Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, restaurants have looked high and low for solutions to encourage customers to their doors. With dine-services suffering because of required social distance measures and limited capacity restrictions, they’ve overwhelmingly turned to off-premise solutions like delivery and pickup.
Tightening up business and streamlining operations has allowed the industry to save costs this year. Simultaneously, state-of-the-art restaurant technology garners more customers and provides better service when they dine with you over a competitor. QR codes, near-field communication, and digital menus have swept the consumer landscape, and the trend is only projected to grow—even once the imminent threat of the virus has passed.
Get the Most from Contactless Tech
It’s not just about what technology you have but how you use it. No matter what devices you integrate into ongoing operations, there’s always room for improvement, especially since it is continuously evolving.
Self-Service Kiosks reduce wait times and the line for the cashier. Put them somewhere well-lit, highly-trafficked and visible (or intuitive) from the entrance.
QR codes located on the tables, brought over by staff or posted at the host stand for guests to scan, automatically redirect to a digital menu optimized for mobile use.
Remote temperature checks and sanitization via UV lights all help maintain a COVID-free workplace and reduce potential transmission as much as possible.
Near-field communication technology guarantees more secure payments, thus reducing the risk of fraud. With cloud-based systems that are harder to hack than traditional ones, guests never have to hand off their card to a third party so they can control their own transaction experience and end the meal on a high note.
Automatically request guest feedback by sending surveys (with permission) to their email or phone number on record. That way you can see what works, or doesn’t work, and tailor the experience in a way you know your best customers crave.
Contactless technology will bring your restaurant into the future, where modern customers already expect a safer and quicker dining experience. Truthfully, high-tech devices work best when they work together; Point of Sales, Kitchen Display Systems, and even mobile devices to ease tableside ordering all form a restaurant management and payment processing ecosystem that streamlines operations to maximum efficiency.
It’s important to rely on transparency in your sanitation measures to demonstrate your dedication to guest safety. Still, that’s only as good as the efficiency of your overall systems, or they’ll go to a competitor who’s equally clean but has faster order turnaround or tastier food. Every step ahead counts. It’s a balance to prioritize sanitation, social distance, and cost-saving strategies that equally promote your customers and business’s wellness. Go digital and reduce your output of single-use, disposable products; limit the spread of infection while focusing more closely on the guest experience; and generate more sales with technology that’s setting the bar for the future.
Ready to build your own contact-free restaurant? Book a demo with eatOS and learn an easier way to provide digital solutions to common problems surrounding COVID-19. The future of food service is already here.
