Wifi Revolution

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores now offer in-store free Wi-Fi services nationwide thanks to broadband provider, Industry Retail Group (IRG), which announced the news today.

 

Offering specialty coffees and teas, gifts, and baked items, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores operate both online and in local neighborhoods. With over 650 U.S. and international locations in 19 countries, the company wanted to provide free Wi-Fi to its customers.

 

Vice President of Supply Chain, Paul Balzer, explained he chose Industry Retail Group because of its managed network services and related product offering for multi-site locations. According to Balzer, IRG is on the rise in the broadband-enabled network services industry because of its commitment to a retail-centric service portfolio of network and professional services, brand promoting applications, and pro-active, global support.

 

"The IRG|Wi-Fi service has truly delivered everything we needed to establish solid Wi-Fi hotspots in our stores. Choosing IRG provides us the assurance we can deliver what we've promised to our customers," said Balzer.

 

With IRG|TruManage software, CBTL can keep an eye on the Wi-Fi status of every location. The software features a dashboard, which allows the IT department to quickly access the information it needs.

 

While other coffee chains commonly make customers pay for Wi-Fi access, or limit the amount of free time, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf believed that offering Wi-Fi for free, all day, remained consistent with their brand reputation.

 

Known for serving the finest and rarest loose-leaf teas and premium coffees, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has become a destination and lifestyle quality experience for its customers.

 

"We've already received positive response from our customers," said Balzer, noting that the totally free Wi-Fi is compatible with any device. "Since offering reliable and totally free hotspots, our store teams have noticed an increase in store traffic as well as higher sales per order. Providing this service only enhances our company's commitment to creating a warm and inviting customer experience."

Mike Luzio, CEO of Industry Retail Group, stated, "We were able to implement the entire project and see it through to completion in less than 60 days. We understood the importance of activating all of the locations as quickly as possible. This would allow The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to deliver consistent advertising as they announced this offering to all their markets. In light of that, IRG was glad to commit our resources and staff to make that happen. We are excited about the partnership."

 

IRG is a premier provider of broadband-enabled network services, serving retailers and multi-site companies across the globe. IRG partners with its clients to serve as a single, comprehensive source for all network-related services and solutions, offering proactive, dedicated support. IRG has a growing client base including Fortune 1000 retailers with locations worldwide. IRG also provides value-added services, which include IRG|WiFi (News - Alert), IRG|VoIP, and IRG|SecurView. These bottom-line impacting services allow clients to further leverage their WAN investment.

 

Founded in 1963, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has grown into one of the largest privately-owned, family-run coffee and tea companies in the world. The company offers 22 varieties of coffee and 20 kinds of tea, both online and in its retail locations.

 

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