FutureFoodservice – will Tech replace personal service?

According to the ONS, from analysis of jobs of 20million English adults, 7.4% (c.1.5m) are at a high risk of some of their duties and tasks being automated in the future, with certain job functions at a higher risk than others. 

It is fascinating to read through the detail of this, and their very simplistic analysis of different types of jobs – according to the ONS, waiters and waitresses will be most at risk of job automation, as they are banded in ‘Elementary Positions’. 

Well, from a recent experience at Restaurant Sat Bains, it would be utterly foolish to describe waiters and waitresses as being an ‘Elementary Position’; the service provided was a polished, professional display of passion and expertise, with elements of theatre thrown in. And similar experiences will be on show in great hospitality businesses throughout the UK, in bars and restaurants, with Mixologists, Sommeliers, Chefs in open kitchens, Restaurant Managers et al, all taking pride in being expert professionals, using honed crafts. 

But this highlights a direction for #FutureFoodservice, in the polarisation between service-led and tech-facilitated. The good will have to get better, whilst those operations that simplify service will concentrate on using tech to make it more efficient.

I created the new segment for the restaurant industry of the future, of ‘Social Refuelling’ to highlight those operators where tech will play a more prominent role, and service associated with dining experiences will disappear. Recent news about two operators in the fast food sector highlight how tech will shape consumers interaction with foodservice, which will then continue into the restaurant sector, bringing some operators closer to fast food, one of the key ideas behind ‘Social Refuelling’.

Firstly, McDonald’s purchase of software business Dynamic Yield for $300m, shows how McDonald’s foresee the changes in consumer experience and want to lead the way in using AI tech to create truly personalised service, even in the fast food market. McDonald’s have identified ways in which Dynamic Yield can help them achieve greater personalisation through elements such as licence plate recognition to identify a specific customer as they approach a drive thru, and tailor the digital boards to them, or by making personalised offers through the mobile app. They can also use the software to tailor offers dependent on time of day, the weather, and other factors, using predictive analytics to inform kitchen and supply chain decisions. But, in the same way that McDonald’s have introduced self-service order screens into their stores, they’re not looking at tech to replace jobs, but to build revenues through making it easier for consumers to purchase, making it quicker, and being able to upsell without personal pressure. Indeed, if those screens continue to increase revenues, then McDonald’s will need more staff to produce the food! 

Secondly, Domino’s introduction of Xevo’s Anyware platform to allow in-car ordering is another use of tech to make it easier for consumers to get access to their food; a brilliant development that leads the way, especially given the way in which driverless cars will eventually become more of the norm. But this type of tech development does also help to reduce the need for telephone order staff, or front-counter staff, and speeds up the whole customer journey, which in its own way is an effective customer service development – just not using so many people.

We expect to see more of this polarisation, where at one end, tech can make the customer journey quicker and more efficient, and where service needs to be effective rather than effusive, and at the other end, where customer service is a professional, highly developed skill, almost as a theatrical performance. These tech developments, replacing human service, do help to highlight that hospitality service is a very personal and personalised skill, and that hospitality as a career is one that cannot be replaced by technology.

So #FutureFoodservice will see tech play a part, helping to boost revenues through more effective ‘Social Refuelling’, and ensuring that consumers have an efficient, personalised journey.