Just as many other industries are making significant advances in consumer-driven technology, the restaurant industry has seen a metamorphosis of new and exciting technology trends designed with the consumer in mind. From delivery drones to online ordering to self-service kiosks, there are many ways in which restaurants can implement new systems to boost their operations, maximize profits and retain customer satisfaction. There is no question that restaurants are a big part of everyday life. One in four people eat at restaurants or order food for delivery every day and the businesses that are quick to adapt and adopt new technology solutions that benefit the customer are the ones that will continue to thrive in the new and improved restaurant world.
Drone & Robot Delivery
Food delivery via drone is a seemingly futuristic phenomenon that may actually be closer than you think. In June, Uber announced that it would begin testing Eats drone delivery in partnership with McDonald’s, and in April, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, was approved to start delivering food and other goods via drone in Virginia. If you think about it, it’s no wonder that drones are set to become the wave of the future. A car typically needs a half hour to deliver food that is hopefully still hot by the time it gets there, while a drone can deliver food in as little as five minutes. In addition to the benefit of a speedy delivery, drones are expected to cost significantly less than third-party food delivery aggregates typically charge operators, which is an incentive to offer delivery via drone.
Recently, Postmates has introduced Serve, a socially aware delivery robot. Serve is capable of moving at a walking pace and can carry up to 50 pounds. This friendly robot communicates with dynamic lighting in its eyes and customers interact with this robot using its camera and touchscreen. Due to Serve, the human part of the Postmates fleet have had more time to deliver more. Instead of wasting time searching for parking in a heavily congested area, Serve is on route, navigating the sidewalks.
The Self-Service Kiosk
Self-ordering kiosks are touchscreen devices that can range from a small, computer-sized screen to a large, person-sized screen. These kiosks have become increasingly popular in the fast food industry, as customers crave faster and more convenient service at the touch of a finger. Customers can use self-service kiosks to order items off of a menu and even view the nutritional values of what they are ordering. The purpose of fast-food revolves around being “fast.” Self-ordering kiosks allow consumers to quickly place their order, pay, eat, and be on their way.
There are numerous benefits to self-service kiosks in the restaurant industry. After touch screens were successfully deployed in popular fast-food restaurants, many companies followed suit after observing how the technology can speed up lines, enhance the customer experience and improve worker productivity. Contrary to popular belief, this technology was not designed to replace the hard-working staff at a fast-food restaurant. Rather, it was designed to help them keep up with orders. By reducing lines and the time it takes to place an order, kiosks give workers more time to focus on making sure the customer gets a great meal and service.
Online Ordering
Out of every five consumers, three order delivery once a week and many of these individuals order their meals online, as more and more restaurants embrace the convenience of online ordering and food delivery services. Ordering meals online has become extremely popular for many reasons. Customers can browse their options, select what they want with the click of a button and pay online, making their delivery or pick-up as simple as receiving their food and enjoying it.
Table Kiosks
Many restaurants are also utilizing small, portable kiosks at customer tables. These table kiosks allow customers to place orders while their server is away from the table and even play games to pass the time. Payment can be made simply by inserting a debit or credit card into the kiosk and the tablet will even ask for customer feedback. It can sometimes be difficult to get reliable feedback by asking customers in person how they enjoyed their meal but a table kiosk survey is a great way to find out if customers were satisfied with their experience.
Conclusion
A restauranteur already knows that keeping up with advancements in restaurant technology is the key to improving customer satisfaction and increasing profitability, not to mention saving time and boosting employee efficiency. Touchscreen ordering, for example, saves a worker the time spent taking an order. This, in turn, means that customers will receive their meals much more quickly, thereby improving their experience and increasing the chances that they will return for another meal or recommend the restaurant to others. Ordering online is another convenient tool that can open the door to a whole new range of customers who prefer to have their meals delivered to them at home.
These advancements in restaurant technology solutions not only have the potential to improve productivity and reduce costs, they can also greatly improve the customer experience, which should be a top priority for restaurant owners. Even if a restaurant lacks the time, money or resources to invest in every technology trend that promises to reshape the future of the restaurant industry, if they pick and choose a few that make sense for their business and offer a solid return on investment, they can continue to meet their customers’ shifting needs with new and improved styles of customer service.
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