Technology is transforming the food industry, helping to increase sales, productivity and ultimately resulting in a better customer experience. There is a growing demand for restaurants to have WiFi capabilities, loyalty programs, and online ordering within the last few years. But technology is constantly evolving. So how do restaurants adapt to make technology work for them?
The rise of self-service kiosks
For decades, restaurant owners were looking for ways to strengthen their customer service ratings and improve wait times during rush periods. The hospitality industry adapted technology to integrate menu items and pricing and to help to reduce the wait time of their guests.
Let’s experience the conventional ordering process as a whole before we proceed with conclusions.
The traditional experience
Let’s assume Lee is heading to his local Burger restaurant for lunch. He isn’t a regular customer there. It’s a busy afternoon in the restaurant, so there is a long queue in front of him. When he gets to the front, he isn’t quite sure what he wants. He doesn’t want to hold up other customers, thus make him quickly order the standard burger meal with no cheese and additional fries. It isn’t quite in the kitchen, and the server asks Lee to repeat his order. She politely waits for him to decide which drink he’d like before finalizing the order and taking his payment. All these activities occur amid noises coming from the kitchen, voices of customers waiting, and public pressure from other customers standing in line. There are substantial opportunities for mistakes, delays, and frustration from both parties involved in the transaction.
Embracing the trend with WhiteBean’s kiosk solution
The self-service kiosk can minimize those issues by separate each order individually. Customers can place their order without the pressure of waiting customers and minimized queue time tremendously.
Even more, you can acquire more benefits such as:
- Acquire data to understand your customers better
- Reduce human error caused by miscommunication or language barriers
- Lowers labor costs
- Increases the average ticket value
- It helps ensure servers can focus on the customer experience to engage with the customers
Other than the support for the restaurant’s staff, the self-service kiosk also catered to the growing millennial generation.
Establishing your restaurant business up for long-term success
So how do you optimize the system to ensure you’re getting the most out of it?
For starters, you need to make sure your kiosk is customizable and integrates well with your POS system. Find a partner that allows you to customize the functionality the way you want, not one that requires you to use cookie-cutter features. Kiosks must be tightly integrated with your POS system. This implementation can help you process orders automatically.
Secondly, you need to expect some immediate operational changes that your restaurant needs to adapt. These things include preparing your staff for more rapid ordering, ensuring that you’re hiring team members ready to engage with your customers, and training for any customer feedback. It would help if you also were flexible to revise your strategy as needed along the way to enhance your in-store experience.
Finally, try to integrate digital strategies, like loyalty programs and surveys, into the kiosk to drive engagement. Self-service kiosks give your restaurant ahead advantage in front of your customers. Why not use it to offer promotions or rewards? It’s time to take advantage of the technology to work for you.
Ready to boost your business? For more information on this technology and how it provides superior client service, contact the experts at WhiteBean today.
Image Credits: @shawnanggg