Category Archives: Operations

Author Whitney Larson Posted on

How one bartender increased tips by 186% after a failed sting

No bartender wants to serve a minor, but mistakes happen. And that’s what happened to Sarah Upton, a bartender at Texarkana 67 Speedway. An innocent math error caused her to fail a sting and get slapped with a $500 fine. It was a simple human mistake we’ve all experienced at one time or another, and it was one she knew she never wanted to make again.

That’s when she turned to Vēmos.


“Before I found Vēmos, I was a constant nervous wreck,” Sarah informed us. “My lines would get backed up all the way down the field. It took me forever to pinprick every ID. I felt like I needed to get people through, but was so nervous that I was going to miss something on the ID. Which I did, and got busted for it.”


After getting slapped with a fine, Sarah started researching a solution that would make sure she didn’t get caught in this situation again. What originally started as a search for a simple age verification system turned into a bigger opportunity than she could have imagined. Several ID Scan companies appeared in her search results, but Vēmos was the one that stuck out the most. “The V was like Victory – there it is! That’s it! It had everything I was looking for and more.”

Sarah downloaded the app, and went right to work. “There were no obstacles to get started. I popped open the app, started scanning, and it never failed me. It’s very precise. It beeps if there’s an under age guest. It beeps if there’s someone with an expired license. You don’t have to take the time to nit pick a license. You just stick it under the camera and boom! It’s done. My night was so much smoother as a result.”

But how much smoother? That was the question we knew we needed to get more insight on, so we dug in further to get an example.

“I used it that first Friday night, and I was so relaxed,” Sarah continued. “The app is so quick. I didn’t get behind in checking IDs. By the time intermission came around, I already had everyone’s ID checked, I’d stamp their hand if they’ve already been checked once, and it just worked out perfect! I didn’t have a great big line like I usually did. This process was so much quicker to get them served, get them out of the way, and get them back to their entertainment. When they’re standing in my line, they’re not getting the entertainment they came to see.”

Experience is something we talk a lot about here at Vēmos, so we wanted to understand how having a smoother process impacted guest experience. We inquired if not standing in a slow line changed how her customers interacted with her.

“Yes it did!” Sarah immediately replied. “Everyone was so friendly and complimented how smooth the line was and how quick and precise the app was. I spent more time interacting with the guests because I wasn’t so stressed about picking apart the ID. I even caught numerous expired licenses because of the app, and was able to tell the guest. They didn’t even know it was expired and thanked me — they thanked me even though I didn’t serve them because their ID was expired! Oh, and by the way, I made the best tips I ever made out there!”

Now that’s something worth diving into. After discussing her average tips prior to this night, then compared to what she received, we discovered she more than doubled. In fact, it was an increase of 186%. Was it because there were more people? Was it a busier night than usual? Turns out, no. It was a similar attendance to previous nights, many of whom were repeat guests. So why the sudden and drastic increase?

“I think it’s because they knew I was being very friendly. They weren’t spending their night standing in my line. It was so much quicker. I was able to talk to everyone. Nobody was mad that I had to scan their ID. I just explained to them that it’s a process we started and that if they come out here they have to have their ID scanned. And they would respond saying that I’m just doing my job and covering my bases. Everyone was really friendly with it.”

Those are the intangibles that come along with equipping yourself with the tools that allow you to do your job better. For Sarah, what started as a failed sting ended up with faster operations, happier guests, and increased tips. And of course eliminating her risk of getting busted again.

“I will never work without this app again. I will quit my job if I don’t have this app. There’s no reason why you should get a citation. If this app is used right, there’s no way you can get in trouble. No way. If you scan every ID that comes through —I don’t care if they look like they’re 100 years old —you can’t get caught. It’s too precise.”

Author Whitney Larson Posted on

9 Tips for your New Year’s Eve Party

New Year’s Eve is the biggest event of the year, but it’s also the most competitive. That’s why it’s important to get a head start and get your event planned out so you can have a successful and profitable night.

Follow these 9 tips to ensure a successful New Year’s Eve party.

