A Midwestern Yum! Brands franchisee is ringing up more sales and keeping customers coming back with the help of a high-speed network from Hughes.

Shamrock Co. of Hinsdale, Illinois, needed to speed up electronic payment transactions and drive-thru ordering efficiency to keep pace with new customer purchasing trends. But with 43 KFC and Taco Bell quick-service restaurants (QSRs) scattered throughout the greater Chicago area, no single broadband service was available that reached all its locations.

Hughes solved the problem by delivering a fully-managed broadband network service that incorporates three transport technologies seamlessly; DSL, satellite, and 3G mobile broadband. The solution also includes managed services such as firewall, video, and PCI credit card security to keep customers' data safe and help Shamrock meet regulatory requirements.

The new network replaces antiquated dial-up Internet connectivity at all the restaurants. Shamrock was experiencing a huge increase in customers using both credit/debit cards and drive-thru window service. According to Ken Pullum, accounting manager at Shamrock, electronic payments are growing more than 30 percent annually.

Yet each card swipe on any of Shamrock' point-of-sale (POS) network competed with others for access to the payment authorization clearinghouse over a single–and very slow–dial-up connection. This contention for online transaction approval grew even more acute as more customers opted for drive-thru service and using credit cards as their preferred payment method, explained Pullum.

"We've been able to enhance employee training and product promotions with the new capabilities that broadband provides."

"Speed and diverse payment options are critical to customer satisfaction. With our dial-up connection, we couldn't process credit card purchases on more than one terminal at a time. And with more customers opting for drive-thru service these days, impatience and potential revenue loss due to long wait times were too much of a business liability. With our new broadband network from Hughes, customers are happier and we can move a lot more business through the doors and drive-thru."