February Newsletter 2014


February 2014 Newsletter

News

Gas Buying Influenced by Loyalty Cards

While such incentives are a growing inducement, more drivers still pick a retailer on cost alone.
​ALEXANDRIA, Va. – While price is still supreme, the number of motorists choosing a convenience store based on a loyalty card is growing, Consumer Affairs reports, citing new findings from the 2014 NACS Consumer Fuels Report that examines consumer behavior at the pump.
Today, 66% of consumers point to price as the top reason for picking a certain retail fueling location, but 18% make that choice because of a loyalty card, according to the NACS survey. Loyalty cards typically give regulars specific perks, such as discount per gallon of fuel.

Read More: http://www.nacsonline.com/Issues/SwipeFees/Pages/default.aspx

 

We’re PCI 2.0 Certified!

The PCI Security Standards Council, which includes major credit card companies, has created the PCI Standard to promote industry-wide adoption of security policies and procedures around the processing of sensitive payment card data. Our certification means that Triple E customers who process credit card transactions have the assurance that our products meet or surpass strict industry standards for payment card security. The assessment was done by Houston-based K3des LLC, a Qualified Security Assessor (QSA), and certification means that our products are fully PCI compliant until 2016. “We are very proud of receiving the PCI Council’s PA-DSS 2.0 certificate for our suite of products,” said Dan Eloe, CEO and General Manager of Triple E Technologies, LLC. “Our customers rely on us to provide them with secure products with which to process their card payments. Award of our PCI 2.0 certification is a major step in providing our customers the peace of mind they deserve.”

 

New Call-In Process

Triple E Technologies is excited to announce that we are upgrading our phone answering system. We now have a receptionist taking all the incoming calls. We feel that providing a live person to greet and triage customer calls provides greater customer service. Here at Triple E Technologies, we strive for excellence, and look forward to hearing your feedback on this new process.

 

Find us on Facebook

Visit our Facebook page for more information about us. Post your ideas and questions, check out photos, keep up-to-date on Triple E events and more. We’re adding new content and looking for your feedback. Like Us! 
https://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Triple-E-Technologies-LLC/154220277950636?fref=ts
 
 

Featured Customer: Farmway Cooperative, Inc.

A little bit about the company:
Since 1911, Farmway Cooperative, Inc. has provided the goods and services our customers need to stay competitive and succeed. What began as just one community in Mitchell County, Kansas has expanded into 29 successful locations across ten counties in North Central Kansas focused on grain, agronomy and energy needs of our customers. This growth and success has only been possible because we have kept our promise “to be a committed partner and provide tailored solutions to make our customers efficient and profitable.” We are proud of our company and its many accomplishments, but most of all we are proud of our customers and members who depend on us to be a knowledgeable and reliable resource with an unwavering focus on customer satisfaction. Our primary goal is to continue earning your confidence and satisfaction through hard work and integrity.

How did you hear of Triple E Technologies?
With changing regulations, we needed to update our system and meet PCI requirements. We heard about a Triple E Technology presentation being hosted in Salina, which we attended with personnel from our IT, operations and energy departments. We were impressed with the software capabilities provided by Triple E so we then researched existing cooperatives already using the equipment. After seeing how well it was going with companies similar to Farmway, we decided that Triple E Technologies would be the best fit for our company.

What did they have before Triple E system?
Farmway utilized Gasboy before transitioning to the Triple E system.

How is the system working for them?
The transition process went as well as can be expected when going through a learning curve. The support staff was readily available if we had questions or concerns, which we greatly appreciated. The software package has been excellent and it contains a lot of potential that we haven’t fully utilized yet, but do plan on taking advantage of. The compatibility between the software program and our current accounting system as well as the on-staff software writers have been true benefits for the cooperative.

Would you recommend this product to anyone?
Farmway’s purpose is to help our owners succeed. Therefore, it is vital that the cooperative aligns with businesses that help bring our purpose into reality by providing quality products, service and customized solutions to our patrons. Triple E has been able to provide that for our petroleum needs. We have communicated the benefits of the Triple E system numerous times to other businesses and Agris users. We know of at least one business that has adopted the system after visiting with Farmway employees.

