Insight #020:What “Unbundling” the Customer Experience Means for Hospitality Businesses

Mobile apps, self-order kiosks, QR code menus, contactless pick-up, and AI-powered drive-thrus – these channels are just the start of what’s possible for today’s customers. Since the dramatic spike in off-premise dining and delivery during the pandemic, restaurants have learned that digital platforms are wildly sticky – and certainly the preferred method for handling ordering, payment and loyalty. But with dine-in on the rise again, how do those digital channels fit into a smoother, multichannel experience for customers?

Shifting towards multichannel interactions?

There’s a tendency to assume that customers are either off-premise or on-premise diners – that they will choose either to engage with digital platforms or to stick entirely with in-person interactions. The reality though is that customers, when given the opportunity, take advantage of multiple channels even just throughout one dining experience.

Expert forecasters have laid out a new normal when it comes to engaging with hospitality brands – one where digital channels, in-person interactions, and AI-driven technologies all become one fluid experience for customers.

For example, a customer might order ahead online so that the food will be ready right when they arrive. Then they may eat in the store, add on a drink through a QR code ordering and pay system, and then collect loyalty points through their mobile app. In a single trip, although the customer dined in-store, they have interacted across multiple digital touchpoints.

What we can learn from Stadiums

“Sports venues often function as pilot sites for new technology and digital experiences,” says TASK’s Director of Stadiums and Venues Zach Lumley. “Coming out of the pandemic, the focus for venues should be developing and incorporating better experiences for fans that transcend the actual event. These technologies directly support those efforts and are able to be piloted and refined in the fast-paced, high-pressure situations present at these venues. Should the pilot prove successful, then they are often rolled out on a larger scale and implemented into other sports venues, restaurants, and entertainment spaces.”

Stadium guests have higher stakes when it comes to getting their food quickly – they don’t want to miss a second of the event. That’s where taking advantage of digital ordering platforms has been a game-changer for the industry.

TASK’s Vice President of US Business Development Trevor Dee explains, “It’s all about making the entire experience as easy as possible, and part of that is understanding the context around your service. When your customers are watching an action-packed game, they want to spend as little time away from their seat as possible.”

Zach says this is where developing streamlined mobile ordering options are crucial. “The flexibility of a mobile ordering system to allow guests to order and track items from multiple vendors can keep the whole family happy. SMS messaging capabilities ensure they get a text when their order is ready, and they are able to pick up their items from mobile order only lines, decreasing the amount of the event missed and getting them back to their seats and enjoying the event quicker.”

This kind of innovation can be easily translated into the restaurant industry. That’s where looking for more cross-channel opportunities may be the answer to quicker, more convenient service.

You’ll see the industry’s leaders starting to experiment with these options – from Taco Bell’s pre-order service for the drive-thru to Starbucks’ pickup-only locations. These shifts may just be the start of a whole new world for customers.

Embrace the fluidity of an unbundled experience

Multichannel interactions don’t just make the dining experience faster and easier for customers – they also mean more opportunities for bigger sales profit.

It’s well-documented that digital ordering platforms encourage larger order sizes, more add-ons, and higher revenue. As TASK’s US President of North America John Laporte explains, “You almost always find that customers order more at a kiosk or any other device with personalization capabilities. They’re more influenced by marketing, more in control of their order, and the suggestions are more relevant to them.”?

What this means for businesses is that they should be encouraging the use of well-designed digital ordering platforms, whether the customer is already seated, on their way to dine in-store, or asking for delivery.

To get to the point of seamless integration between digital channels and in-person experiences, John says businesses need an operational backbone powered by technology. “When the entire core of your company is digital, each touchpoint is already connected. Every single touchpoint for the guest is directly tied to one central database – a part of the ecosystem that combines your e-commerce, your data, and your communication channels.”