As restaurant technology advanced this year, smart Point of Sale systems became more commonplace. So did other soft- and hardware like Kitchen Display Screens, handheld POS and mobile alternatives to dining in.
The question remains: Why do customers favor automation and smart technology?
Restaurant Technology and Efficiency
1. Focus on the Guest Experience
As key aspects of the customer experience became obsolete with social distance and mass closures, restaurants have had to get creative. Digital and contact-free services will continue to play a large role as time progresses. You need the flexibility to provide a frictionless experience no matter where the market goes next, whether it keeps trending toward delivery and curbside pickup, we return to selling ingredients as groceries, or anything else this pandemic might bring.
2. More Transparency than Ever
If this pandemic has shown us anything, it’s how swiftly the world can change. Forming strong relationships with your vendors and customers will provide a foundation for getting through any new challenges that come. Prepare for issues farther up the supply chain by working out a system that works for suppliers, your restaurant, and your customers. You can also provide a more complete picture of menu availability to guests; restaurant technology now comes with superior inventory tracking so you can update guests immediately when something runs out.
Be upfront with your customers about what’s going on. If you pledge to increase sanitation or prioritize local ingredients on the menu, you should promote those initiatives to pull in like-minded customers.
3. Move Toward Automation
People prefer a fast and convenient process. Now that they’re used to efficiency, they’re not going to give it up lightly. Save yourself the trouble of excessive manual processes and spend less on labor to boot. Automating inventory management, sales reports and ordering frees your staff to focus on customer-facing roles and creating a positive experience for everybody.
For example, you can expand pickup and delivery services now that you’ll have more hands available to help. By streamlining any processes you can automate, your servers have more time to focus on customer relationship management, building deeper trust and loyalty.
4. Predicting What’s Next
AI technology has grown over the past few years, and it’s not going anywhere soon. When you can predict what customers will want based on the day, time, local events, and individual profiles, your automatic upselling prompts will support sales even more than before.
Photo courtesy of eatOS
Growth for the Future
Flexibility and growth will be key moving forward. As automation, transparency and AI technology all continue to advance, they’ll help manage the customer experience even as market trends change. The smartest way to meet the future is to embrace restaurant technology that grows and scales with your business.
eatOS offers an all-in-one cloud-based eco-system exclusively for restaurants. From Point of Sale to Contactless Ordering, Pay & Order at Table, Kitchen Display System, Customer Facing Display, Online Ordering APP / Website and Workforce Management there is everything to help a restaurant succeed no matter the size. Click Here to Schedule a demo to learn more about how your restaurant can make a smooth transition into the world of restaurant technology made simple.
