Restaurants rely on technology to increase their profitability and improve the overall customer experience, especially as machines advance to become more capable and efficient than ever before. That’s why so many restaurants are upgrading from traditional Point of Sale systems to the much more convenient pay-at-table technology.
What are the benefits of choosing pay-at-table devices over the more traditional transaction structure that most restaurants use? Typically servers give tables their check, take the credit card to the terminal and then bring the book back over for customers to sign and tip. With pay-at-table technology, guests can settle their bills faster, easier and much more conveniently. It’s all on their time, too, giving customers control over the entire transaction including tipping and splitting checks. All of this improves their experience which fosters more loyalty and raises the chance that they come back to dine with you again.
How does pay-at-table technology work in your favor?
It’s operationally efficient. By cutting out the server as a middleman between customer and terminal, transactions are streamlined. This improves table turn time as well so you can serve more guests in a day.
Decrease wait times. The worst part about dining out is the waiting: For orders to go to the kitchen, for food to come out of the kitchen, and for payment to go through. Customers who pay right from their seats end their meal as happy as when they ate it, so they leave with a good impression.
Increase tips and gratuities. Tip to the perfect percentage every time. Pay-at-table devices automatically calculate the amount so customers can quickly choose 10%, 15%, 20% or customize their own.
Improve customer engagement. Servers get more face-to-face time with customers because they stay at the table during payment. Even just a few extra minutes of conversation can make a world of difference for customer loyalty. You can also use the payment screen to prompt a quick survey at the end of the transaction, and if they have a complaint then a manager can come handle the situation before the customer even leaves the premises.
Secure payment methods. Tap-to-pay capabilities make transactions quicker and easier than ever. Customers don’t have to hand their cards over to a third party which reduces the risk of identity theft or compromised information.
Fewer chargebacks. Chargebacks are returned payments following a transaction dispute, and can apply to either credit or debit cards. Increasingly, chargeback-related fraud has become a problem for restaurants. Basically, customers use EMV-enabled cards to make legitimate purchases at locations without EMV-compatible devices, then dispute the transactions so the cost falls on the restaurant and they get their money back. Discerning legitimate claims from fraud is made all the more complicated because of tipping. With proper pay-at-table technology, though, payments are securedand stay that way.
All of these factors improve loyalty, increase operational efficiency, reduce costs and overall increase the profitability of your restaurant. Pay-at-table technology is the next major breakthrough for restaurants with devices like the ones powered by eatOS. We seamlessly connect all the machines on your network back to the main Point of Sale terminal so all sales are automatically synced to the same system, making it easy to track reports and analyze data in real-time. Schedule a demo with us to find out what we can do for your restaurant’s payment structure.
In the food service industry, every dollar and every second counts. Pay-at-table technology optimizes both so you can focus on creating a great customer experience, right down to when they pull out their credit cards. Good customer service doesn’t end with the meal, and good technology makes every sale count.
