How Apps are Creating Personalised Restaurant Experiences
Customers crave convenience. They want instant, accurate information delivered straight to their fingertips, as well the option of pre-ordering, self-service payment, table booking and a partridge and a pear-tree… Restaurants are now using technology to transform how dining once was, by adapting to the digital-era. Apps have grown to be extremely popular in providing restauranteurs with interactive experiences to revolutionise the hospitality industry.
Problems
Without these omnipotent apps in place, restaurants will keep experiencing the same old problems that are unacceptable by a tech-savvy generation’s standards.
Busy staff: Servers receive a great deal of complaints from customers about the time it takes to be seated, served, handed the bill and of course then there’s waiting for that one card machine to be hunted down. Even a well-run restaurant with excellent staff can fall victim to busy periods and frustrated customers.
Lack of information: Think about how many food and beverage options there are available in each restaurant. Then imagine having to remember every item’s calories, allergens, ingredients and more without running to and from the kitchen and bar to double check everything. Customers expect this instant, in-depth information that is now available with online orders.
Food envy: We’ve all had it! Something sounds great on the menu, but when it arrives there’s no competing with what your friend is tucking into. And this is the friend who doesn’t share food. Customers want to preview what they’re about to purchase – because ordering food is an important commitment.
Solutions
Fortunately, tech geniuses have created the means for us to have better dining experiences. Smartphones are one of the most powerful tools of today, therefore it makes sense to give control to the customer, empowering them to make decisions when and how they want to. Some restaurants provide their own app, while others choose to use apps, such as jisp, to offer customers a combination of technological solutions that help evolve brand experience. The most popular app solutions used today are:
Table booking and pre-ordering: Almost everything today can be done using an app, so why wouldn’t the hospitality industry use this device to help maximise bookings? Restaurants can now use apps to promote special offers, drive business during quiet periods, and sell more covers. After all, 60% of customers who book online now do so on a smartphone.
Apps not only allow customers to book effortlessly, but can often include the option to pre-order food straight to the table without having to wait for a server to be available. With 6/10 digital orders being completed by mobile apps today, restaurants that are not providing this service will lose customers to competitors. By offering these alternative solutions, customers can choose the method that works best for them.
Instant product information: Admit it, you would feel lost without your smartphone. Now that we’ve experienced instant information at our fingertips, we expect this level of service in most areas of life. Restaurants using jisp can provide customers with frictionless information sent straight to the app, simply by tapping their phone to an interactive menu (see below). These smart menus are coded with technology to instantly supply customers with beneficial, often crucial, information including; allergens, nutritional values, calories, etc.
Whether it’s for health reasons or moral purposes, people have become more conscious of what goes into their food. With jisp, restaurants can offer customers the tool that allows them to order with confidence without waiting and relying on information passed between staff.
Interactive menus: Restaurants can also use apps to create a unique brand experience and bring their food to life through visual material. Customers can tap jisp’s NFC coded menus with their phone and immediately receive photos and videos showcasing the journey of their meal from the sourcing of ingredients to the final plated product.
Seamless payment: Using these apps mean that there’s no need to perform that awkward ‘signing the bill’ hand signal to the waiter or wait in a queue to pay. With app payments, customers can relax at their table and effortlessly pay within seconds at a time that suits them. With jisp, e-receipts will be sent straight to the app (bonus points for saving paper) and can be viewed on the customer’s timeline at a time that suits them.
So, if you’re excited to offer your customers an app that provides instant information, seamless payment, easy table bookings and more, come visit jisp’s stand (A185) for live demonstrations and to chat about how we can help your restaurant.
Get in Touch: jisp
www.jisp.com
info@jisp.com
01400 222333
