
What do McDonald’s, Toyota, and Apple all have in common? They are all companies that disrupted their markets, completely transforming the ecosystem to the point where nothing was ever the same after they had made their mark. Now, joining the ranks of these pioneering brands is TEZ and its revolutionary SMS Valet ticketless technology.
Traditionally, when a guest pulls a car up to an establishment with valet service, the attendant hands the guest a paper ticket that is returned when it comes time to retrieve the vehicle. It’s all very analog and wasteful, as these paper tickets get discarded — if they aren’t first lost. But we live in a digital world where technology can enhance experiences, making them faster and more efficient. That’s the promise of SMS Valet.
SMS Valet is a ticketless platform that uses SMS text messages to optimize the valet experience. Drivers pull their car to a valet stand, but instead of receiving a paper ticket, they receive a welcome message via SMS text. When it comes time to retrieve their vehicle, they simply reply to the text, and the attendant receives a message to bring their car curbside. Guests can have their vehicle waiting before they even make it outside, which is especially great during inclement weather. With SMS Valet, cash never needs to trade hands. Guests can pay by credit card, E-Validate, and even leave a tip right from their mobile device.
The days of paper tickets are numbered, as TEZ has joined the ranks of McDonald’s, Toyota, and Apple, all brands who have disrupted their markets. SMS Valet is bringing ticketless technology mainstream, and the valet experience will never be the same.
