Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is a world-class zoological park.
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is an industry leader in cash control automation
Business Objectives
Many things make a zoo a world-class attraction and national icon. Often, they’re small things that go unnoticed by guests but contribute positively to customer service. One example is the way in which the park handles its cash. Guests don’t notice it, but it helps get them through ticket lines quickly and efficiently. From a park’s standpoint, cash control automation reduces costs, increases employee productivity, improves internal security, and enhances control of cash balances.
Challenges
- Find a reliable and versatile cash handling solution.
- Ensure the new system fits well with the large campus environment.
- Choose systems that allow employees to handle funds from start to finish.
Solutions
- The zoo purchased five Tidel systems in total.
- Two Tidel Series 4e Systems with sidecars and high capacity note dispensers were installed at the main ticketing plaza.
- Each of the three remote locations in the park received a Tidel Series 4 with Tube Vend.
- The ticketing plaza serves as the zoo's main operations hub and is where all employees begin their day.
Results
Streamlined Operations
The Tube Vends at remote locations support the ticketing plaza by enabling employees to make deposits and receive change throughout their shifts, ensuring smooth operations.
Quick Installation
The zoo installed two Series 4e/Tube Vend systems during the offseason and another during the busy season. Each installation was quick and seamless, taking about two hours without disrupting park activities.
Continuous Support
The Tube Vends provide continuous support to the ticketing plaza, ensuring employees can efficiently manage deposits and change, contributing to the overall operational efficiency of the zoo.
Background
A National Historic Landmark, the Cincinnati Zoo is known for its animal conservation efforts. An award-winning zoo and a leader in managing critically endangered primates, the zoo features one of the country’s largest zoological collections. It has more than 500 animals and 3,000 plant species on exhibit in its 70-acre park. The zoo also hosts numerous animal encounters and special events, such as the PNC Festival of Lights, Hallzooween, and Zoo Brew.
The Challenge
Going from three employees using the Tidel systems in January to more than 100 using them in June proved to be a seamless process. “Scaling up was easy thanks to Tidel,” says Ulrich. “We put all our new employees through a rigorous cash-control training program. When it came to training our people on the Tidel systems, we leveraged the training videos on Tidel's website. The videos helped our employees quickly learn how to operate the Tidel systems. Most finished the training within a couple of days.” The zoo uses a third party system to monitor the Tidel systems in the Cloud, says Ulrich. Only authorized employees can run reports that summarize current activity with the systems. Meanwhile, the cash control team services the cassettes on the Series 4e Systems when necessary, while a third party maintains the systems. “We now have a complete end-to-end process to handle our cash, monitor activity, and provide support whenever we need it,” says Ulrich.
“We'd be hard-pressed to return to our old way of doing things. Our ability to function without the Tidel systems was tested recently when we experienced a power outage. Working without Tidel proved difficult. We’re so pleased with the Tidel systems that we recommend them to other zoos looking to improve cash control automation.”
The Solution
The zoo favors many of the Tidel’s features, especially the mailbox vaults. “Throughout our day-to-day business, we don't deal with many coins,” says Ulrich. "So we have a coin dispenser at only one location. Instead, we use Tidel's mailbox vault, which is part of the Series 4 system. Employees can put traveler’s checks, damaged money, gift certificates, and loose change in control envelopes and drop them in the vaults. Our cash control team then collects them. This approach saves time for employees and makes for a quick and easy pickup for our cash control team,” adds Ulrich.
The zoo is also a big fan of Tidel's adaptability. “The smart safes and tube vends are easy to adapt to our needs,” says Ulrich. “These can change depending on what's happening in the park. For example, on a busy night we may elect to close later than others. To boost security, we combine the systems with a proxSafe electronic key management system. This setup helps us track everything and manage our cash needs without using an armored car service.”
Customer Benefits
Simplification
- Comprehensive cash-control training program
- Quick and easy cash pickups for control teams
- Cloud-based monitoring of cash systems
Optimization
- Secure and authorized access to cash reports
- End-to-end cash handling process
- Efficient deposit and change distribution
- Improved customer service through efficient cash management
Excellence
- Time-saving for employees
- Easy adaptability to changing needs
- Enhanced security with electronic key management
- Reduced reliance on armored car services
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