It’s worth keeping up with the times.
While a few consider the restaurant industry to be still in slow lane when it comes to embracing modern technology, many establishments are now stepping up to make the most of real-time restaurant technology innovation. As the frenetic use of smartphones continues to drive a change in consumer behavior, the time is just perfect for empowering your customers and transforming guest experience altogether. So, let’s all get caught up to speed on exactly how the technology can help restaurant operators run a quick-service restaurant, while directly engaging guests.
Smartphone Ordering
Smartphones are increasingly being used as a new menu and ordering system. 40% of consumers already prefer this dining setting, and the numbers are expected to soar significantly with time. Introducing a mobile app (iPhone/Android app) that empowers your customers to place and pay for orders can tremendously encourage the already rampant trend of “eating out” and form the nucleus of your customer engagement strategy. Customer can view the detailed information, mouth-watering pictures of the gastronomic delights served by your establishment and order directly from within the app as per their convenience with some special instructions for preparation, if any.
As per the interesting study conducted by the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Viggle, over two-thirds of mobile savvy consumers have ordered food via their mobile devices, with half downloading restaurant-specific apps. Also, 78% of respondents cited discount as a reason for ordering more frequently.
Mobile Check-in Services
Mobile check-in services have succeeded in getting the love of smartphone users. As per comScore study, almost 70% of mobile users “check-in” from an Android or Apple phone, with 18-34 year olds (mostly frequent diners) accounting for nearly 60% of check-in service users. Many restaurants have already turned to location based marketing model and are using geo-location apps or this feature in their branded mobile apps to nudge users, who’re in the “places nearby” and treat them with special deals or incentives on their immediate visit. This feature offers a great opportunity to drive significant traffic of your cut-rate deal hunting customers in the vicinity of your establishment.
Online Table Reservations
Most of the mid-sized and quick service restaurants (QSRs) have limited seating options. In today’s fast times, convenience is the key to a delightful dining experience. A majority of customers appreciate the opportunity to reserve a table in advance using software tools like OpenTable, ReservationGenie or their favorite restaurant’s proprietary booking tool – a branded mobile app. Such a tool alleviates the tremendous stress caused by long queues for guests, waiting inside/outside your fine establishment. This offers them a convenient and delightful user experience, and is a good indicator that restaurant owners are willing to adopt online engagement beyond just having their Facebook Business pages and group-buying deals.
So if you’ve been resistant in adopting restaurant technology innovation until now, now is the time to revitalize your marketing model with mobile app integration, considering the convenience it offers to your customers and increased revenues for your establishment. Ping us at [email protected] or give us a call on (800) 645-6902