There’s no denying that technology has streamlined the process of providing quality service to customers.
At the crux of what all hospitality businesses strive to achieve is customer satisfaction. The proper implementation and use of right technologies can be a simple way to achieve just that. However, with the constant evolution of technology, it’s hard to know which ones are worth investing into. Here are a few simple ways to ensure that you’re utilising technology in the right ways to best to serve your business.
1. Make mobile payments easier
The simplest way to ensure your customers are happy is by allowing them to pay in whatever way is easiest for them.
While it is now rare to find a business that accepts cash only, the shift into cardless payments through systems like ApplePay is growing. However, not all establishments make paying with your phone an easy process. Unlike debit and credit cards, mobile payments often require fingerprint scanning in place of traditional pin input.
This means that payment isn’t as simple as handing over your card to be tapped, so switching to customer-facing eftpos machines are a way to make the transaction easier. Beyond this, investing in a portable eftpos machine will help to improve the customer experience through eliminating the need for customers to line up to pay.
2. Transition from order-taking to self-ordering
More and more restaurants, including the Quick Service industry, are taking advantage of table-side tablet and self-ordering kiosk systems for a number of reasons. The main reason is because technology like this saves time and streamlines the entire experience. These ordering systems can provide customers with the full menu with images and ingredients, and even label menu items by categories like “most popular” or “chef recommendations”. This works to reduce the need for back-and-forth communication with customers and service staff.
The traditional process of taking orders with pen and paper and inputting the information into a point of sales system to generate a Kitchen Order Ticket, left room for miscommunication throughout the process. With tablets & self-ordering kiosks, the elimination of the manual input and a middleman reduces the room for error.
These ordering systems can also help your business gather more customer insight. By enabling a feedback function, customers can share their experiences through an internal rating which you can analyse to help better your business.
3. Utilise a cloud-based point of sale system
The key to a business designed for growth and success is a strong point of sales system, as this technology is what supports the entire business. A good point of sales system is much more than just a way to charge customers when used the right way.
Cloud-based point of sale systems allow you to have 24/7 access to the data of your business meaning you aren’t tethered to one location. Being able to access data on sales, read over supply statistics or monitor employee hours, allows for better management of the entire business. Point of sale software providers like NCR even go one step further by providing 24/7 customer care. This access to help is essential because no small, medium or large business can afford to have the technology running their business offline for long periods of time.
While point of sales systems usually require a refresh every five years, once installed they are rarely updated. Whereas most modern cloud-based systems are constantly updated, ensuring that market leading quality and service are maintained once connected.
4. Enable ordering through mobile apps
Whether you partner with a third-party delivery app, allow customers to use pre-order apps or create one of your own, utilising mobile technology is a sure-fire way to grow your customer base.
Online ordering services broaden your reach as more customers are exposed to your business who otherwise might not have been from foot traffic alone. In this way, delivery apps like UberEats or Deliveroo, for example, can work as an advertising medium. Even utilising online booking service apps like Quandoo or OpenTable alleviates some of the time and energy of manually taking reservations over the phone.
Beyond this, transitioning your business’ loyalty/rewards card to your own custom app or to a card storing app like StoCard, will encourage more people to frequent your establishment for discounts. This is because more and more people are ditching their wallets for their phone which can do everything for them, including ordering and paying for a coffee before even leaving the house.
NCR is the world’s enterprise technology leader for restaurants, retailers and banks. The #1 global POS software provider for retail and hospitality, and the #1 provider of multi-vendor ATM software. To find out more about NCR and how they can help your business, head to www.ncr.com