1. Publish Your Event Now

You need an event page, and you need it to be launched now. This gives you time to market your event and attract customers so they can start making their plans around your party. It’s important to have a section of your website or a specific landing page dedicated to your event. Simply having a sentence description on a third-party ticketing company’s website isn’t going to cut it. People want to know the vibe of your party, understand why they should attend, and get a gage at what they can expect by attending. Plus, having your own page allows for greater SEO opportunities, allowing guests to find out about your event in search results.

It’s also important to make sure customers can buy tickets directly on your website and aren’t redirected to a third-party. Redirects oftentimes lead to cart abandonment, and you can lose out on that customer’s data. Work with a ticketing company that’s built for nightlife events and integrates with your site for the best experience and to collect the most data.

2. Do an Exclusive Pre-Launch

Experience is everything, and it’s what drives your customers to be loyal. Your customers are looking for a personalized experience, especially those that attend on the regular. Consider doing a pre-launch with the customers who have come to your venue throughout the year with an exclusive release before launching your tickets to the public. Reach out to them either via text or email and give them preferential treatment on tables and tickets. This is going to make a big impression on your most loyal customers, and it’s going to drive them to plan their night out with their friends at your event.

3. Use Your Data

Data matters more than you realize. It’s what allows you to understand what does and doesn’t work to set you up for success. Use last year’s data to understand which channels brought in the most guests, and replicate that. If you don’t have access to last year’s data, get a provider like Vēmos that allows you to access all of your information in one central spot.

One of the most important pieces of data you’ll want to track is your marketing channels. You need to track where your customers are finding you and why they’re choosing your event over others. To do this, assign specific links to each channel and staff member. Then, use those links on your various channels (i.e. a different link for Facebook, Twitter, third-party media, digital ads, etc). Also make sure your staff is using their personal link when hey promote your event so they get credit. The results will inform you of what you should and shouldn’t be spending your time and money on.

4. Leverage Marketing Channels

Once your tickets are set up and your trackable links are in order, it’s time to start promoting. Here are a few things for you to consider:

  • Set up your social channels to be in line with your event by updating your images and post cadence
  • Add an events section on your Facebook page that gives full information about your NYE event, and integrate your ticketing page into your Facebook fan page for people to buy tickets directly through social
  • Consider contests or ticket giveaways to build engagement and interaction
  • Run Facebook ads to target a specific segmented audience
  • Get your promoters engaged and turn them into a mobile box office
  • Leverage partnerships with third-party outlets, such as your booked entertainment, sponsors, key social influencers, and media outlets. Partner with them and have them promote your event on your behalf

When you get your marketing channels to work together, you’ll have a bigger audience reach and a higher likelihood of selling out before your event happens.

5. Incentivize Guests to Purchase Tickets Early

Encourage people to pre-purchase their tickets by creating supply and demand. Showing them your price will increase as the event gets closer creates demand for the few supply of early bird tickets. You can set your tickets to increase price by the week, day or even hour leading up to your event. You can also set your tickets to increase by quantity after x amount of tickets are sold. This encourages people to buy early and have time to share their plans with others. Plus, when guests pre-buy their tickets, you’re generating revenue before the night of your event.

6. Strategize Lines the Night-Of

Line strategy is important for the night of your event. Create a different line for a different type of customer, such as a line for your pre-sale customer, a line for customers paying at the door, and a line for your VIP table customers. This is another way to encourage pre-sale and allows your staff handling pre-sale checkin to only focus on that task and increase line speed. On the other hand, it allows your staff selling tickets at the door to only handle that task, aiding in long waits for door sales. The more organized your lines are, the faster your speed of night will be, the happier your customers will be, and the faster they’re through your door to spend money on drinks.

7. Don’t Lose Site of VIP Table Guests

Your VIP guests are important, and you want to make sure they’re not getting lost in the shuffle of general admission purchases. Set up your door to handle tables through a different entrance and check-in process. That way, your highest spenders are getting exclusive treatment right off the bat. Also make sure your staff knows to keep an eye on how many people are sitting at each table. During a hectic night, it’s easy to overlook a party of 10 actually brought 20 people with them. And as a result, you just lost out on payment for 10 extra people. That’s one of the easiest way venues lose money on New Year’s Eve and other big event nights. Having a separate entrance and a reservation system that ties to your events/ticketing system will help alleviate this issue.

