Today, there are a number of features that can streamline the work in your restaurant. Express checkouts where customers can manage their orders themselves, table booking apps and automated invoicing are just some of them. But how do you digitise your restaurant without running the risk of becoming impersonal? We’ll go through that in this blog post!
Tailor offers and discounts
Some people associate digitisation with the complete automation of staff tasks. However, this is not the case! A balance must be found between the new functions and the existing physical tasks. By digitising your restaurant, you can both make life easier for your staff and better serve your customers.
The Express Checkout, for example, is not only a self-service tool, it also allows you to personalise your guests’ experience of the restaurant. By designing the express checkout (and other digital features) with your own design, you can reinforce your business brand. The express checkout doesn’t have to be just an impersonal tin box – put your logo on it and choose colours that match the rest of the restaurant.
You can also create a loyalty programme based on customer data – for example, by sending mailings to regulars and keeping them up to date with restaurant news. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to greet a loyal customer with a “Hi Anders! Next week you’ll get 10% off that burger you had here last time, hope you like it!”?
Let the staff focus on the guests
New digital features can also help you streamline your restaurant workflow, giving staff more time to spend with guests. Free up resources so that staff can work more on value creation, instead of just standing at the cash register and taking payment. When you automate certain tasks, your employees have more time to move freely around the restaurant. They can talk to customers or focus on cooking. Less stress for the staff and a more pleasant experience for the guests, as there is less running.
Taking orders from apps at the table is becoming popular among larger restaurants. In addition, if you choose to introduce ordering apps, staff can see the name of the person who placed the order directly. For example, when they leave the food at the table, they can add a “Here you go, True!” based on the information from the order.
Can an order app have more positive effects for your business? Learn more about our ordering app Ancon Order.
Among smaller restaurants, such as hamburger joints with 1-2 people on staff, express checkouts can be very beneficial. When customers can order and pay for food themselves, it is enough to have one person working in the kitchen. The chef can both prepare and serve the food, and there is no need for a cashier to charge. The customer gets both personal contact and user-friendly service. In other words, one does not have to exclude the other – which combination would suit your restaurant?