How to grow your restaurant's revenue in just 7 seconds. Maximising restaurant revenues with self-ordering kiosks.

Welcome to the?OME?LinkedIn Newsletter.

In each issue we explore one of the hot topics in the world of restaurants and food delivery. This week?Shane O'Neill,?considers how restaurants can maximise their revenues with self-ordering kiosks.

How to grow your restaurant's revenue in just 7 seconds. Maximising restaurant revenues with self-ordering kiosks.

In today's?competitive landscape, the need to create a seamless and swift customer experience has never been more critical. Lengthy wait times not only create dissatisfaction among patrons, but also directly negatively affect a restaurant’s bottom line.

A?study?conducted by the Kellogg School of Management revealed a striking correlation: a mere 7 second reduction in customer wait time can translate into a 1% increase in revenues for restaurant chains over time, with larger chains reaping an even more substantial 3%?boost.

When it comes to cutting wait times, offering customers just a web or mobile ordering option is often not enough; the key lies in cleverly reorganising in-store foot traffic towards digital ordering channels like self-service kiosks. These are potent tools for expediting both the ordering and checkout processes. In fact studies have shown that kiosks can cut customer wait times by an impressive 40%.

But that’s not all, self-ordering kiosks have other advantages beyond shepherding customers quickly through the ordering process.

Increase average check size by up to 30%

Conventional upselling and cross-selling techniques often fall flat when deployed through tired, pressured staff. A barrage of rapid-fire questions like "Would you like extra cheese with your burger?" risks overwhelming customers as they wait in line, leading to decisions made in haste. The human mind's capacity to retain and process information also imposes limits on personalised recommendations, taking into account dietary restrictions, preferences, and previous orders.

Self-ordering kiosks overcome these limitations by offering data-rich, programmatic recommendations that directly impact average check sizes and enhance the customer experience. The example of McDonald’s is particularly instructive: the introduction of kiosks resulted in a 30% surge in average check size, while an astonishing 20% of customers who initially refrained from ordering a drink changed their minds when prompted by the kiosk.

While?Taco Bell?famously saw similar results with a remarkable 20% uptick in revenues from digital orders, The alchemy lies in the details of the kiosk software, accurately calibrated to foster highly efficient sales interactions.

Customers are given the time to inspect and select meal combinations at their own pace, unburdened by the pressure of being at the front of a line. Meanwhile, restaurants gain the ability to scrutinize and refine purchasing processes through rigorous testing and review of their data. An essential insight surfaces here: successful implementation necessitates not just cutting-edge hardware, but also best-in-class software engineered by seasoned restaurant IT experts. OME, for instance, boasts a dedicated team of developers continually enhancing their sophisticated ordering engine for Europe's foremost restaurant and food retail businesses.

Increased Efficiency: Reduced Errors

Human interactions inevitably contain the potential for error. Language barriers, multitasking, and time constraints converge to create the conditions for order inaccuracies. Self-ordering kiosk software, fluent in multiple languages, empowers customers to meticulously review their orders before finalising payment, largely mitigating the risk of human error and food waste. These systems remove that order taking pressure from staff, allowing them to focus on more human and rewarding tasks; like producing great food and managing the front of house.

Offering people hands free ordering

The seismic impact of Covid-19 on the restaurant and hospitality industry showed the absolute need for these businesses to be able to adapt to changes in the environment quickly. Social distancing imperatives stand in stark contradiction to long queues. Kiosks present a strategic solution for processing takeout orders during dine-in restrictions. Thankfully the pandemic is behind us, but some of the customer behaviours from that time remain.

Kiosks can be indispensable in disseminating information regarding cleanliness and safety protocols in the restaurant. Customised messages adorning the kiosk welcome screen serve as a potent medium to inform patrons about safety measures and the brand's unwavering commitment to customer health.

Getting the most out of your Kiosk

Kiosks work best when they work with well-trained motivated staff.?Striking the right balance between the personalised customer service provided by humans and the operational efficiency of digital systems presents a challenge. OME’s kiosk customers have experienced this dynamic first-hand. Their use of kiosks has led to an increase in the number of customers served,?with a corresponding decrease in headcount. Restaurants can do more, with less staff. In fact by thoughtfully allocating resources, staff can focus on increasing the quality of face-to-face interactions, and creating a better guest experience. Leaving the mundane tasks to the digital systems.

So self-ordering kiosks are not there to replace personalised customer service, but increase the capacity of staff to provide that improved customer service. Creating space for staff to channel their expertise toward refining quality control, enhancing cleanliness, and fostering deeper customer engagement. This holistic approach, marked by the seamless fusion of technology and the human touch, gives restaurant businesses a path towards sustained growth and excellence.

Unlock the market with OME

OME?drive new revenue into your kitchen. Our software gets more done with less people and our data driven brands open you up to a world of new customers.

Get in touch now at?[email protected]

#foodbusiness?#kitchentech?#KitchenAI?#deliveryfood?#Virtualfood?#foodretail?#foodretailireland?#retailmedia?#retail #kiosks

Sean Murray?Niall Reynolds?Shane O'Neill,?Donal Egan?John Farrell(FCA/FInstLM)?Dmitry Skorinko?Hosted Kitchens?Fintan Gavigan

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