8. Train Your Staff

Operations are a huge component for an enjoyable night. Get all your staff up and running on the same system and strategy, and work out any kinks beforehand. Make sure your promoters have their links to sell tickets and are able to sell on mobile devices while on-the-go. Also make sure your door staff are on the same page for a door process and are ready to scan guests in as they arrive, sell tickets to those who need them, or escort VIP guests to their table. All the small details matter, and it’s what leaves a lasting impression.

9. Set Up Safety and Compliance Procedures

It’s easy to lose sight of safety and compliance when preparing for the busiest night of the year. Yet, New Year’s Eve is typically the night where people over consume, which accounts for the highest amount of emergency room visits. Work with your bartenders to make sure they know when to stop serving overly intoxicated guests. Have a door process in place to check IDs and ensure you’re not serving minors. It may no the the fun part of New Year’s Eve, but it’s important to mitigate your liability on this busy night.


Cheers to your successful New Year’s Eve event and hosting a fun party for your guests to ring in 2020.

Author Whitney Larson Posted on

8 Facts about Fake IDs and Serving Minors

It is illegal to knowingly serve alcohol to a minor, and anyone who does can be held responsible. Many in the industry believe fake IDs are the primary problem since they’re considered the gateway to a minor getting access to alcohol. But how do fake IDs play into getting caught serving to minors? What are the repercussions? And who’s ultimately the person legally responsible when a minor is served?

To answer some of these questions and more, we put together 8 facts about the liability of serving minors and the risk to you when it’s a fake ID.

1. Stings are a result of human error, not fake IDs.

When authorities orchestrate a sting and check to make sure you aren’t serving minors, they legally cannot do so by using a fake ID or purposefully deceiving you. They’re typically checking to make sure you’re properly asking for identification. Most sting fails are a result of not asking for identification, or asking for identification but incorrectly calculating someone’s age based on their date of birth. When these human errors happen, you’ll fail the sting and both the server and the establishment will be presented with the ramifications.

2. Not asking for any ID is the most common reason a minor is served.

In most cases, minors are served as a result of an establishment not checking IDs. While fake IDs are in the mix of minors trying to get alcohol, establishments don’t catch them because they simply aren’t checking IDs at all.

3. Incorrectly calculating age is another top reason a minor is served.

Honest math errors happen, especially when it’s a busy night and there’s a lot on the brain. It’s easy for people to miscalculate the year 21 years from today to determine if the person presenting the ID is of legal drinking age. Many establishments use tools such as ID scanners to help combat this risk factor.

4. The person who makes the sale to a minor is legally liable.

The seller is the one liable for serving the minor, which oftentimes carries the same penalties as the person who holds the liquor license. As a bartender or server, you are responsible for checking the ID of your customers even if another person has previously checked it. In these situations, there are oftentimes separate penalties given to the parties involved, including the licensee (the owner of a bar) and the person who makes the sale (the bartender who serves a minor). Depending on the severity of the situation and state laws, the penalties can range from a fine to jail time for the person who made the sale.

5. When a fake ID is thoroughly examined but still gets by, the minor carrying the fake become legally liable.

When a minor is served, you need to prove you did the steps to the best of your abilities to not purposefully serve that person. If the guest presents a realistic ID that says he or she is of drinking age, and you did everything to the best of your ability to not purposefully serve him/her, the liability on the server and establishment is decreased significantly in most cases. In these cases, the minor with the fake ID is the one liable for crimes such as fraud, criminal possession of a forged instrument, or identity theft, which range in penalties from a Class B Misdemeanor to a Class D Felony. However, if it’s obvious that the ID is fake or if that ID clearly does not belong to the person presenting it and the server did not catch it, then the establishment and the person who served that minor also becomes liable.

