Imagine a world where an ad for your restaurant is playing over Spotify at dinnertime and your customer can then immediately place an order or book a table.
That’s true one-to-one interaction – without a keyboard or touchscreen in sight.
It is very apt to be writing this post in a week when Google announced their new Google Home Hub and Facebook launched their new Portal smart speaker.
The smart speaker market has grown at a blistering pace. By April this year they had penetrated 20% of US households with wi-fi, up from just 8% in June 2017 – the hardware is well on its way to being mainstream.
With growing demand coupled with still untapped huge growth potential it’s easy to see why Google and Facebook would invest in the technology.
ComScore predicts that by 2020, 50% of all searches will be voice searches.
How could this help you?
Previously, smart speakers such as Alexa were used for in-home dining – a convenient way to search for recipes or order ingredients while listening to Spotify or doing housework.
But now, it looks as though voice searches will also be a big player in the eating out market.
Alexa and Google now integrate with Open Table, so if you were thinking of signing up to that platform now may be a good time to join.
As the search is voice activated it is far more efficient for your guests than having to use the App or website – just say the date and time and it’s all done for them.
If you think that’s sounds simple, then the integration with Just Eat is even more intuitive – your customers can simply ask to reorder their last meal.
Another aspect of voice search you can capitalise on is that of restaurant recommendations.
Before they make a decision, customers can ask their smart speaker for restaurant reviews.
If the predictions are correct about voice search, then it’s crucial that you have great online reviews. You should consider social media reputation software if you are looking to maximise the benefits of TripAdvisor reviews.
What you need to make the most of voice searches
Smart speakers enable restaurateurs to plug into the whole digital journey for customers while taking advantage of the powers of digital transformation.
At the centre of any digital environment you need a robust restaurant management solution to ensure your operation is running like a well-oiled machine.
Key to the digital customer journey is the ability to:
> Send orders straight from the website to a kitchen automation system. Kitchen automation will speed service and reduce waste
> Integrate OpenTable payment to the restaurant’s mobile payment gateway – creating a convenient and seamless digital experience for your guests
> Respond rapidly to any negative social media reviews so that you can ensure that the only news that they get to hear is good news
> Create compelling loyalty offers – you have their email address and they are digitally engaged so what better audience do you have to help you increase revenue?
> Access real-time business intelligence to see which channels are producing the most sales and then scale the successful platforms.
A world of potential
We feel voice technology has a great deal of potential when integrated into existing delivery and booking technology.
And the machine learning capabilities of these platforms means that Google, Amazon and Facebook can leverage huge amounts of data about your customers which you can use for targeted paid advertising.
It’s a perfect situation, using paid ads to generate new business coupled with the convenience of voice for them to place their order or book a table.
A win-win for everyone – convenience for them and an instant return on your advertising for you.
More than 4,000 new restaurants have opened in the UK in just the last four years – yet there’s also been a huge downside, with many – including some big names – closing down.
So in these most mixed of times, how do you make sure YOUR restaurant is one of the survivors?
Let’s start by pinpointing some of the reasons for 2018’s restaurant rollercoaster ride.
Brexit blues
The pound has been in state of flux ever since the Brexit vote, and it’s had serious repercussions for the industry because the cost of basic ingredients has risen in costs.
Margins have also been squeezed by other factors, such as the minimum wage rising by more than 19% in the last five years.
One high-profile victim has been Jamie Oliver, who cited the Brexit blues when he was forced to close six of his restaurants in 2017, and 12 more this year.
The repercussions of Brexit are not just being felt on the foreign exchanges. The EU represents a pool of talented hospitality workers which UK restaurants have relied on.
Three million people work in the hospitality sector in the UK, of which over 750,000 are EU nationals. A staggering 75% of serving staff are from the EU, according to a report from KPMG.
Many have already left, and with the Government slow to introduce necessary training for British-born staff, not effective until 2022, a labour shortage is imminent. No chef = no restaurant.
The perils of private equity
Private equity has long dominated the restaurant and bar sector, with deals hitting a record high in 2016.
This influx of money came at a time when there was still uncertainty over Brexit. The taste for investment in the sector has stalled and this has also been coupled with over-ambitious restaurant chains expanding too quickly.
So the market is over-saturated. With so many choices, consumers have possibly got bored with the casual chains.
In addition, online ordering apps such as Deliveroo and Just Eat offer an attractive alternative and have taken a large share of consumers’ discretionary spend. They also deny restaurant clients the opportunity to upsell high margin items such as drinks.
Many famous private-equity backed chains have had to apply swingeing cuts. Some are even talking of closing 100+ sites.
It’s not just a few outliers pulling the sector down. According to research by accountancy group UHY Hacker Young, 35 of the UK’s Top 100 restaurant groups are now loss-making.
