Hospitality Technology: The New Frontier in Restaurant Technology
Article Publish Date: June 15, 2022
Article Abstract:
Restaurants may not always be able to make waits shorter, but they can make them better for the customer. A digital queue management system, in which customers receive alerts and notifications of their place in line on their smartphones, can help create a better experience.
A full restaurant with a crowd of people waiting to order or be seated is usually an indicator of success. An efficient kitchen and skilled servers ensure diners don’t wait too long for their meals and deliver an outstanding customer experience.
However, the wait before patrons can be served often proves more challenging. Waits may sometimes be inevitable, but they represent missed opportunities for restaurants. For example:
- The additional staff required to manage the queue and maintain the waiting area
- The poor experience customers have while they wait, never quite knowing when they’ll finally be seated
- The fact that customers are spending extra time in the restaurant without the chance to spend extra money while they wait
Perhaps more impressively, this burgeoning technology can increase sales via the wait screens sent to customers’ phones. In this way, restaurants are creating opportunity from the simple act of waiting.