Why do New Era Restaurants Need To Focus On Digital Transformation?

The digital era has revolutionized all kinds of business. Earlier it was limited to banking, insurance, healthcare, etc. But now, with the amount of convenience and ease the digital transactions involve, millennials are more than happy to go the digital way.

Going digital is the unique way to establish your restaurant business and make it accessible to all the customers. It has also caught the attention of the restaurant businesses that the customers come looking for their service if they have a prominent presence in the digital world. Today’s millennials are digital savvy, and they check for the food menu, service offered, the payment gateways, and many more before placing an order.

Digital technology has opened doors to restaurant owners and has streamlined the way they do business. They have brought exciting trends and are ever-evolving to match up to the customer needs.

Here are some best online transformations to incorporate.

1. Online Ordering

OrderEm has been pivotal in providing this service to its users. By using the mobile app, your customers can place orders from anywhere and anytime. The flexibility to customize the menu as per customer taste helps the diner choose what they would prefer. 

The millennials are digitally savvy; there is a growing demand that restaurants must adopt new technologies to offer better online experiences. A recent study also found that 39% of customers placed their orders using a mobile app. This trend has been increasing in the past few months as pandemic has forced people to stay indoors and maintain social distancing.

The DeliverEm feature of OrderEm helps the customers to find nearby restaurants. They also showcase high-quality, exotic pictures of the menu dishes, price, ratings, etc. You can also get to know about the offers and deals instantly.

2. Kiosks

A self-ordering kiosk gives customers the power to order and pay by themselves. It looks like a sophisticated vending machine to order meals. In today’s fast-paced world, restaurants are being pushed to deliver customer service that meets and beats customers’ expectations. To make it digital, some operators are turning to self-service kiosks.

Many restaurants have incorporated it as it cuts costs on labor and the use of artificial intelligence. Many restaurants are still unaware that it can be used as a sales-boosting tool. They provide more personalized service for diners by gathering relevant customer information which can help them during the repeat orders.

3. Loyalty Programs

Your restaurant needs to make the process of earning loyalty points just as fun and accessible as playing games. People enjoy taking part in loyalty programs that are gamified and can relate to rather than more phrases and captions.

A study conducted by the National Restaurant Association found that 35% of the restaurant business increased as they had an appealing loyalty card program for their regular customers.  It was also noted that 73% of customers recommended a restaurant to their friends and families that offered an attractive program. 

This is one of the major reasons why the loyalty program has withstood the time and is still considered a customer favorite. 

4. Chatbots

Restaurants are using virtual assistants to interact with customers. They are engaged in inquiries and then process and customize the online orders. Many restaurants have adopted chatbots to automate the ordering process. This can be found on many social media platforms.

The chatbots help customers reserve a table and place their orders without your staff’s need to attend to them. The additional staff to look for the services like maintaining or picking customers’ calls can be eliminated.

The bots help you plan out a myriad of tasks by simply programming them according to your needs. They can answer FAQs, make reservations, place orders and also fulfill online payments.

All the tasks maintained by your service executive can be carried out by the chatbot, the added benefit being - it can perform round the clock with zero downtime.

5. Gift Cards 

Gift cards are also known as branded currency. They are presenting new sales growth opportunities for restaurants by enhancing customer loyalty and reducing the overall cost of payments. A study done by First Data 18th Annual Prepaid Consumer Insights found that the purchase of gift cards has been on the rise for the fifth year in a row. The study also found that customers are roughly spending an average of $59 more than the original value of their card for every gift card purchased.

6. Curbside Orders

The Curbside is in vogue. The pandemic has raised concerns on safety and too many touch points while going for online delivery. Thus, many customers preferred driving through their favorite restaurant to pick up their meal.

All kinds of restaurants, from quick service to fine dining, have adopted curbside pickup. This allows the customers to place an order and pay through apps or websites, make a quick stop, and take their order home. It’s preferred as it's convenient, touch-free, safe, and hot.

OrderEm has made it easier for restaurants to manage their curbside as they have the app on their platform.

7. Customer Data

Another key element of today’s digital transformation is the extensive use of customer data and analytics to lower customer acquisition costs. 

The restaurants need to tap the data around customer behavior and purchase order to make relative offers to their customers. OrderEm also enables you to manage your customer details with their POS.

For instance, this management tool helps collect data of a customer and recognizes if they have already eaten their main meal. This information can be a big boon, as you know of the customer’s hunger level and based on the time can offer them a coffee, a snack or recommend a dessert. Diners would be delighted to find these relevant offers coming their way and may be tempted to buy these addons.

Bottom Line

Digital technology is the go-forward solution for booming your restaurant business. Embracing technology can enhance the quality of the customer dining experience, delivering more of what consumers are demanding.

The power of digital technology allows restaurants to address concerns about safety and serve consumers as per their demand, location, and need. The cost has been found to be negligible as compared to the profits and customer data one can gain to grow the business.