Placement Is The Key
Retailers know that placement of Virginia Lottery displays, machines and point-of-sale materials can be key to increasing sales of Lottery tickets. The photographs below from D’Amores Food Store (top) and Glenside Chevron (bottom) show what these retailers have done to help keep their customers thinking about Lottery products. Scratchers hanging from above the counter are visible and get noticed every day. Play center and vending machine by the front door catch customers coming and going. Messages on the side of the terminal inform customers about Lottery products.
TOP RIGHT: Pete McGehee sells plenty of Lottery tickets from the Altura terminal at D’Amores. RIGHT: A vending machine, a scratch center and a play center have been placed near the pizza counter at Glenside Chevron. Owner Derek Charania says, “People in line buy those tickets – and they pick up a playslip and head right over to my counter to play their numbers after they’ve bought their pizza. It’s great!”
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Post-Conversion Update
We’re getting there! Since the new terminals were switched on October 28, we’ve worked to improve some of the initial problems. The transaction speed for online sales and Scratcher cashing has improved. The terminals don’t appear to be producing stray tickets. Retailers are getting through to the Hotline more quickly.
By the end of January, three more priorities had been fixed: speed for cashing Scratchers, accidental tickets and retailer tax reporting.
Cashing Scratchers
Cashing Scratchers
Cashing Scratchers now takes less time. The Lottery eliminated the “Instant Cashes” report, which slowed down Scratcher cashing, after talking with numerous retailers. You can use the “Daily Cashing Summary” report to get cashing information.
Accidental Tickets
Accidental Tickets
To eliminate accidental tickets from the terminal, retailers now see a confirmation screen any time a Mega Millions or Win for Life wager is processed using the Easy Pick button from the terminal’s home screen. Now, if anyone accidentally touches one of those non-cancelable Easy Pick buttons, this confirmation screen will appear. They’ll be able to clear it without printing a ticket. Ricky Zailerti speaks four languages – which helps him tremendously with customer service at his store, Quick N Easy in Richmond. Ricky volunteered his store for testing in January, saying, “ We want the best machines we can have. If we can help the Lottery get there, we’ll do it.” The terminals are faster now, says Ricky.
Tax Reporting
Tax Reporting
Retailers should have received 1099 forms by the time they read this.
Terminal mail messages are the fastest way that the Virginia Lottery can contact retailers. Please be sure that someone in your store checks the terminal’s mail messages regularly. Updates about terminals will be sent to you through these mail messages.
Derek Charania (Glenside Chevron in Richmond) says he has gained new customers since October. “ We made sure we learned how to run that new machine right away,” he says. “ Players came to us from other stores when their employees didn’t quite get the hang of the machine as quickly as we did.” Derek was happy to have Lottery employees test the cashing speed in his store in January. “ Whatever works, that’s what we’ll do!” Maybe that’s why Glenside Chevron’s Scratcher sales have gone from #3 to #1 in the territory handled by Lottery Sales Rep Donna Matthews.