Tips in our Area of Expertise

Transition to Windows 7 Operating System

According to the published Microsoft Support Lifecycle for the Windows XP Operating System, end of support is scheduled to occur on April 8, 2014. Continued use of Windows XP beyond the end of support exposes users to security and compliance risks, as well as dramatically decreased support from independent software vendors and hardware manufacturers. Of particular concern is the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) Version 2.0, which requires “all system components and software [to be] protected from known vulnerabilities by having the latest vendor-supplied security patches installed.”

In order to ensure that your systems comply with PCI DSS 2.0, and adequately protect your customers from security vulnerabilities, Triple E Technologies has developed a new version of our software that is compatible with the Windows 7 Operating System. This version was designed to accommodate both new customers with Windows 7 pre-installed and existing customers who upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Two options are available to effect transition from Windows XP to Windows 7. The first option is to replace existing systems with new systems having Windows 7 and our latest software version pre-installed. The second is to install Windows 7 on an existing system, along with the latest version of our software. The latter option is available only to customers with hardware meeting minimum system requirements for both Windows 7 and our latest software version.

In order to accurately assess eligibility for the second option, we are in reaching out to our customers to obtain information regarding existing equipment in the field. Watch the email for a notification about this project; includes the forms necessary for an accurate site assessment. We look forward to working with you to determine the best option for you!  If you have any question, please email: Win7upgrade@e3tek.com. If you need a copy of the forms that were sent out, please click this link to download.
 

New Enhancements and Features

Triple E Technologies is proud to announce the release of a service based Sentinel software solution that better handles network outages, device failures, and COM device closures. We believe these improvements will improve the overall user experience.
Users of our Posiflex Vanguard POS systems will be pleased to know that Triple E has worked hard to improve the reliability of the MSR to ensure a higher rate of successful reads and fewer problems.
To receive these enhanced applications please contact Support by phone 888-407-6077 or email helpdesk to schedule your upgrades.

New Products and Services

 

We’re expanding our website to include more information to help you troubleshoot and resolve issues at your site. Check out our website at http://www.e3tek.com and look for the new “Help / Support” tab. We’ve started a “Frequently Asked Questions” page and also started revising and posting more application and equipment manuals to give you the information you need. If you have any requests for more information or ideas for improving the site, please let us know.

Triple E with response to customer demand has developed a Sentinel island card reader pedestal riser. This product has been created for customers who wish to mount the Sentinel directly on ground level, raising the pedestal to the standard ADA compliant height. Customers who wish to raise the pedestal to a higher stance can install up to two risers for the more traditional height that is not ADA compliant, but is preferred at many diesel truck stops. Please contact your Triple E sales associate today for a quote on the new pedestal riser. sales@e3tek.com

Information and Troubleshooting Tips

Things to check before calling Triple E:

Is your site logged in?

  • If the computer has just been restarted as result of a power failure or a manual restart, you will typically need to log in for the applications to start up. To do this, type CTRL+ALT+DEL and input your password. The applications may take up to 2 minutes to start.

Are the applications started?
A Pioneer Card Processor needs the following applications to run:

  • ccEngine (aka SmartCharge Engine, or Credit Card Engine)
  • cpController
  • OneTouchSync (if installed)

A Navigator Site Controller needs the following applications to run:

  • ccEngine (aka SmartCharge Engine, or Credit Card Engine)
  • tPortController
  • Synchronization (if installed)

Has a restart been attempted on the computer?

  • If the fueling is not functioning or cards are not being authorized, try a restart on the computer first.
  • 99% of function issues are solved by a restart.

Upcoming Events

Trade Shows

February 18-20
WPMA
Las Vegas, NV
Booth 1619

February 28 – March 1
PACE Show
Kansas City, MO
Booth 265

March 5 – March 7
SE PETRO Show
Myrtle Beach, SC
Booth 1337

 

Training

Would you like to receive more training? You're not alone. Contact the helpdesk with your training needs and ideas. helpdesk@e3tek.com or (888)407-6077
 

Upgrades

We are currently upgrading sites to our new release. Customer Support will be contacting you to get this scheduled. If you would like your upgrade scheduled earlier, please contact Customer Support. helpdesk@e3tek.com or (888)407-6077