Investing in an express checkout (or self-service checkout as it is also called) is not just a way to keep up with digitalisation. Express checkout itself is also a tool for smoother additional sales and higher average bills. In this blog post, we’ll look at how you can meet your guests’ demand for new (digital) solutions, while increasing your profitability!
How an express checkout works
Express checkout is a result of higher demands for fast and accessible service. Guests want to avoid queues, while preferring to choose their dish in peace and quiet. An express checkout reduces queues and allows guests to compare different dishes (and prices) before making a purchase. It is also designed in a service-oriented way, with clear pictures and product descriptions.
The process is as follows. Guests order and pay for their food via the touchscreen of the express checkout. The food can then either be signed out by the kitchen staff, or picked up by the guest themselves. The latter option is, for example, common in places with buffets. If you have an express checkout that is approved for unattended transactions, you don’t even need to have staff outside the restaurant when the purchase is made!
But doesn’t an express checkout make it impersonal? Guests would rather be treated by one person, wouldn’t they? Both yes and no. We live in a digitalised society, where we order food at home instead of going to the store and book tables at restaurants via apps instead of calling. As more and more digital solutions emerge, our demands for service increase. That’s why many people prefer express checkouts, where they can control their own order and make their purchase without depending on anyone else.
If you still want staff, that’s fine too! For example, let your customers order and pay at the express checkout while the kitchen staff serve the food. So you get both! This means you can manage with fewer staff and they can focus on more important things than charging, such as giving your guests a personal touch. It will be much more profitable.
Do you know how much money you can save on your redemption contract? Read more about it in the blog post “Redemption agreement? How to avoid high transaction fees!”.
How to sell more with express checkout
Let’s count on it! An express checkout will most likely increase your sales due to more natural (and continuous!) additional sales. Every time a guest orders a dish, a suggestion for an additional purchase appears, such as “Would you like a cookie with your coffee?”. It’s not the same as asking your staff for an extra dipping sauce every time a customer orders a burger.
Many times the staff forgets to ask the question, or it becomes unnatural. Guests further back in the queue may find it tedious to hear the staff asking each person in front of them for that extra dipping sauce. The express checkout handles the additional sales in a slightly more discreet way and the guest does not feel as pressured. This often leads to an increase in the average bill of at least 5-20%.
Also, keep in mind that the queues will be shorter – and the guests happier. An express checkout usually costs around SEK 80 a day, which doesn’t even buy you an hour of work compared to hiring someone for the job instead. All of this is also enough for the system to pay for itself in the long run.