Why The “New Normal” Calls For a Contactless Mobile Guest Experience

contactless mobile guest experience

Digital Dining Adoption

The pandemic has pushed the restaurant industry’s adoption of technology. It’s now common to see people use their smartphones or other digital platforms when dining out. It’s important to note that everyone’s expectations have shifted as a result of Covid-19, therefore you can’t rely on the same procedures that you used before March 2020 if you want your business to succeed. 

According to Juniper Research, more than half (53 percent) of global transactions running through Point-of-Sale systems will be contactless within five years, compared to just 15 percent in 2020. It’s expected that contactless payments will triple to $6 trillion globally by 2024, up from approximately $2 trillion last year.

Create A Safe & Efficient Work Environment 

Contactless payments are a method of paying for goods or services without physically having to swipe a card, touch a screen, or hand it to another person. Due to the pandemic, businesses have prioritized eliminating physical contact points to provide a safe and healthy setting, which is why many of them have provided contactless payment solutions, such as “Tap-to-Pay”. Customers enjoy having a touchless payment experience with devices such as SkyTab by Shift4. SkyTab even accepts popular mobile wallets like Apple Pay & Google Pay. Thankfully, a more protected workplace is possible with mobile solutions.

contactless payments tap to pay

Maximize Resources and Cut Costs

Leveraging technology such as QR Order & Pay, guests can manage more processes themselves, such as ordering and paying. This type of software has also helped with another issue: the restaurant industry is facing a staffing shortage, so this tool allows restaurants to give high-quality service with fewer employees. “According to 89 percent of full-service restaurant owners, their present staffing levels are below average.” – National Restaurant Association. With the adoption of contactless technology, restaurants can boost productivity while keeping costs down. 

qr order and pay contactless

Increase Revenue Streams 

For eateries, online ordering is a must-have platform for survival. Businesses should be aware that third-party platforms contain a lot of hidden fees, and most customers prefer to order straight from the source when considering which route to take for online ordering. Have control over your revenue, branding, and data with RM Online Ordering. Did you know that the average online order is 20 to 30% larger than call-in orders? This makes it an excellent tool for upselling. Businesses can take advantage of the “new normal” by offering online ordering as a strategy to boost profitability.

online ordering contactless payments

When it comes to your business, which mobile tech fits best?

Consider the flow of your operations and note the areas where technology could be very helpful to your business. Think about the following questions when selecting what technology is suitable for your restaurant.

  • What’s your budget for incorporating technology, and what are your primary objectives?
  • In what ways will technology assist you in achieving your goals?
  • If tech issues arrive, how will they be handled? 
  • What insights do you already have about your customers and what do you still want to find out?
  • How does certain technology help with marketing?
  • How can this technology contribute to a great client experience?

We’d love to learn about your business’s needs and we’ll be pleased to answer any of your questions. By calling 407-365-1991, you can reach us at any time.

New Restaurant Menu Trends

upcoming menu trends

Menu Trends

Strategize and make new menu updates to position your restaurant for growth! Today we’re looking at industry menu trends and information to consider when updating your menu.

Streamlined Food Options

Recently, we’ve seen a shift to streamlined menu offerings and inventory. This trend has allowed operators to boost their profits. Tip: A great way to find out which menu items to keep or cut is to look at the data from your Point of Sale System to see which items are selling, the cost of the ingredients, etc. This gives restaurants the ability to offer quality over quantity when it comes to their menu.

QR Menus

Customers are now experiencing the option to sit down and scan a QR code on a restaurant table which directs them to an online menu. QR Menus are a great contactless and convenient option. With Shift4 QR Payments, customers can order and pay on their phones by scanning a QR Code. QR Menus also allow the restaurant to have more flexibility with updating their menu and not having to reprint physical menus.

QR Codes Menu Trends

Addition of Comfort Foods

The pandemic has been stressful, so naturally, more people gravitated towards comfort foods! Customers want the food they order to be predictable and something they know they will love. Studies show that people are not currently being as adventurous with their taste buds when it comes to ordering online.

High-Quality Photos & Descriptive Items

With everything being online and accessible, restaurants should make it a priority to have high-quality photos of their menu items and more descriptive details. People are more likely to buy when there’s a high-quality photo of the food rather than if there’s just text. Soon they’ll be craving every item they see!

Contact Us

Meadows Hospitality Systems is here to help your restaurant thrive. Contact us at 407-365-1991 to learn more about the Restaurant Manager POS System or QR Menu trends.

