How many of you have stood in line at a ballpark concession stand, only to miss multiple innings, home runs or game-changing plays in the ballgame you spent so much money to attend? Why, in a world where people are looking at their computers and mobile devices as more than just a device, but an extension of their lives, can't we make that experience better?
Since American Express implemented ExpressPay, it's become considerably easier to just flash your credit card at a concession stand to pay for that hot dog, beer or popcorn. But couldn't it be easier?
Bypass Lane (www.bypasslane.com), a tech startup based out of Austin, TX and designed for the Android and iPhone, is looking to solve that problem. The three pillars of Bypass Lane are to enhance customer/fan experience, drive concession commissions and to streamline order flow. In short, Bypass utilizes your smartphone and lets you skip the line instead of the game. You can order and pay for your concessions on your smartphone right from your seat, and when they're ready for pickup, you'll receive instant notification. Users can enter their credit card information through their smart phone's web browser, view menus from four venues inside the park, and then order what they want.
The Round Rock Express (www.roundrockexpress.com), a very smart minor-league baseball franchise based in the Austin suburb of Round Rock, are the first to implement Bypass Lane at their state-of-the-art Dell Diamond. The Express, run by Reid Ryan (son of Hall-of-Famer Nolan Ryan) and front-office baseball veteran Jay Miller, have always been a step ahead of the competition when it comes to thinking outside of the box in business, including the acquisition of the Dell stadium sponsorship.
"Really it is groundbreaking technology that keeps fans in their seats watching the action," Bypass President Brandon Lloyd told KVUE, a local Austin-based news channel, last week.
Early reviews have been mixed on Bypass, with some consumers complaining about a lack of fan interaction from the concessions workers. But in general, fans should love the ability to still eat their favorite ballpark foods and miss less of the game.
Do you think a product like Bypass can make the jump to a national scale and be implemented at MLB parks? Does maximizing the fan experience in their seats (rather than around the stadium) make sense from a business perspective? How does it affect the customer service experience in general at the game?