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The same research showed that 42% of businesses in the survey were considering investing in mobile ordering technology, so now’s the time to get ahead of the curve. One of the main factors dissuading business owners from mobile tech are the perceived costs of installation. Mobile POS and tablet solutions offer a range of benefits that will see many businesses experiencing a return on investment in a matter of weeks. So, why should your restaurant embrace mobile ordering technology?
You’ll make more money
How often do we drill into our wait staff the importance of upselling? How often do they forget, don’t have the knowledge to make informed suggestions or simply don’t care enough to bother? Mobile ordering allows you to set prompts on the system which allow you to cross-sell and upsell high margin items. You can even tailor prompts for specific meal choices, taking the uncertainty out of staff recommendations.
These customers are already in your business-they are in the market to be sold to. More often than not, if upgrades or add on’s are offered, customer will take them. Sides dishes generally have great margins; chips, veg, salad, onion rings, all cost you very little to produce and yet customers are comfortable paying £2-£4 per side. Even if each table only bought one additional dish, your spend per head increases as does your end of year profits.
Your customers will love it
It’s widely understood good things come to those who wait, but increasingly customers aren’t willing to wait. There are several choke points during service which can create unnecessary delays which threaten your customer experience and limit the amount of tables you turnover. These limitations directly affect your profit potential. Waiting for drinks, waiting for food, waiting to pay the bill. Why make your customers wait? With mobile ordering your drinks are being made and your food is being prepped before the waiter has even left the table side.
Quick and efficient service is paramount, trumped only by customer safety. An increasing number of people are reporting food allergies and intolerances which can make dining out a daunting experience for some. Mobile tech takes the guesswork out of food safety, with all nutritional information available at the touch of a button. Umming and aahhring over dietary requirements doesn’t fill your customers with confidence. Your staff no longer have to rush back of house to check with the kitchen, or memorise menu specifications to the letter. This technology equips your servers with the information they need to best do their job while eliminating your liability risk.
It’s simple, easy and affordable
Technology is always getting cheaper and more accessible for small businesses. Epos Now’s tablet and mobile POS solutions come with our innovative Athena software as standard, as well as optional support from our team of experienced EPOS consultants. Athena’s simple, user friendly design means employees can be trained on the system in less than 15 minutes, meaning they can quickly and confidently take order customer orders at the table.
Epos Now offers a range of affordable and accessible mobile tech solutions designed to meet your hospitality needs, including Apple, Android and software options. POStoGO is Epos Now’s newest innovation offering businesses a comprehensive mobile point-of-sale solution with fully integrated payment technology. This smart tech allows you to take a range of payments at the table side, including chip & pin, contactless and Apple and Android pay.
Conclusion
Ultimately, it is customer behaviour that will drive change in the hospitality sector. There are clear benefits associated with mobile ordering that are proven to add value to your business. In the past, it was sufficient to equip waiting staff with a pen and paper, but today's consumers expect more. Wi-Q co founder Graham Cornhil believes; “Customer awareness for mobile ordering solutions has a long way to go, with customer education being driven largely by the efforts of corporates such as McDonald’s and Starbucks. It is my belief that while these big players are delivering inferior app-based solutions, they are creating new service expectations, which is a critical long-term driver to changes in our ordering culture.”
Embracing mobile technologies will be a key driver of a positive customer experience which is core to the success of your business. Happy customers come back, and with customer retention the holy grail of hospitality, it’s important to welcome any innovation that can encourage this.
For more information on Epos Now’s mobile solutions check out the links above. Alternatively give the team a call on 0800 2 945 945 or arrange a callback at a time convenient to you.
