Does your restaurant have long queues at the bar with customers waiting to be served? Well, queues are a thing of the past now self-ordering is here! Consumers have the opportunity to order using either their mobile phones or kiosks which puts less stress on the service staff as guests of quick-service restaurants have higher expectations than ever before.
They want to be served quickly while still receiving a high standard of customer service. Self-service technologies (SSTs) make this possible by allowing customers to order their food.
New research from Tillster shows that 25% of restaurant customers have used a self-ordering kiosk at a restaurant within the past three months up 7% year-on-year. Further, more than 65% of customers said they would visit a restaurant more often if self-service kiosks were offered, and 30% of customers prefer to order from a kiosk versus a cashier if the lines were of equal length.
Reduce customer wait times
Customers don’t want to wait around to get served, especially when visiting quick-service restaurants. SPARK’s self-ordering equipment can significantly reduce queues and waiting times in restaurants. With either a self-service kiosk or a mobile phone interface on their table, customers can place their orders and pay their bills all in one transaction. By cutting down on wait times, restaurateurs can enhance the overall customer experience.
Having self-ordering speeds up the ordering process. Let’s face it, hungry customers hate waiting in lengthy lines, especially due to the easing of lockdown restrictions, customers may feel anxious about being around others for extended periods.
Self-ordering can help to decrease those wait times by letting customers build their order, send it to the kitchen, and pay, all in just a few taps. Customers can then move out of the line to wait until their order is ready before picking it up from a designated counter or having it brought to the guest’s table.
Improve order accuracy
Getting their order right is a benchmark of customer satisfaction. Order errors don’t just risk disappointing customers, they can even be dangerous if customers have food intolerances or allergies. When orders are taken manually, there’s no guaranteed way to mitigate errors. Even the most attentive waiting staff can make mistakes when writing or typing them manually.
With increased order accuracy, the kitchen won’t be wasting time preparing an unordered item or incorrect dish. In turn, service staff won’t have to contend with angry customer complaints or negative online reviews. With self-ordering technology, hospitality businesses can ultimately make the cost of voids and discounts a thing of the past.
SPARK’s mobile ordering online app can significantly improve order accuracy. Besides the obvious fact that giving customers full control over their order reduces error, mobile ordering sends orders directly from the customer to the kitchen. This streamlines the order process and significantly reduces the margin for error. A kiosk will only make the restaurant more efficient, improving the experience for all involved.
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Increase guest satisfaction
Interactive restaurant technology like SPARK’s Kiosk and mobile ordering can improve the overall guest experience. By having customers place their orders, wait staff have more time and freedom to deliver high-quality customer service. Instead of taking the order of every waiting guest, they can take their time with them, answer any questions, and offer advice on the menu. They can do this without having to worry about memorising orders and keeping customers waiting to place an order. Guests receive a higher standard of service, which is more thorough and more personal.
Modern, user-friendly self-service software gives customers the power to personalise their orders. For many customers, this adds a modern touch to their in-restaurant experience.
Reduce labour costs
The restaurant industry is known for its fast-paced and customer friendly setting. In 2019, the annual growth in UK labour costs increased by 3.4%. To tackle this, the industry should look for ways to reduce labour costs while maintaining a consistent customer experience. Mobile ordering and kiosks will be able to assist restaurateurs with streamlining their spending and increase productivity. Hours that would have been spent on taking customer orders can now be used not only to deliver better customer service but also in other areas of the business, such as in the kitchen, back-office or on marketing the restaurant. This way, restaurant owners can better allocate their financial resources where they are most needed and get results more quickly, without compromising on any area of their business.
Having SPARK’s self-ordering products also helps to address the issue of productivity by giving restaurateurs the flexibility to move staff around. Front-of-house staff who used to take orders manually can now be reassigned to other tasks that increase sales and improve the customer experience. This is especially valuable now, during the easing of the lockdown restrictions, as these staff can be redeployed for cleaning duties.
This kind of flexible staffing improves productivity, but it can also help reduce labour costs overall. Through the use of self-ordering, managers can’t (and shouldn’t) replace all restaurant workers, however, this may mean that owners need fewer workers during busy shifts.
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Increase revenue
Self-service technology can get customers to spend more. Rather than relying on staff to upsell items, self-ordering products can do it automatically. Back in 2015, US fast-food chain Taco Bell found that the average order sent from the self-service app was 20% larger than in-person transactions. As customers are spending more, managers and owners can invest this money into their hospitality business by improving their venue. For example, to help manage orders in the kitchen managers could invest in SPARK’s KDS. Whereas if hospitality businesses need a device that can take contactless payments anywhere, anytime hospitality venues should invest in a SPARK Pay device.
Overall, self-ordering is the way of the future as technology in the hospitality industry is always expanding. SPARK’s mobile ordering is designed for a seamless user experience and allows customers to place an order without needing to download any apps. We have made it our top priority to make the user journey as convenient as possible, with a sleek modern design.
- Personalise your store with custom images and logos for menus
- Seamlessly integrates with our terminal and prints orders in the kitchen automatically
- Do service your way. Choose whether customers pay before or after their meal
SPARK also has a smart, self-serving Kiosk that will revolutionise the self-ordering market, by bringing automation and a great display with a modern UI to businesses enhancing user experience.
Why choose SPARK’s Kiosks?
- UI & UX Design
Our UI and UX design is constantly kept up to date and modern with the end-user in mind.
- Integrated
All of the devices in our ecosystem are integrated for adaptability.
- Competitive
For the functions we offer, we are unmatched in price.
- Well Supported
Guides for the kiosk are easily accessible as well as an attentive support team.
