In the age of mass customization, Take-A-Ticket’s CEO Seth Tigner takes a different approach to customer centricity. The Albany, Oregon ticket dispenser manufacturer leaves nothing to chance when building products for the lottery retailers. “If it is not retailer friendly, we do not design it,” insisted Tigner. “If the retailers are unhappy, ticket sales will suffer.”
For years, Take-A-Ticket has prowled convenience store tradeshows looking for insights to continuously improve their products. One unit that is popular is a display that can be turned by hand. This unit can showcase 32 tickets in a display that takes up just 10” of counter space. “Retailers are always looking for ways to minimize space and increase sales,” noted Tigner. “To the retailers, it is less about bling and more about ease of use and security.”
Take-A-Ticket spends countless hours nurturing relationships with chains large and small that yield iterative design principles adapted from software developers. “The way we generally work is that they send us their needs, we design something in house and send it back,” explained Tigner. “From their feedback we make additional changes.”
Take-A-Ticket boasts an in-house fabrication team dedicated to meeting the individual needs of each retailer. It is led by Zach Tigner. “Zach is a creative genius,” said Tigner. “Unlike most fabricators, we do not charge extra for our design work. It’s all part of the service.”
Take-A-Ticket provides products to most US lotteries. Currently, Take-A-Ticket is working with IGT Texas on a number of solutions. “We designed an on-counter dispenser that can dispense Super Tickets (8” & 12”) and 4” tickets from the same bins. This keeps the retailer from having more than one dispenser on the counter and using extra space. The Texas Lottery is one of the most innovative lotteries in terms of retailer initiatives,” said Tigner.
Take-A-Ticket stays competitive through continuous improvement and employee continuity. “We have a great relationship with our vendors. We are constantly upgrading our equipment to assure the best quality,” said Tigner. “We have added three flatbed printers that allow us to print hi-res logos directly onto dispensers and displays. We have a great crew, many have been here for 15 years or more.”
