Rand McNally – Alamo Kiosk System

The opportunity:

Vanguard Auto Rental (they own and operate Alamo and National Car Rental) approached Rand McNally to develop and test a new map and directions kiosk for use in their high-volume operations (such as Dallas and Las Vegas).   They were experiencing long waits at their counters and redirecting traffic to a maps/directions kiosk would alleviate congestion and increase the profitability of their counter representatives.   In addition, Vanguard was also deploying their own rental kiosks and wanted to make sure that their customers who chose to use their kiosks did not have to go to a counter and wait in line for directions.

 

The mission: 

Design, develop and deploy an attractive kiosk for test in the Dallas and Las Vegas locations.

 

The resolution:

We had just completed work on MapEngine, our Software-As-a-Service platform for the maps & directions over the web.  This was just the type of project to demonstrate the power and versatility of MapEngine.   We selected a kiosk provider (KIS Kiosk) and a great kiosk software development firm (nanonation) to partner with Rand in the development of a new kiosk system.  Working under a tight deadline, we were able to roll the first kiosk into test in Dallas within 45 days.   With feedback from in-field testing, we were able to come out with version 2 of the system within 20 days after introduction.  The system worked great and achieved its goals of redirecting traffic away from the rental counter.

Click on the video below to see customer reaction on rollout day.   I shot and edited this video as a YouTube marketing video for the kiosk as well a fun way to introduce its success to our customer.