Jack in the Box + Solink: Cody Herrick’s Solink Story

 

“Solink is my eyes and ears.”

“Solink makes it easier to manage multiple locations because I can look at all events at all locations, or I can single in when I need to,” says Herrick, on-site at one of his California locations. “I can’t be in multiple stores at one time, but I always have my phone on me, so I can see what’s happening live, or in the past. When I check in to the stores live, I can capture clips and ask the managers what’s going on. Solink is my eyes and ears.”

“Solink helped us get our labour down below our goal by about 0.5 – 1%, just by showing us reports on employee productivity. With lower-performing stores, you can really track where your money is going.”

What is Solink?

Solink is a video security software + app that syncs up a business’ security camera systems with their on-site POS data to create a collage-like dashboard of all the day’s transactions. This, coupled with Solink’s advanced motion search features, allows business owners to track unusual orders, unauthorized backroom access, customer complaints, health and safety issues, and training opportunities. Herrick saw Solink first as a security tool, but quickly saw how many applications the app was made to offer.

More than meets the eye

“Solink is more than just a security app. You can look at speed of service, voids, refunds, and check that the employees aren’t messing around and that the lights are on. It’s really given us more control, which means it’s given us more profit,” says Herrick.

See the savings right away

How easy is it to see results and savings with Solink at your fingertips? Herrick has the answer: “We use Solink to catch product disappearing in the store. For instance, we caught an employee giving away a free drink to a friend. We talked to him about it and he hasn’t done it again; that’s one of the ways that Solink saves us money right away.”

Trainable moments

With multiple locations to run, Herrick knows the importance of finding real-time ways to deliver feedback on trainable moments. “Solink lets us see if people are not doing what they should be doing. Solink helped us get our labour down below our goal by about 0.5 – 1%, just by showing us reports on employee productivity. I think as we continue to move our stores over to Solink, we’re going to see the labour costs go down even more. With lower-performing stores, you can really track where your money is going.”

“We try to stay below 6.5%, and the stores we have using Solink are about 5.5%. That half-a-percent to one-percent means we save money.”

“Solink has helped us to improve staff productivity because I can point out the bad and praise the good. I can share anything with the managers or team members when I come into the store.”

Reducing loss and shrink

In today’s fast-paced food industry, slivers of percentages can mean the difference between a profitable store or a problem store. Herrick was thrilled to discover how quickly his Solink-subscribed stores improved on costs related to suspicious orders and inventory shrink.

“Solink has helped us by cutting down on refunds, voids, cancelled orders, and food going out that has not been paid for,” says Herrick. “Solink has helped us track all of these. We try to stay below 6.5%, and the stores we have using Solink are about 5.5%. That half-a-percent to one-percent means we save money.”

“60-70% of our sales come through the drive-thru. If we can get a real handle on the drive-thru, we have a real handle on the business.”

Drive-thru video security integration? No problem

So we see how Solink helps with cash register sales and backroom shenanigans; but how does it help with Jack in the Box’s biggest asset: the drive-thru?

“Solink offers [HME Zoom] drive-thru integration, and it’s great because 60-70% of our sales come through the drive-thru. If we can get a real handle on the drive-thru, we have a real handle on the business.”

Competitors don’t hold up against Solink

Herrick says the switch to Solink was an easy win. “We’re very happy with the switch to Solink. Because we’re in the process of switching all our locations over to Solink, I still have access to our previous software, and I can tell you it’s not user-friendly the way Solink is. It’s a hassle to search previous events and the results are hit-and-miss. It was not connected with our POS system, which is why Solink has so many uses.”

“You’re going to get a real return on your investment. With labour, with food going out the door, with voids, with stealing…Solink catches what I don’t catch.”

Making the switch to Solink is the smart move

He heartily encourages his peers and fellow entrepreneurs to make the switch to Solink.

“If you’re thinking of making the switch, you might pay a little more than your current security-only service; but in the long run, you’re going to get a real return on your investment. With labour, with food going out the door, with voids, with stealing…Solink catches what I don’t catch.”

What would you do if a business owner asked you about Solink? “I’d pull out my phone,” says Herrick with a laugh. “It’s all right there. I show it to other owners and they see how cool it is right away.”