Category Archives: Tips

Vuze Overview and Tips

Vuze is comprised of five main components:

  • Guest Coaster Tags (rechargeable coaster tags given to guests to track their location)
  • Guest Tag Charger
  • Reference or Table Tags (tags placed at tables as well as activation/deactivation points to help track guest tags)
  • Vuze Reader
  • Vuze Software

Tips for Getting Started

  • It is highly recommended that all components be plugged into a surge protector.
  • Mounting the reference tags underneath as close to the center of the table as possible with enough clearance from the leg of the table will produce the most accurate results.
  • Guest coaster tags will work for more than 36 hours between charges. Guest tags should be stored on a charger connected to a power supply. Our smart technology will prevent overcharging.
  • Do not stack more than 15 coaster tags on a single charger or 4 charging bases linked together to ensure optimum functionality from the charger.
  • The guest tags will be inactive while on the charger. Once taken off of the charger, they will become active again.
  • Reference tags are waterproof, and can be used outdoors.
  • The gateway should be mounted high on a wall or above in a drop ceiling to ensure a clear line of sight for the remaining components to receive an accurate signal.
  • Guest tags take 7-10 seconds to “wake up.” They need to be removed from the stack with enough time to activate before the guest leaves to choose a seat. They also need to be returned to the deactivation area once the food runner delivers the food.
  • When returning guest tags to the charger, they must stay in the deactivation basket until you reach the charging station. Failing to do so can cause inaccurate readings in the system.
  • This system is designed to provide an enhanced customer experience at your restaurant. It has a high level of reliability, but from time to time you may have minor anomalies that disrupt its efficacy. Occasional location misses are to be expected. It is designed to draw your runners to a designated target area to lessen the vast space in search for a table; this itself will greatly reduce your food running time.
  • Our Technical Support team stands ready to assist with any technical issues Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm EST. They can be reached at (800) 919-9903, option 2 or via email at hmewsupport@hme.com.

Wrong Table or Zone

On occasion, a Guest Tag may read an incorrect table or zone. The reason this can happen is due to the Reference Tag placement. If the table has been moved and turned around, the tag placement won’t be in the location that it need to. To avoid this from happening, it is important to make sure that the table remains in the same place. If a table has been moved to accommodate a large party, it is imperative that the table must be put back in the correct placement for the tag to read properly from that point forward.

For example, the night before, table 18 was moved to accommodate a large party and put back without checking where the Reference Tag was placed.  If the customer was in between tables 18 and 28, most likely the tag is going to have the loudest signal from table 28. This is due to the direct line of sight for the signal to travel. Signals cannot travel through objects, so where ever has the most direct line for the signal to travel, then that is where the loudest signal will register.

Wrong Table

Records Appear when Coasters are not out.

Ghosting is defined by when a tag record appears on screen when the tag is not actively in use.  Typically this occurs when a Guest Tag (coaster) is moving between the area where the tags are collected (“deactivate station”) and where they are distributed at a register or counter.

Most commonly, tags will remain on screen after the coaster has been placed on the charger.  This is because the guest tags go into sleep mode when on a charger and do not broadcast.

There is one fundamental item that defines how a Guest Tag triggers an update in the system.

The Guest Tag must hear the same Reference Tag 2x in a row for the system to update.  This applies for a table, zone, deactivate or activate tag.

As an example:

Once a table has been located and food runner removes the guest tag from the table, they are stored in the deactivator bin until they go back onto the charger. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that the guest tags stay in the deactivator bin the entire time including walking over to the chargers. There is a 20 second window to place the tags onto the charger after being removed from the deactivator bin. If this process isn’t followed, Ghosting will become a problem.

The best way to resolve Ghosting is to follow the procedures of returning the guest tags to the charger.

Proper Procedures for Ghosting Prevention

  1.  Bring the guest tags to the deactivator bin when the food has been delivered to the customer.
  2. Once the basket is full, walk with the guest tags INSIDE the basket over to the charger.
  3. Put the guest tags onto the charger.
  4. Walk the deactivator basket back over by the food runner station.

 If these procedures are followed, you should not experience Ghosting.

Batteries

All Reference Tags, including those referred to as Activator Tags and Deactivator Tags, all use 3.6v “A” Cell Lithium Ion Batteries that are only sold through HME Wireless. These batteries are $12 each for replacements.  Off the shelf “AA” batteries are not suitable to power the Reference Tags.

To prevent battery drain and to ensure safe shipping, the Lithium Ion batteries are placed in the Reference Tag backwards for storage and shipping.   If you suspect a Reference Tag is not working, please check the batteries to ensure they are in the correct direction.

In the event that the batteries are in the correct direction and the tag is still not functioning properly, the next step would be to Tag statistics in Vuze Admin.

To Run Tag Statistics:

  • Open VUZE Admin.
  • Enter PIN.
  • Select Reports -> Logs -> Tags
  • Note the dates the tags were last in use.   Each column is sort able by touching or clicking the column title.

Tags in UI