Written ByAs the cost of living continues to climb, understanding the technology available to hospitality venues across the UK will make a radical difference. This technology enables restaurant managers to do more with what they already have. As customer expectation continues to expect more for less, venues must be well-equipped to manage expectations.
This article explores the role of technology in boosting the efficiency and performance of hospitality venues.
Hospitality technology describes a broad range of IT, eCommerce and other solutions designed for the hospitality industry. This technology is usually put in place to increase efficiency for businesses, make life easier for employees and improve the customer experience.These goals can be achieved in several ways. Technology can help increase automation, easing the workload for staff. It can also make processes more efficient, saving money and time. Alternatively, it can also help boost the customer experience at various points.
As an already competitive industry, hospitality companies need to stay up to date with the latest technology. Hospitality technology helps businesses streamline their processes, reduce costs and improve the customer experience.
Technology improves accuracy to a standard that would be difficult for staff to attain on their own. The latest solutions available make workloads more manageable and make it easier to meet the shifting demands of customers.
Failing to keep up with technology innovation will provide competitors with a significant competitive advantage. Especially if these competitors adopt technology that appeals to customers.
Adopting the latest trends also makes progress a continuous feature. If restaurants fall behind current trends, upgrading technology at a later date may become more difficult because training requirements may be more extensive.
Without adopting the latest technology in hospitality, restaurants can expect to be behind their competitors in total takings, communications and customer satisfaction. An Operations Manager from Three Cheers Pub Co. shared that “we notice an increase in spending [when using mobile ordering technology], as people want to eat and drink more without the need to have to queue.”
Chatbots have been an emerging hospitality technology trend for several years. The demand for this technology is constantly on the rise, especially as customers now expect timely answers to questions at all times of the day. Restaurants attract queries from interested parties in different time zones, so having a chatbot in place to answer basic questions is great way to improve customer experience..
While booking a table via a phone was once considered convenient, the emergence of online booking system has rendered it a thing of the past. Providers such as OpenTable enable customers to view available slots and make bookings on the go. By leveraging this technology, restaurants can manage waitlists, seating, dining preferences, and customer loyalty. This technology can even go one step further and collect crucial client data for market insights or contact tracking.
Waiting for the bill to arrive, and then waiting even longer for a waiter to bring a card machine can be an aggravating wait. With online bill apps, customers can pay for their meals immediately after ordering.
Other apps go a step further and allow customers to order and pay for their food through an app as soon as they are seated. While this may take away from face-to-face interaction, it does boost the efficiency of a venue as waiters can focus on bringing orders out as soon as they are placed.
According to Statista, the global online food delivery market is estimated to be $130.2 billion and is expected to grow to $223.7 billion by 2027.
Third-Party food delivery solutions such as DoorDash, UberEats, and GrubHub are essential tools for restaurants that cannot offer in-house food ordering and delivery services. However, as larger fast-food chains invest in developing their own integrated apps and online platforms, these third-party apps might soon be replaced. Digital apps enable restaurants to establish connections with their customers beyond their venues.
Automated inventory management software helps restaurants track food and beverage stock, anticipate quantities, and schedule reorders more efficiently. Implementing this software also minimises food waste, which reportedly costs the hospitality industry $100 billion annually.
Advance in hospitality technology are accelerating the pace of digitisation in the industry, helping restaurants grow in 2023 and beyond. They offer unique solutions for restaurants to gain an edge over their competitors and for managers to run their businesses more efficiently. As a result, this technology allows managers to focus on boosting the customer experience, rather than being consumed by schedules and planning.
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