Focus on food and service, automate everything else
Technology is streamlining the way restaurants conduct their businesses, as it’s doing for every other industry.
You’ve probably heard of the arrival of automation at many food chains, namely McDonald’s, Applebee’s, and Chili’s Grill & Bar. So if you’re currently automating at least one system in your restaurant, it’s time to look at the many options.
Automating a restaurant relates to various important attributes like keeping track of customers, their behaviors and eating habits, inventory management, trends, employee performance and many more. Staying updated to these things is absolutely essential for every restaurant owner.
Before we discuss opportunities to automate your restaurant, it’s important to do your research thoroughly. Here are a few points that you should consider:
- Identify the business needs and what automation can be used optimum.
- Find out in details how the restaurant management system can benefit your business.
- Make a list of potential software that can work best for your restaurant.
- Make necessary arrangement of hardware on which the software will be installed
- Request for proper training from the software vendor.
So how exactly can automation help your restaurant business get the most in terms of productivity, efficiency, and cost savings? Take a closer look at the following automation strategies.
1. Self-ordering kiosks
Restaurant kiosks offer some surprising advantages that managers might not expect. They improve order accuracy, speed up service and have the potential to reduce labor costs.
Personal service and rapport remain important to many customers, yet today’s millennial generation prefers using technology to confirm details of their orders and thus, demands this type of convenience. We’re living in a society of instant gratification. At table ordering give the young diners a sense of control and meets their needs for immediacy. Self-ordering kiosks can fulfill their needs of having what they want when they want it.
Restaurant owners want and should speak the language of the young and upcoming generation. Self-ordering allows restaurants to keep up with the millennials and meet their needs.
Ordering can go straight to the kitchen in its proper form based on interface design. You can save money on staff, especially during peak hours. Self-ordering kiosks give customers something to do while waiting for seats. Since customers can pre-order meals during wait time, food can be delivered a few minutes after seating, which will speed table turnover. This allows restaurants to increase sales and profits.
In returns, customers can provide their feedback in real time. Knowing what customers like and don’t like can help restaurants launch more effective campaigns and promotions. At the same time, restaurants can offer loyalty program sign-ups at the table.
2. Mobile ordering
According to the National Restaurant Association in 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast, approximately one-quarter of consumers state that technology options are important features that factor into their decision to choose a restaurant.
Mobile connectivity is here and here to stay.
Your customers appreciate when you go above and beyond to serve them great food and deliver good service. What really stays with them is perhaps how you can make their hectic lives easier in the process. When you offer them better ways to interact through technology we’ve all familiar with, you’ll have them as customers for life.
Mobile ordering is convenient and fast. It’s worth noting that people tend to order more than they usually would have when they order online. The lack of social interaction when ordering online means that there’s a lot less judgment and guilt on the consumer for over-ordering now and again. At the same time, mobile ordering is a great opportunity for you to have a visual guide to show your great menu items.
Think about it, mobile ordering means that your restaurant is actually in your customer’s pocket. It’s always there, up to date, and just a few clicks away. It’s a competitive edge that helps you stand out amongst many other restaurants in town. When customers want to place a quick take away or delivery order via their mobile device, they know which restaurant they should order from. You can become the go-to restaurant while your competitors are left in the dark.
3. Self-checkout system
The full automation of checkout system isn’t here just yet. However, it’s only a matter of time before ordering and payment become primarily self-service.
One of the most exasperating parts of eating out is waiting for the check. The process always seems to take forever. Though restaurant self-checkout system is still in its early day, it will leave you with much happier customers.
The biggest advantage is perhaps the added speed with which customers can pay for their meals. This is especially helpful during peak hours when your restaurant experiences a large influx of customers. Your customers will be happier and more willing to leave a positive review. Plus, your tables will turn over sooner enabling you to serve more diners and increase sales.
Checkout system also means that you might need fewer employees. This translates to lower overhead costs while still providing customer with the service they need.
4. Point of Sales
When your POS system is automated, you’ll have a better picture of your business. The success of your restaurant relies on a steady influx of customers. A restaurant that sticks to a cash only concept is cutting themselves off from a potential increase in traffic.
An integrated POS system allows you to accommodate more customers, eventually boosting your daily sales and profits. It can also be augmented with hand-held devices that allow your staff to process credit and debit cards table-side. In addition, it can be set up to accommodate a variety of digital payment platforms such as PayPal, Stripe and Bitcoin.
Time is money, particular for the restaurant industry. It’s important to be able to cash out customers quickly and efficiently. Splitting tickets between members of a party can be very time-consuming and prone to errors. Simple mistakes cost money and they can be all too common with handwritten checks. With a restaurant POS system, all these concerns can be addressed. The advanced software not only simplifies the process, but it also eliminates costly mistakes and misunderstanding.
Furthermore, any changes in your inventory will be updated automatically with the help of a POS system. You’ll be able to see the information in real-time. You can track any waste, theft, and shrinkage that can severely cut into potential profits. As a result, this will enable your restaurant to increase efficiency, making it easier to avoid over ordering of perishable product and minimize food waste.
5. Automated drink service
These automated drink machines are easy to manage as nobody has to be there to sell any goods. They require no overhead costs as you eliminate the need for employees. This means no dealing with payroll, benefits, and scrambling when someone calls in sick. Plus, you’ll save a lot of time.
6. Fully autonomous flying robots for restaurants
What do you think about flying robots? They’re on track to start delivering food and drinks to customers by the end of 2015, according to Restaurant Hospitality.
These robots are able to serve food and drinks to customers’ tables in fully autonomous mode, delivering food in fast, safe and classy manner. These special drones are programmed with onboard sensors and collision avoidance technology so they can sense and avoid running into their fellow servers.
The drones allow the staff to focus on higher value tasks such as engineering customers or highlighting new menu items or promotional dishes. They also enable you to save space and maximize sales per square foot.
More business are slowly adopting this new technology, but it will take some time before it becomes widely adopted like other automation strategies. Some people might view drones as a distraction from dinner and conversation. Moreover, the cost of the technology remains a concern. It took Singapore-based Infinium Robotics three years to develop the robotic servers. Depending on the order size, each drone costs between $40,000 and $80,000.
7. Bartending robots
Don’t we all love bartenders? It’s certainly fascinating to watch them mix and serve drinks. It’s also a great way to start a conversation and share stories.
The Makr Shakr, a bartending robot, is the child of an Italian company. It consists of robotic arms that mix cocktails and put them on a conveyer belt to be carried across the bar to a waiting customer or server.
Amazing, isn’t it?
There’s no need to sweat. We don’t anticipate the demise of the bartender. In fact, we still need bartenders to tend the machines and when necessary, deliver the drinks. These machines were created to allow people interact with robots in an unexpected setting, and to give customers that ‘wow’ factor. They’re supposed to work alongside humans, not replace them.
When the stakes are high and you need to find ways to meet your customer’s expectations and improve your margins, you need a system that guarantees that nothing gets lost in the cracks. No matter the size of your restaurant, having the right automation strategy will increase your productivity and efficiency. So take advantage of restaurant customer service automation to blow past your competitors and show your customers that you’re there to give them the best experience.
At Sourcery, we offer an efficient and scalable online AP automation solution for restaurants and accountants. Get in touch today to find out how we can help you meet your needs, create efficiencies, and ultimately grow your business.