Again, they cite falling consumer confidence and higher staff costs as well rising business rates as being to blame.
You can rise above it
It’s tough, we know. But the restaurants that are thriving are those who make the savviest use of restaurant management technology to drive operational and sales performance.
For instance, companies using Aloha restaurant management systems, such as Nando’s, are still reporting increases in both gross profit and revenue.
Technology can transform a business in a number of key areas:
Marketing
Technology makes it simple for restaurateurs to create targeted marketing campaigns and increase footfall – crucial when your customers have so many choices for their discretionary income.
It pays to be creative. One innovative marketing initiative from Nando’s is their Music Exchange which they have used to keep themselves top of mind while capitalising on their place in pop culture.
Obviously, not everyone has the marketing budget of a Nando’s or the patronage of Ed Sheeran or Stormzy…
However, on a smaller scale it is possible to pivot your restaurant to, say, becoming a focal point for local live bands on a traditionally quiet night of the week.
Using cloud-based EPOS it is easy to capture diners’ data to use in email promotions. The system can also post your events and promotions to social media – easily amplifying your exposure.
Loyalty programmes
Once you get the customers coming in, you want to keep them coming back for more. It’s all about creating long-term clients as opposed to short-term sales – after all, it costs the same to generate both, and you need to get the best return on your marketing investment.
A good restaurant management solution includes features that offer multiple ways to reward repeat custom:
> Gift card credit
> Real-time rewards
> Item-based rewards
> Points-based rewards
Good restaurant technology makes this easy to administer and for restaurant groups these loyalty schemes can be applied across all sites at the touch of a button.
Social media marketing
While email marketing has its place, increasingly we find our clients are relying on social media to get the word out. Millennials in particularly live their lives through a prism of Instagram likes and followers.
A restaurant’s reputation can live or die on the nature of its online reviews.
With technology it’s now possible to promote your business while also monitoring your online reputation, sending out social campaigns at a national or site level.
A good mobile solution further enables restaurateurs to monitor social media feedback in real-time and respond quickly before any reputational harm is done.
Theft prevention
You can be knocking it out of the park with your social media, email marketing and loyalty programmes but it you need to make sure that you keep your eye on the ball with your margins.
Unpalatable as it may be to admit, light-fingered staff can sometimes hit your bottom line through theft and scams.
With fraud detection software you can spot patterns of suspicious behaviour – in real-time. Once staff know they have nowhere to hide they are far more likely to act honestly.
Labour control
Labour is one of the highest costs for any restaurant operator – but luckily, it’s a variable cost that can be kept under control with technology.
It’s a fine balancing act – having enough staff at busy times to ensure optimum guest satisfaction while ensuring that you are not overstaffed at other times or paying unnecessary overtime.
With restaurant technology it’s possible to forecast what labour is required, create rotas at the touch of a button and slash unplanned overtime with full integration to payroll.
Research firm Gartner suggests that by 2020, customers will manage 85% of their engagement with a restaurant without interacting with any of the staff in human form.
While for some this may seem a little dystopian, it would certainly save money on staffing while speeding service.
But for now…
In the meantime, using technology is the best way to maximise revenue and increase efficiency of your human staff.
When the LinkedIn network features around a thousand managers who describe themselves as ‘Chief Happiness Officer’, you can tell that well-being has moved right up the workplace agenda.
That’s only right and proper, of course, from a moral point of view. But it also makes sense from a business perspective – happy and comfortable workers tend to be more productive. And the benefits of creating a connected workplace where people can collaborate and get on with their jobs easily go even further than that.
As workplace strategist Joelle Jach said recently: “By understanding the connection between humans and their environment, and by providing an environment that supports human needs, organisations can target cost savings as well as an engaged workforce.”
He argues that comfort and wellbeing also have a direct impact on employee retention; we all want to work somewhere that’s nice to be.
However, Jach also warns that open-office environments can cause feelings of stress and exposure that need to be addressed by workplace design.
And he also argues that while technology has made working far more flexible, social interaction is an important part of a creative and productive office life and managers are needing to take it into consideration.
So are we happy in our current working environments?
Part of that is definitely down to us, the workers. A survey of the personalities of more than 3000 UK employees found that those who had most good days at work were those who scored high for positive emotions and enthusiasm, lower on depressive tendencies and who tended to start things and finish them.
You might say: ‘Well, they would have good days, wouldn’t they?”
But the co-author of the study, Manchester University professor of organisational psychology and health Cary Cooper, says:
“The implication here is that employers should try and recruit people with these characteristics but, of course, some people who lack some of these characteristics may have key skills that are even more important.
“And, even if you do recruit with happiness traits in mind, being content at work will to a larger extent depend on the workplace culture that truly values staff,trusts them, manages them humanely and compassionately and provides them with greater balance in their lives.”
