When you think about self-service in hospitality, you probably jump right to the way quick service restaurants integrated devices like Kiosks and tableside tablets smoothly into their daily operations. The convenience of self-ordering has made QSRs all over the country—and all over the world—seize the opportunity to improve customer satisfaction while shortening cashiers’ lines and lowering their own labor costs too.
All these perks aren’t limited to QSRs. Full service restaurants are seeing the draw in incorporating self-ordering into daily operations in a way that strengthens their business model without detracting from or altering the well-loved FSR experience.
Reduce Labor Costs
Just because you don’t have cashiers who need their lines cut down, self-service Kiosks can still greatly reduce labor expenses in your restaurant. For example if you have online ordering set up, then customers can use a Kiosk installed in the entryway to skip the host stand and notify the kitchen they’ve arrived for pickup or submit a takeout order right there. This frees up workers to go wherever they’re most needed.
Tableside self-service devices are also growing in popularity at FSRs. Tablets set up at the end of each table allow guests to add drink refills, extra sides and bigger portions to their tickets without having to wait for a server to come around, which naturally increases your revenue. That right there can pay for your initial investment.
Better Customer Experience
Self-service improves order accuracy for every ticket by giving guests time to peruse their whole order before submission. Visuals on the menu also encourage customers to try dishes they might not otherwise, or add mouth-watering appetizers and desserts to their plate even if the descriptions don’t seem enticing by themselves.
With tablets, customers don’t have to wait for a server to come by and their orders are instantly submitted to the kitchen; no more wasted time spent going back and forth to the kitchen, nor damaging and losing paper tickets. Automatically send orders straight to the Kitchen Display Screen where cooks can view what’s in queue instantly. This gets food back out to the tables faster and frees up servers’ time so they can interact more with guests, improving the experience even further and likely getting better tips with the larger tickets, too.
Greater Ticket Sizes
Why does self-ordering raise the size of the average ticket? As mentioned, visuals combined with the fact that customers peruse the menu at leisure both encourage add-ons to any meal. However the lack of face-to-face definitely has something to do with it: When ordering through a waiter, guests might feel judged or nervous about going in for that extra appetizer or upgrading from a medium to a large. Ordering through a tablet, no one’s around to make them feel bad for splurging.
At eatOS, our Point of Sale devices are also equipped with automatic upselling features that take your service to the next level. When certain dishes are selected (which ones, is up to your discretion), the tablet will automatically ask if the customer wants to add a drink that’s popularly paired together, extra mushrooms or to switch out the type of cheese that goes on it. This encourages customers to make impulse buys they might otherwise not have thought to do; they’ll enjoy their meal better, and those few extra cents spent on pickles really adds up over the course of a day.
Trends and Analysis
eatOS Point of Sale is capable of running automatic, analytical reports that give you valuable customer information such as their favorite meals, when they visit most frequently, and other crucial information that you can use to understand trends in your restaurant. Knowledge is power: The better you know what your customers want, the better you can cater directly to them.
For example, convenience, automation and speed are important to your customers. With eatOS technology, they get exactly what they want and you see a positive ROI. The past and future are converging in full service restaurants to provide a truly never-before-seen experience that combines face-to-face customer experience with quick service technology. Here, the server and the self-ordering devices work together to give guests all the food they want alongside contented service with a smile.
QSRs aren’t the only businesses who understand the potential in self-service options like Kiosks, tableside devices and mobile ordering. FSRs are incorporating this crucial restaurant technology into their own establishments in smart, inventive new ways. Self-service technology isn’t just a trend: It’s here to stay and changing full service restaurants for the better.
