CLIENT TYPE | Independent coffee shop with multiple locations in Pittsburgh, PA
LOCATIONS | Shadyside, North Side, and Garfield neighborhoods
MISSION | They believe the best way to gather is over an expertly-made cup of coffee or tea. By partnering with retailers like Verve Coffee Roasters, Rishi Tea & Botanicals, local bakeries, and artisans, it sources the best possible coffees and teas and shares the best of Pittsburgh with its customers.
USERS | Coffee shop staff and customers at multiple locations
Independent Coffee Shop Technology
Business Internet and Phone Obstacles
This independent coffee shop has three locations across the Pittsburgh region. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they realized the importance of helping its staff stay connected and getting equipped with better Internet connectivity in their locations. With the pandemic still looming in the background, they needed a flexible Internet Service Provider that will work with their business. After talking with FSA Consulting experts, the conversation evolved from just getting help with business Internet to supporting the overall technology portfolio of their multi-site business. FSA Consulting tackled business Internet, managed Wi-Fi, and business phone challenges simultaneously for a serious upgrade in coffee shop technology.
Services Provided
Business Broadband Internet
Business Phone
Managed Wi-Fi Connections
Impact of the FSA Consulting IT & Tech Solutions
“The FSA Consulting and Green Light Wireless team made reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic seamless and easy. They streamlined our Internet and Wi-Fi system and customized a VoIP phone system that works for all of our locations, and managed the whole deployment process. It was great to get a multi-faceted project done with a single firm that does it all, so our team could focus on reopening our shops safely and efficiently.”
STAFF FROM THE INDEPENDENT COFFEE SHOP
FSA Consulting Problem-Solves for an Independent Coffee Shop
Simple, Streamlined, and Comprehensive Services
BUSINESS PHONE | FSA Consulting customized a central VoIP phone system used at all three locations. Staff at each coffee shop is now connected through one central phone system and can directly connect between coffee shops with native intercom functionality. FSA Consulting further configured the system to enable transferring inbound phone calls between locations and routing unanswered calls to the available staff at other coffee shops. The customized settings minimize the potential of dropping important calls and maximize customer service.
BUSINESS BROADBAND INTERNET | Reliable Internet service is essential to small business operations, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead of approaching an Internet giant, FSA Consulting connected the coffee shop with its companion company, Green Light Wireless (GLW), a Pittsburgh-owned and operated Internet Service Provider. GLW owns and manages its network infrastructure to deliver high-caliber connectivity and reliable services across Pittsburgh to each location. With complete control of its Internet infrastructure and equipment, GLW proactively prevents outages and quickly diagnoses and resolves service interruptions.
MANAGED WI-FI CONNECTIONS | The most critical procedure for this independent coffee shop is the ability to process credit card transactions, which means their point of sale system (POS) needs to be tagged with the highest priority network traffic at all times. In addition to setting up managed Wi-Fi and carrier-grade network appliances, FSA Consulting engineered each retail Wi-Fi HotSpot with redundant Wi-Fi capability. This solution ensures they will never lose connection with a Wi-Fi device failure.
Each coffee shop has multiple Wi-Fi access points and local gigabit network infrastructure. FSA Consulting encrypted all administrative Wi-Fi traffic, including POS transactions, file transfers, and back-office operations, and uses state-of-the-art protocols to ensure compliance with pertinent standards. Separate from the administrative Wi-Fi network, they provide Guest Wi-Fi as an amenity for its customers. Guest Wi-Fi is managed on a separate network segment, which ensures guests have high-speed connectivity without being exposed to the vulnerabilities of traditional Wi-Fi HotSpots. FSA Consulting makes sure that Guest Wi-Fi access is a value-added asset and not a liability that may deter customers.
This independent coffee shop is committed to providing the best leisurely experience for its customers.
FSA Consulting is honored to be trusted and help them with high-quality technology solutions. If your business has tech needs or connection concerns, we can help!
Download the Case Study about Coffee Shop Technology