This is a real wake-up call for every business that wants to succeed and prosper.
With the cost of workspace continuing to escalate, many organisations are looking hard at their offices and meeting rooms, and examining how their workers actually use them.
They know the UK workforce is becoming more mobile, and that offering an element of flexible working – where people drop in and out of the office as appropriate – can be both cost-effective and appealing to staff.
So many corporates are taking the opportunity to re-design their existing workspace, or even moving into new purpose-built space designed by architects with wellbeing and productivity in mind.
Things have moved quite a way since companies simply installed ping-pong tables or – in one case – a slippery slide from one floor to the other.
We’re not talking about short-lived fun any more, but rather about sustainable design with mental health at its core. So first, let’s look at what office designers are having to cater for:
5 trends changing the way we use our workplaces:
> Flexible working
> Activity-based working
> Video/Audio conferencing
> Digital signage/Wayfinding
> Business intelligence
Flexible working is perhaps the biggest of these changes, and it’s on many people’s minds – a recent survey found a third of UK workers would rather have flexible working than a pay rise.
It’s particularly popular with mercurial millennials; around 70% said they would appreciate a flexible working environment.
But while other studies have found that being able to work in different locations is empowering and satisfying, that only applies if organisations implement carefully thought-out policies.
There’s nothing satisfying or empowering about walking round the office with your laptop looking for somewhere to sit.
The most savvy companies are dealing with this with the help of workspace software that enables flexible workers to find and book the space they need online, often even before they come into the office.
Workspace management systems are now so sophisticated they can help staff select not only a desk or room, but also a quiet spot, a cool or warm area to work or specific technology they will need.
This kind of technology is also invaluable in responding to the worldwide change in activity-based working.
In previous decades, most offices had formal meeting rooms, often including a large boardroom that was seldom used.
As business imperatives have changed and costs have risen, that kind of meeting space is increasingly a thing of the past, with offices opting for bookable and flexible space where people can get together.
Informal collaborative areas have also become the norm – but as with agile working, it’s important to make sure all of these moveable feasts are easily available for consumption whenever they are needed.
Meeting space manager software is providing an answer. As with desk booking software, it shows the spaces available on graphic screens accessible and bookable from mobile devices.
Meeting space manager software integrates with Outlook, and also with occupancy sensors that can detect if a room or space is standing empty.
If no-one shows for a meeting, the meeting space manager software automatically restores it to availability so someone else can book and use it. The reduction in admin time is significant – and so is the reduction in valuable rooms standing empty.
Video/audio conferencing is a modern technological phenomenon that’s almost the norm in offices across the world today.
Companies like it because it cuts down on travel costs and promotes easy collaboration – and workers like it because they don’t waste stressful time fighting their way to meetings through heavy traffic.
The organisations that see the best uptake of VC are those that make it easy to use. Meeting space manager software is valuable in this area, because it helps staff organise and book their video conference in multi locations, automatically adjusting for any time zone differences.
The system will make sure the necessary equipment is available, and staff can book it – and even catering for the event – in a single online transaction.
Perhaps best of all, it removes a major irritation and obstacle to effective use of video conferencing. Staff can be daunted by the idea of setting up a complex VC meeting only to find a detail such as the time needs to be changes.
Meeting space manager software removes the strain completely – any changes are notified automatically to all involved in the meeting (even the caterers).
Another technology that integrates with meeting space manager software and enhances it is digital signage/wayfinding.
This is in part a response to that huge creator of frustration in the workplace – the no-show. How many times have you sat waiting in a meeting room for someone to turn up?
Advanced digital signage reduces no-shows by providing check-in and check-out, and by acting as a wayfaring guide to make sure the right people get to the right meeting – even visitors to the building.
In-room signage can also provide attendees with the ability to extend the meeting from inside the meeting room, and also provide connection to link room equipment and facilities such as HVAC.
All of these technologies are behind the rise of the final major trend in the way we run our workplaces – business intelligence.
Meeting space manager technology provides a wealth of data on which the office manager or FM professional can base sound decisions.
How is that space really being used? With data at the manager’s fingertips – available online via a mobile device – there is no longer an element of guesswork to planning the future configuration of the office.
Designing for concentration, collaboration, confidentiality and creativity
The five important trends I’ve outlined are already having a major impact on the way we work, and on how office design is evolving.
In order to keep staff happy and efficient, it’s vital to respond to these trends successfully, consistently and on a continuous basis.
As a report by the World Green Building Council notes:
“There is a complex relationship between the office worker and his or her co-workers, the tasks they carry out and the physical environment in which this takes place.
“The way the interior of an office is configured has a profound impact on concentration, collaboration, confidentiality and creativity – and can therefore either enable, or limit, productivity. It can also have a very direct impact on health and wellbeing, which in turn also impacts productivity. “
In other words, when we design our office spaces, we design for life. And in the future, even more than now, the organisations that care about efficiency and mental health will be linking design, productivity and wellbeing in their meeting rooms.
