Would you open a pizzeria without a pizza oven?
Would you open a BBQ joint without a smoker?
Would you open a coffee house without a coffee maker?
The answer is an obvious “no.” These are a necessary part of the operation.
What about credit card processing, an alarm system or a point-of-sale system? All of these are must haves. It is a given that we need these things to operate our business.
Where do you stand on WiFi, payroll and surveillance cameras? Are you using them? Would you qualify these as “need to have” or “nice to have?”
Likely you may have software that helps with scheduling, inventory, reservations, online ordering and guest communications.
This is the modern evolution of technology for restaurants. The industry as a whole adopts technology that helps with operational needs. It’s all leading to the same place: enhancing the guest experience.
It's essential that we all realize something very important: every one of your customers (and likely you too) has a mobile phone in their hands all the time.
EVERYONE is on their mobile phone ALL THE TIME.
If you want to enhance the experience, you need to meet your guests in every moment you can control.
Consumer expectation was already in a shift before the pandemic, and now it has undergone a complete metamorphosis.
Amazon, Uber, Target, Starbucks, Lyft, GrubHub, Walmart — these apps are so popular that they are on nearly everyone’s phones. And that’s creating a problem for your restaurant brand. Why? These apps from billion-dollar companies are setting expectations for how people believe ecommerce platforms should operate.
You can even add a six figure car to your cart in less than two taps! Go to Tesla.com and see for yourself!
On demand services are everywhere. Confirmations happen with every transaction. Bookings, purchases and transactions happen within a few seconds, and oftentimes, without the need of human assistance.
These multi-million dollar companies with super fancy apps and online ordering ecosystems are literally setting the expectations for your restaurant.
Whether you are an independent operator, a growing multi-unit or international enterprise brand, it is beyond time to lean into technology. It helps you go faster, work smarter and make more money.
Let’s take a moment to map your customer journey.
Before the Food
Other than the food itself, the majority of a restaurant customer’s journey will have a digital footprint. Consumers go online to search for where to eat, to read ratings and reviews, to activate coupons, to open your app, find out your hours, see if a reservation is required or use a third-party delivery provider to find your menu. All of this will have happened before that hungry consumer even hits your radar.
Ready to eat, that person will book a table, get on a wait list, place an order or at the very minimum look at your online menus, specials or social media. If they are seeking a dine-in experience, they will use map navigation apps to arrive at your location. They might call for a rideshare. In either case, they will need to enter the name of your business or address into an app.
Hungry consumers will have at least five, if not 10 online touches with your brand before they walk through your door or rip open that delivery bag. You’ll want to make sure you are managing and in control of all those touch points.
The Dining Experience
Once the hungry diner arrives, your team will need to check them in using a digital service, confirm their order, or take their order or give them an easy way to place an order through contactless means. You will process the order in your kitchen through a series of digital devices and transactions, and they will pay their bill with some sort of digital solution.
If they are receiving a delivery order to their home or office, you would make sure the containers, the bag, the utensils and everything else you can control matches the brand experience. If they placed the order through a third-party delivery marketplace or ghost kitchen you’ll make sure there is a card or letter in that bag, featuring your first-party delivery system via URL or QR code, that gets them to use your own digital ordering method next time.
However they transact and touch your brand, you’ll want to capture all of that data, including their name, phone number, email address, credit card and preferences in their profile. Be sure to mark down that they like their coffee with just a splash of milk, or that they have gluten intolerance, or their kids only eat chicken nuggets with ketchup. Showing that excellent customer service you are known for means you’ll want to treat them like they are your favorite customer ever.
After the Food
After the meal they will go to social media or a review site to share photos and their opinion with their friends and followers. To respond and show them your gratitude, you’ll want social networking and reputation management tools as well as a Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) to help you communicate with them and provide that quality service.
And if they don't proactively tell you how they feel with a review or social content, you're going to want to be able to ask how the meal was. Was the delivery satisfactory? What did they think about that quinoa bowl you've been unsure about? Dish sentiment would be really helpful in menu planning and inventory management.
Lapsed customers have been a struggle the restaurant business has had since the industry began. Reminding your customers about that amazing happy hour, informing them of your new limited time offer or your new cocktail menu will help you generate more return trips. To do this effectively you'll need email, drip campaigns, push notifications, chatbots and a way to communicate via chat.
I could go on …
The point is that you need tech for smoother operations, you need tech that helps you acquire and retain more guests, you need tech for guest communication, you need tech that makes ordering in store, online and ahead of time easier, faster and better…YOU NEED GOOD TECH.
When approaching a conversation about tech you are considering, start to wonder about how it can help you, what you could achieve and what your business might be like if the tech does what it's supposed to do.
If you like the vision that comes to mind, it's time to seriously evaluate that tech!
To learn more about what kind of tech can help you improve operations and provide a smoother guest journey, ask your peers, talk to your trusted vendors, read articles from trusted industry sources and is it most closely relates here, attend my tech workshop at the 2022 Bar & Restaurant Expo! We’ll explore tech solutions that help you make more money and create a better experience for your guests. See you in Vegas!
Rev owns a burger joint in New York City called Handcraft Burgers & Brew and knows exactly how hard it is to operate and brand a hospitality business. He is also a hospitality marketing consultant, customer and technology evangelist with more than 20 years’ experience in B2B digital marketing and business development, specializing in hospitality marketing, content, local SEO, reputation management and influencer marketing. He helps technology companies, brands and restaurants to acquire and retain customers. Rev is known as an “expert burger taster,” pens hospitality and marketing tips on his Instagram @revciancio, as well as his LinkedIn Profile. He believes that pizza is a religion.
Join Rev at the Bar & Restaurant Expo (formerly Nightclub & Bar Show) March 21-23, 2022 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Registration is open, click here get your tickets now!
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