Founded by Genoveffa Esposito and her husband in 2000, the Caffe Internet has since opened three additional locations, with Genoveffa still managing the Sant'Anastasia location.
Genoveffa and her husband are passionate, an obvious trait throughout the café. The pastries and foods are fresh; the surroundings are clean and modern, and their employees are enthusiastic and customer focused. However, explains Genoveffa, there is one aspect of the operation that she is not passionate about, and never will be.
“I hate dealing with the cash,” she said. “I sometimes spend over an hour a day separating and counting the banknotes and coins from each register. Every day, over and over again. I’d much rather spend my time talking with customers and employees, checking on the food and service, and making sure everyone is having an excellent experience.”
I hate dealing with the cash; I’d much rather spend my time talking with customers and employees
A better way to deal with cash
For years, Genoveffa accepted this daily chore as an undesirable but mandatory part of the business. Then, one day at a local supermarket, she saw a machine that accepted cash, counted it, made perfect change, and securely stored and recorded it all automatically. After some inquiries, she learned that the manufacturer, Crane Payment Innovations (CPI), had just released a new, state-of-the-art offering—Paypod™ Pay Station.
“I knew right away that this was the perfect solution for us,” she said. Soon, she was visiting the Paypod showroom, witnessing the new equipment in action, and discussing the possibilities with CPI. Soon after that, she installed Paypod in her main store. The difference, says Genoveffa, was immediate.
“Now I just bring the cashbox to the bank and I’m done,” she said. “It takes two minutes and I know that it will be 100% accurate. Suddenly, I have so much more time to take care of the more important parts of running my shop—the people and the food. It’s terrific!”
Now I just bring the cashbox to the bank and I’m done! I have so much more time to take care of the more important parts of running my shop!
Flexible options—and a surprise benefit
While Genoveffa immediately appreciated the impact of faster, more accurate cash reconciliation, it was a frightening experience that reinforced the benefit of Paypod’s robust, secure design.
On November 30, 2018, at about 1:30 in the morning, two armed robbers burst into The Caffe Internet and held the frightened employees at gunpoint, demanding the money from the till. The thieves took everything they could—incidental cash of minimal value. They were unable to access the thousands of euros locked safely in the Paypod.
Recognizing the security and efficiency delivered by Paypod, Genoveffa is currently working with CPI to bring this technology to her other locations as well.
“It is working so well at this shop, doing everything related to cash—collecting it, dispensing change, counting it and archiving it. I don’t have to worry about it any more. I definitely want to extend these capabilities to all of our shops very soon,” she said.
To learn more about the benefits Paypod can deliver to your business, try our savings calculator here or contact one of our integration specialists today!
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