POS systems from Scheidt & Bachmann simplify work for cashiers in the Esso petrol station network

Mid of August, the last service station in the German network of Esso branded petrol stations owned by Echo Tankstellen GmbH was rebuilt as part of the system rollout. Since then, all these service stations benefit from the modern Scheidt & Bachmann systems. The service station operators not only received a completely new system with the Esso TMS, but as well as many new functions for smoother shifts at the service station.

Mr. Tommaso Ossino operates service stations in Duisburg and Krefeld for 26 years and is convinced that the investment in the new system was worthwhile. The new Esso TMS has been operating in his service stations since the end of 2017, making him one of the first petrol station operators to receive the new system. He is an "old hand" in the business. "The conversion of my service station in Duisburg was very difficult. In the beginning we had some problems until everything was up and running. But here in Krefeld everything worked smoothly. Scheidt & Bachmann also had to gather experience first, since Esso TMS was completely new," Mr. Ossino remembers the first time after the conversion. "At first you have to get used to the new system, but now I have to say that we have many new functions that are much better than with the previous system. The POS system is very easy to operate. The back office also makes work much easier once you understand how it works."

For this project, Esso placed particular value on developing the new system in close cooperation with the future users. The focus was also on the details of the new functions of the POS system. "The cash register is much more stable and faster than its predecessor, above all because it can be operated so quickly. With the back office system, the day's billing runs automatically overnight. That's great, when I get to the station in the morning, the billing is ready," says Mr. Ossino happily. He also finds the new functions practical, such as customer loyalty systems with the DeutschlandCard or the option of dividing a payment into card payment and cash, a service previously not available.

In order for users to get along with the new system, training courses and online trainings were offered in which the new possibilities of the Esso TMS were explained. "Since the POS is very easy to use, we quickly got to grips with the system. If you do what the POS "tells" you, then you get along very well even without training. The back office is a bit more extensive and therefore needs a bit more time until all the functions are known".

This also explains why particular difficulties with the new "Merchandise Management" menu arose. The new function of the central article base also provided again and again ground for discussions in the last months. Mr. Ossino confirms this: "In the beginning I was desperate because I didn't know or understood these functions. But now I work more efficiently with the whole menu. It makes the daily work much easier. I am also in contact with other operators and we help each other. The exchange of experiences is very positive and helpful".

Esso and Scheidt & Bachmann have recognised the problem and offered additional training and adapted various processes in the helpdesk. Esso Training offers an Esso TMS training especially for advanced users, which focuses on the contents of the back office with a focus on merchandise management. "I am happy to recommend this training to others. My station managers took part of the training as well. We benefit a lot from the training. Many small things in the back office are much clearer now. We also notice that the telephone support has improved in the event of queries. In the beginning it was sometimes difficult. Now we have the contact to specially trained contact persons who competently assist us. What we also learned to appreciate, and what became clear once again through the training courses, is how to use the new MDE device. This is also a big advantage over the old system. We use the MDE a lot. It helps enormously with many daily tasks: for example, for inventory or price labelling. I motivate my employees to work with it more often, as it simply goes faster." The new system is based on the current hardware and software generation from Scheidt & Bachmann and is therefore broadly positioned to be adapted to future requirements.

Based on his wealth of experience, Mr. Ossino already has his own ideas about which functions would improve the system in the future: "Cashback would be a great function that many customers would also like to see. Also the possibility to activate the eLoading articles via the cash register. This is where I see the security aspect, because it often leads to fraud." The integration of the e-Loading into the cash register will be included in the next release, as well as the new functions in the Marketing and active selling area. Mr. Ossino and all other petrol station operators with Esso branded sites will thus receive further new functions that will make daily work at the petrol station much more convenient.