Take Advantage of QR Codes in Your Restaurant

how to use qr codes in restaurant

What is a QR Code

Once again, you may have noticed that QR codes are popping up! This technology spiked with American users in the year 2011 and is now being widely adopted by businesses & restaurants during the pandemic for a contactless experience. “QR Code” which stands for Quick Response Code, allows users to scan a black and white square label with their smartphone to open up a webpage containing information. 

What is a Qr Code

How to Scan a QR Code

In 2017, iPhone users could finally scan QR Codes directly with their cameras instead of using a specific QR Code reader app. Android users can now do the same which has allowed this technology to become popularized. 

Step 1: Open the Camera App like you would if you were taking a picture with the back-facing camera. 

Step 2: Point the camera at the desired QR Code, so it is in the viewfinder and a pop-up notification should appear asking if you’d like to open the link.

Step 3: Click on the notification to open up the desired web page containing the information from the QR Code. 

how to scan a qr code

How to Use QR Codes in Your Restaurant 

QR technology allows customers to view the restaurant’s menu, order their food, and even pay from their phones. Restaurant owners can expect to cut costs and labor by eliminating the traditional server and instead of having food runners or fewer servers on the floor. Imagine no longer needing to flag down a waitress and instead ordering a second round of drinks just with the touch of a button on your phone. 2020 has allowed for a new age of thinking & efficient restaurant solutions. The user’s dining experience has completely changed and will continue to do so. Take advantage of other benefits to QR codes by implementing a loyalty program or easy access for customers to leave a review. QR Codes are solving problems with ease and at low costs!

How to use qr codes in restaurant

Learn More About QR Order & Pay

Shift 4 is offering a contactless customer experience and a safe way for customers to order and pay. This QR Order & Pay experience includes a mobile-friendly menu with easy setup and management, orders sent directly to the POS system, and captures customer emails to build a marketing database. This solution is perfect for table service restaurants, quick service, retail, and hotels. Contact us at https://www.mhs-pos.com/contact-us to learn more. 

 

5 Ways to Attract and Retain More Guests to Your Restaurant

how to attract customers to your restaurant

Attract and Retain More Guests to Your Restaurant

Overall Experience

The customer experience has greatly changed, and restaurants still need to use these tips and tools to pivot as needed, while ensuring the focus is still always on the customer. Here are a few easy to implement solutions and a proven way of driving repeat visits and improving customer loyalty.

Adopt New Technology

The restaurant industry is known for being late-adopters of new technology. Adopting new technology is a massive way to get a leg up on the competition and to attract customers to your restaurant. It’s important for you to research the latest restaurant solutions and software and implement them. Also, look at other industries and see how they are making their guests more comfortable with technology. This includes contactless payments like Apple Pay, QR Codes for Ordering and Payments, as well as Online Ordering.

Invite Guests Back

People want to support local businesses. It’s important to welcome guests and tell them how appreciative of them you are to have their support and business. Offer them a coupon to dine in and fill seats, tell them how they can order online directly from you, keep guests informed about upcoming events like the wine night you’re hosting next week, and invite them back. Ask them to engage with you on social media for exclusive giveaways. It’s important to make their experience feel personal and for the customers to feel a connection with your brand.

Discuss What You Can Improve On

Not only should you constantly be discussing with your restaurant personnel how you can improve the service, but you should also ask guests their opinion. Let them know you’d love their feedback to improve and then reach out later when you’ve implemented the improvement!

Our Skytab Pay at The Table solution prompts customers to leave a review while they’re checking out, so management can thank them for the review before they leave the restaurant, or address their concern if they leave a low rating on SkyTab, as managers are notified immediately via a text message.

Hire the Right Staff

Hiring the right staff is so important. You want staff that will work hard and be committed, have great interactions with the customers, guide them through the menu, and upsell items while making conversation with the guests. The staff is part of the customers’ experience and will make a significant difference for the customer. Restaurants should shift to have the mindset of hiring quality servers, not just numerous servers. With restaurant technology like our QR Order from the Table that allows customers to order directly to the kitchen, there’s less need for a lot of servers on the same shift, a great way to cut labor costs! Staff is there to still do their job, but servers are no longer having to wait to take an order, put it into a POS system, and further communicate with the kitchen. The server’s time is freed up and they’re able to handle more tables at once while streamlining orders to the kitchen in a timely manner.

Do you want an ordering system that allows guests to view your menu, order, and pay all from their smartphones? Check out our QR Order and Pay solution from Shift4 Payments!

Contact Us

Try implementing at least one of these suggestions to help attract and retain more guests to your restaurant and let us know how they worked for you! Ready to upgrade your payment processing and technology solutions? Give us a call! Meadows Hospitality Systems at (407) 365-1991 or online at https://www.mhs-pos.com/contact-us.