6. Fake IDs include a newly manufactured fake ID, altered real IDs, and a borrowed/stolen real ID.

One of the most common methods for underage persons to try to get into an establishment is to use a borrowed ID of someone over 21. This is a form of a fake ID, and carries the same liabilities as a newly manufactured fake ID. In these instances, it’s important for bartenders and servers to review the ID and do everything to the best of their ability to not purposefully serve that minor.

7. There isn’t a system on the market that can catch 100% of fake IDs.

Any system that claims to catch 100% of fake IDs or uses the word “guarantee” is lying. A system can certainly assist in spotting some newly manufactured fake IDs, but many are so advanced that it would pass the test of a system reading a barcode on the back of an ID or doing an OCR scan of the front of the ID. Furthermore, a system wouldn’t register an ID as fake if it’s a borrowed/stolen real ID. The importance of human interaction with detecting a fake ID will always remain a priority.

8. An ID scanner will drastically reduce your liability of serving to minors.

While it’s true that an ID scanner won’t catch 100% of fake IDs, it still will drastically reduce, if not eliminate, your liability of serving to minors. When you use an ID scanner to scan every guest’s ID, you solve the two most common reasons that minors are served — 1) not checking the ID at all; 2) incorrectly calculating the age from the ID. Having a quick license scan double verifies the guest’s age with a simple color coded alert of whether they’re over 21 or under 21. It makes it foolproof even under high stress situations. It also serves as your paper trail to prove to authorities you didn’t purposefully serve that person and did the best of your ability to be compliant.

Author Whitney Larson Posted on

The New Normal in Customer Experience

Big brands in the restaurant and hospitality industry are jumping on what’s often known as the “Amazon model.” It’s the new normal, and it’s what your guests expect of every brand they interact with — including yours.

The Amazon model is where the brand becomes so good at anticipating and catering to customer desires that it forces other competitors to either evolve or dissolve. They know what a customer wants when the customer wants it, without the customer needing to think about it. It’s hyper-personal. It’s experience-driven. And it’s what drives your customers’ buying habits.

We at Vēmos have always believed this shift was inevitable for hospitality, and have been working with nightlife venues across the country to help them achieve this level of personalization. The venues we work with know this model isn’t limited to ecommerce, and they aren’t alone. It’s such an impactful model that McDonald’s recently shelled out $300 million for Dynamic Yield, a decision-logic company that essentially puts predictive abilities into McDonald’s drive-thru menus.


This is a big deal.

It’s a big deal for consumers. It’s a big deal for our industry. And it’s a big deal for you. We’re experiencing the biggest shift in what’s expected for hospitality experiences, and it’s important for your longevity to stay on top of this shift.

How McDonald’s is Using Tech to Fuel Customized Experiences

What started this acquisition was that McDonald’s identified they weren’t necessarily losing guests, they were seeing a drop in customer visits. They knew they needed to regain those visits, and the best way to do that is to take a page from online retailers. What online retailers have proven is that inspiring loyalty isn’t about programs and clubs. It simply comes down to catering to a specific individual’s needs. So that’s exactly what McDonald’s sought to bring into their stores.

According to QSR Magazine, “The new menuboards gives McDonald’s the chance to create a more personalized experience by varying outdoor digital drive-thru menu displays to show food based on time of day, weather, current restaurant traffic, and trending menu items. It can instantly suggest and show additional products to a customer’s order based on their current selections.”

They tested the concept in select stores in March, and a mere 3 months later they discovered that it works. So much so that they’re beginning a mass rollout and expect it to be in 100% of US and Australia locations by the end of the year.


In those 3 months with the new menus in place, McDonald’s experienced:

  • An increase in the average check per customer
  • An increase in product upsales and menu item add-ons
  • A 6.5% increase in same-store sales – its best result in seven years
  • Consistency in providing customized experiences



    • But it wasn’t just the consumers’ experiences or their sales that were positively impacted. Their staff was as well. The order-taking process was proven to be more efficient because workers didn’t need to manually upsell guests – the tech did it for them. Their staff was faster at taking orders, faster at delivering orders, and it proved to serve as a consistent approach to customizing a guest’s experience.

