Magazine Article | July 1, 2005

A Rugged Display Demo Helps Win A BP Amoco Install

Business Solutions, July 2005

Wayne Loynes, director of forecourt products (e.g. fuel dispensing equipment) at VAR Tokheim Corp., finds that using demos works best when presenting a customer with a MicroTouch Near Field Imaging touch screen. Loynes understands there is a strong correlation between the literal impression he leaves on the touch screen equipment during a demo and the positive impression he makes on a client. One example that confirms Loynes' belief is a recent demonstration he put on for a BP Amoco representative. "I set up a gas pump with a 3M MicroTouch Near Field Imaging touch screen," recalls Loynes. "I began the demo by taking the pump nozzle and banging it on the touch screen. Initially, the customer was taken aback by my abusive presentation, but after he saw that the touch screen endured the banging and kept working, he made a buying decision on the spot."

Find Your Customers' Touch Screen Pain Points
Prior to meeting with Tokheim, BP Amoco had several reliability problems with other fuel dispenser touch technologies. The fuel company felt that customer use and normal environmental conditions contributed to fuel dispenser product failures, and it wanted to solve these problems right away. "3M's MicroTouch Near Field Imaging projected capacitive technology is accurate enough to meet the precision demands of the fuel industry and sensitive enough to detect finger touches through gloves," says Loynes. "Also, the screens can handle high-pressure washing and constant prodding by car keys or nozzles from gas pump customers."

By the time Tokheim is finished with its BP Amoco win, it will have approximately 500 BP Amoco sites equipped with the 3M Touch Systems' technology. "The stations we've retrofitted so far have gone from experiencing multiple touch screen problems on a daily basis to having no problems," says Loynes. "Not surprisingly, our customer is pushing us to change every one of its screens as fast as possible." Tokheim expects to have the installation completed by August 2005.