Help Get the Oil Changed
and the Ice Cream Scooped
Unique Combinations
What’s the Scoop? Café, Bangor Maine’s newest ice cream/coffee shop, and
Bangor Radiator, founded in 1929, have united to offer customers a unique combination.
Michael and Tammy Cormier, founders of Bangor Radiator and What’s the Scoop? Café,
respectively, have taken the simple trip of getting an oil change and sweetened it with a
chance to pick up an ice cream cone, all at one convenient location.
Beginning as a humble radiator repair facility, Bangor Radiator was started nearly
80 years ago and is currently in its third generation of ownership. Over the years, Bangor
Radiator has grown into a full service auto repair shop complemented by a new affiliation
with Valvoline.
What’s the Scoop? Café, founded in 2006, offers Bangor’s only frozen slab ice
cream and elegant coffee selections. Customers can select from flavors such as Grease
Monkey, inspired by its neighbor Bangor Radiator, or create their own customized mix-in
concoction.
Versatile Solutions
To meet and exceed the needs of their customers, both businesses turned to Glacier Computer, headquartered in Amherst, New Hampshire, a leading designer and developer of versatile, rugged industrial computer systems for harsh environments in a variety of markets, including LTL crossdock, distribution, warehousing, and manufacturing.
Each company faced a challenge. Bangor Radiator needed a computer that would be durable enough to handle being covered in oil and grease. What’s the Scoop? Café needed a computer that could hold up to ice cream covered hands, while being reliable enough to serve as a touch screen register to check-out customers.
After carefully assessing each company’s unique requirements, Glacier Computer suggested its sophisticated and rugged 15” GX-1500 computer to meet the needs of these
two demanding environments.
The GX-1500 comes with 1.2 GHz Pentium III processing power and 512 MB DRAM. It also features a minimum 40 Gig hard drive, 10/100 Ethernet, optional 2.4 GHz wireless, and multiple industry standard I/O. In addition to having unlimited software capabilities, this computer is compact enough to fit into areas where limited space is available.
For example, Bangor Radiator has mounted the Glacier unit between bay doors to maximize flexibility. Leveraging the computer’s versatility, Bangor Radiator has installed computer software to access manufacturers’ part numbers for items such as radiators, belts, filters, and hoses. The software enables the company to have information on each car’s make and model, including which oil to use and in what quantities, in a matter of seconds. “This unit provides me with easy access to the information I require without having to leave the shop or flip through a series of manuals looking for a part number,” stated Mike Cormier. “We have quite a bit of dirt, grease, and temperature extremes here in the shop and this unit stand up to all of it without any issues.”
In addition, Glacier’s computer will be networked to the computer already located in Bangor Radiator’s front office for timely printing of customer bills. Recently installed software allows the company to generate a time and labor guide for regular repairs. Cormier hopes to soon be emailing customers directly from his shop PC to show them repair estimates and, ultimately, let them know when their car is complete.
The ice cream and coffee side of the shop doesn’t experience quite the same level of abuse. “Over here we use the Glacier as our point of sale terminal, entering ice cream and coffee orders throughout the day,” says Tammy Cormier. “Our business is pretty constant, but we certainly see heavy spikes during the day. We’re busy with coffee in the morning and a line of people waiting for ice cream on a summer evening. The Glacier computer needs to be able to run non-stop and take a splash of ice cream or coffee from a scurrying worker. We rely on this unit as much as we rely on our ice cream freezer.”
Workers enter the specific menu items using the computer’s touchscreen. The total appears on the bright 15” flat panel LCD display. After cash or credit transactions take place, a receipt is produced. The unit’s multiple I/O’s support peripherals and it has an integrated 802.11 b card for wireless Ethernet. What’s the Scoop? Café hopes to someday be taking orders over the Internet via their Glacier unit.
Happy Customers
What’s the Scoop? Café, Bangor Radiator, and Glacier Computer are three
growing, very different companies. However, these companies are united in their
common goal: to provide their customers with the best possible service. It looks like
these three companies are the makings of a great new combination.
Questions? Interested in finding out more?
Contact one of our rugged and industrial computer
experts by email or call us toll free at 866-724-6257. |
