In the restaurant industry, labor costs are traditionally one of the highest expenses and also among the most difficult to bring down. You need servers, bartenders, hosts, and cooks to keep the business running smoothly and have to offer competitive wages to coax the cream of the crop over to your restaurant instead of nearby competitors. All this makes it challenging to reduce your labor expenses.
Self-Service Kiosks have emerged as the solution. What started as a coveted but expensive device for chain restaurants like Mcdonald’s has proliferated across small businesses as consumers grew accustomed to the tech over the past several years. With COVID-19 pushing trends even more toward isolated self-service, Kiosks are sure to reign supreme well into foodservice’s future.
Why do restaurants love SSKs?
Small restaurants are excited about the affordability of eatOS Kiosks. Self-service offers the opportunity for more efficiency in every aspect of your operations, in part because our outstanding data tracking and automated reporting features reduce your risk for theft and accidental damages. Set permissions so servers can’t comp their friends’ meals when that should be left up to management’s discretion.
Our devices also have forced modifiers, which boosts the average ticket size. Certain choices will automatically prompt the device to ask if they want to add fries or increase that drink to a large; although for customers, it’s just a couple of extra cents, this adds up over the course of a day. We also have automated tipping suggestions that will calculate 10%, 15%, and 20% of the bill to prompt guests to choose higher percentages with just a few taps, sending your servers home with more in their pockets.
Self-service gives customers time with the menu, so they don’t feel rushed or judged, encouraging them to spend more. When your customers get exactly what they want every time they order, and have a good time doing it, customer loyalty increases because they’re enticed to return again and again to reorder their favorite dinner just the way they like it.
When you’re shopping for a Point of Sale system, don’t discount the importance of available customer service. Don’t waste hours troubleshooting during peak business hours; when you’re shopping around for systems, ask vendors when they’re known for troubleshooting, if they offer phone and virtual chat options, and find it out they suit your needs in this regard. It’s also a good idea to appoint a “point person” on staff who understands the technology so they can field easy questions from their coworkers when it’s busy.
Effect on labor
With the right investment, you’ll make your money back in just one shift when you choose a Kiosk over a new employee. eatOS services are designed to bring your workers together with advanced technology rather than replacing one with the other.
Even with a fleet of Kiosks, your workers can tackle other jobs onsite that need their attention. They can begin doing tasks that tap into the unique talents that each person brings to the team. Rather than competing with your cashiers or the bartender, Kiosks tackle the repetitive, dictation aspects of the job so workers can provide assistance, have better customer interactions, be available to trouble devices, or handle other tasks in conjunction with the self-ordering tech that caters to their skillsets.
Finding the right place for your Kiosk to slot into your business can be time-consuming but ultimately worthwhile when you see the returns. Speak with your staff members and customers, shop carefully for vendors, and see what trends matter to your competition when you’re researching what you want out of a new Point of Sale.
eatOS reduces wait times, increases check sizes, and gives you more durable hardware and access to our partnership services like superior scheduling software with 7Shifts and better accounting with Gusto. Book a demo with us to learn more.
Why choose self-service?
When customers get faster and more efficient service, their wait times grow shorter, so they have a better experience every time they dine with you. This, combined with good food, unbeatable prices, and increased accuracy, improves customer loyalty, something that restaurants need going forward as the pandemic continues to affect every aspect of dining out well beyond when the threat of this virus has passed.
Upgrade your restaurant technology to be as modern as the average consumer. The future of foodservice prioritizes convenience, accuracy, speed, and safe social distancing, all of which you get with superior eatOS Point of Sale and Self-Order Kiosks. Don’t wait: Bring the future of foodservice to your restaurant today.