    This model isn’t a passing fad. It’s now the backbone of customer service, and is becoming the expectation of your guests. We at Vēmos continue to build our system to ensure you’re equipped with the best insight to provide that personalized experience to your guests. Contact us to discover how you can leverage the data that already exists across your venue to achieve your own “Amazon model.”

    Author Whitney Larson Posted on

    Build Loyalty by Checking IDs

    Checking IDs is commonly considered a necessary evil of serving alcohol. It’s not sexy. It’s not exciting. It’s just a step in the process.

    Until now.

    Checking IDs can actually be turned into a huge asset to your bar or nightclub, especially with the right technology. When you shift your thinking and equip yourself with the right tools, this very basic step becomes both your liability system as well as your customer loyalty program.


    The Legal Aspect

    The liability and security side of checking IDs is always the most top-of-mind, particularly when it comes to verifying whether a guest is of age to drink. And from that aspect alone, having your staff manually review IDs is sufficient. But your liability decreases drastically when you equip that staff member with an ID scanning system. Here’s why:

  • It reduces the chances of honest human errors. Humans make mistakes even with the best intentions, such as incorrectly calculating someone’s age based on their date of birth. Having a quick license scan double verifies the guest’s age with a simple color coded alert of whether they’re over 21 or under 21. It makes it foolproof even under high stress situations.


  • It assists with easily passing stings. When authorities are checking to make sure you’re compliant, they legally cannot do so by using a fake ID or purposefully deceiving you. That means most stings are a result of incorrect math or laziness. Having a policy with an ID scan system corrects any mental mistakes and confirms all IDs are reviewed.


  • It aids in detecting fakes. Fake IDs are getting more complex, so having an ID scan system is just one more layer in the process of detecting a fake. Plus, in a worse-case scenario when you accidentally serve a minor, having a digital system is your paper trail to prove to authorities you didn’t purposefully serve that person and did the best of your ability to be compliant.


  • It digitally tracks your 86 list. Your seasoned staff may know immediately if a guest is banned and shouldn’t be let in, but your new employees likely won’t. Rather than memorizing a photo book of those who aren’t allowed, an ID scan system will automatically alert your employee if a guest is banned from the venue. Plus, if an incident occurs during the night, your staff can easily add that guest to your ban list so you always have the most up-to-date information to maintain a safe environment.


  • It alerts you of potentially unruly patrons. Some ID scan systems, like us at Vēmos, allows you to opt into a city-wide ban list. This means you’ll be alerted if a guest is banned at a nearby location along with the reason they were banned. You then use this information to make educated decisions on whether or not you want to let that guest into your venue.



    • Maintaining a secure environment minimizes costs associated with insurance, repairs, fines, and enforcement. What’s more is it provides an enjoyable atmosphere for your guests, which translates to a more profitable establishment. Which leads to the next aspect: loyalty.


    The Loyalty Aspect

    The not-so-obvious side of an ID scanning system is that it can become your loyalty program. And it can serve you better than most standalone loyalty programs can. Why? Because every guest needs to have their ID to drink. Not every guest is going to have your loyalty card or app. In fact, few consumers today want to have a separate loyalty card for every establishment they ever visit, so you’ll only capture a small percentage of your daily patrons.


    With an ID scanning system, you’re able to collect data on all of your guests. This goes well beyond their name, age and other demographic information. We’re talking behavioral data — how often that guests comes, what time of day they check in, how many visits they’ve had this month, what types of events or promotions drive them there, the list goes on. And when you connect your ID scanning system to your point of sale system, you unlock a whole new layer of behavioral information. Not to mention you get a ton of invaluable insights on what factors drives your business and which triggers to pull to repeat that business.


    It’s with this information that you’re able to reward your guests for doing what they’re already doing — simply showing up — and begin to offer them personalized service based on their habits. Notice it’s their 5th time coming in this month? Comp their first drink. Haven’t seen them in a while? Reach out to them about a special you think they’d enjoy. It’s these types of actions that build connections between consumers and brands, and drive true loyalty to your establishment.



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