System and method for employee incentive game

• US 20040209661A1
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Par Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: Par Technology Corporation
• Inventors: Gregorin, Adam C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,287,340 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

An employee incentive game overlies a sales application used with POS terminals. The game includes a back office portion and a front end employee interface portion. The game parameters, which are set up on the back office portion, identify a start time, a stop time, and a predetermined sales item which is the subject of the game. Each time the predetermined item is sold, the selling cashier receives a point. The front end interface portion informs the cashier of the predetermined sales item, identifies the game parameters, and graphically displays a score card whenever prompted to do so. The score card also shows the standings of the other cashiers in the game. The standings are updated in real time via the POS terminal data gathered by the sales application. At the end of the game, the cashier with the most points is recognized.

Claims

1. A system with an employee incentive game overlaid on a point of sale (POS) terminal system, comprising:

a back office portion which includes first means for setting up said game on said POS system;

a front office portion which includes second means for an employee to determine a real-time score of said employee compared with all other employees participating in said game.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said first means includes:

means for designating a team style;

means for designating a game style; and

means for designating game parameters for said game style.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said team style is one team style designated from the group consisting of single employee, teams of employees, shift teams, hourly teams, and stores.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein said game style is one game style designated from the group consisting of combination meals with individual items that are upsized or downsized, specific menu items, and speed of service (SOS).

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said front office portion further includes means for presenting a question to a non-cashier employee for answering, whereby said non-cashier employee participates in said game.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein said first means includes means for designating said question to be presented to said non-cashier employee.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said front office portion further includes means for presenting a question to said employee for answering, whereby said employee gains extra points in said game.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said first means includes means for designating said question to be presented to said employee.

9. A method for implementing an employee incentive game on a point of sale (POS) terminal system, comprising the steps of:

setting up said game on said POS system;

determining a real-time score of an employee participating in said game; and

displaying to said employee real-time scores of all other employees participating in said game.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said step of setting up includes:

designating a team style;

designating a game style; and

designating game parameters for said game style.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said team style is one team style designated from the group consisting of single employee, teams of employees, shift teams, hourly teams, and stores.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein said game style is one game style designated from the group consisting of combination meals with individual items that are upsized or downsized, specific menu items, and speed of service (SOS).

13. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of presenting a question to a non-cashier employee for answering, whereby said non-cashier employee participates in said game.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said step of setting up includes designating said question to be presented to said non-cashier employee.

15. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of presenting a question to said employee for answering, whereby said employee gains extra points in said game.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said step of setting up includes designating said question to be presented to said employee.