Industry expert Luis De Souza of NFS Technology says digital dining has accessed every area of the industry; and it’s providing a valuable boost in challenging times.
“Here’s your burger and fries, sir – would you like extra digital with that?”
The answer from today’s diner is almost always a resounding yes, according to restaurant industry expert Luis De Souza.
And he’s convinced that the digital transformation trend is truly engaging the UK restaurant industry could well provide answers to some of today’s challenges.
“We’ve seen an extraordinary pace of change in diner behaviours over the past few years, and restaurants are having to work hard to keep up with it,” said Luis, chief executive of Restaurant Show exhibitors NFS Technology.
The changing digital landscape
The trends he is talking about affect both in-restaurant and takeaway eating and are affecting everything in the casual and fast-casual dining sectors.
To-go consumers used to call in and wait while their food was prepared; now, they order online, either for collection or delivery either directly from the outlet or via a Deliveroo-style service.
In-restaurant dining, too, looks a lot different as customers seek restaurants and review online before making their reservation. They then enjoy a digitally-enhanced experience all the way from being seated to ordering and payment – and beyond.
Even fast-food diners are getting faster, making their choices from self-service kiosks and boards linked directly to kitchen automation.
An increasingly mobile experience
Luis points to several eye-opening statistics that highlight exactly how much things have changed already.
“A recent report found that an astonishing 75% of people said they had consulted Facebook to find a place to dine,” he said.
Leading restaurateur Adrian Valeriano recently said data showed more than 47% of reservations currently originate on mobile phones, and described the finding as “massive”.
“I could go on,” says Luis. “The statistics show an incredible change in the way everyone is using restaurants.
“Much of it is driven by millennial behaviour, but it’s not just young people – many people are now becoming used to accessing every area of their lives via their smartphone or tablet.
“Even in the restaurant, people are enjoying a digital experience – around 25% of people use their smartphone while eating, to access information or entertainment, to play games or even to interact with other diners.
“As even younger generations continue to join the dining world, that’s a trend that is going to continue growing.
“In fact, keeping up with the digital transformation of the restaurant market is already becoming a necessity rather than a luxury – and restaurants of all kinds ignore this new world at their peril.”
Beat Brexit with technology
2018 has already been a challenging year for restaurants, with several high-profile restaurants in difficulties.
“It’s unlikely that the uncertainties of 2019, with Brexit looming, will make things any easier,” said Luis.
“Restaurants need to take advantage of every opportunity that is on offer. And I believe that those who fully embrace digital transformation are the ones who will survive and prosper.”
NFS provides EPOS and restaurant management technology to restaurants, hotels and bars across the UK, who use it to streamline their operations and engage better with consumers.
“Technology has gone way beyond simple EPOS now to help restaurants manage every aspect of their business in a more efficient and guest-friendly manner,” he said.
“Restaurant management software helps them find your establishment online and make a reservation – often through solutions like OpenTable.
“The technology then provides staff with real-time seating plans that gets guests seated quickly or manages their expectations on wait time.
“Diners are now finding it more and more acceptable to choose from tablet menus where available, and serving staff take orders on handheld devices at tableside and send them direct to the kitchen for immediate preparation.
Behind the scenes, the software is working away providing valuable business intelligence and reports, spotting trends, identifying best-sellers and helping keep stock under control so waste is kept to a minimum.
It also helps with staff issues, helping restaurants to roster effectively and reduce opportunities for fraud with its detailed capturing of every keystroke.
Luis sees digital transformation leading to further innovations and benefits for the industry.
“Dynamic pricing is one area that the restaurant industry has been slow to adopt,” he said. “However, it’s now well-accepted in areas of consumers’ lives ranging from air travel to hotel booking.
“I believe the business intelligence capabilities of restaurant management software will enable the introduction of dynamic pricing across many different restaurant environments.
“It has benefits for the industry, of course, but also for customers, who enjoy a good deal.”
In fact, it could well be said that digital transformation brings more benefits to customers than even to the industry.
Its constant data capture enables the personalised experience that is dear to consumers’ hearts these days – and restaurants with information about their guests’ preferences can create targeted offers that are guaranteed to appeal to them.
NFS will be at the Restaurant Show at Olympia from 1-3 October and expect a keen interest in their digital restaurant management technology.
“These are exciting times in hospitality technology, with capabilities on the rise all the time as systems evolve to meet the new demands and requirements of both diners and restaurants,” said Luis.
“We can’t make the times any less challenging for restaurateurs.
“But by supporting their digital transformation, we can provide them with an end-to-end view of their operations and a high level of control at all times. That’s a powerful weapon in any modern restaurant’s armoury.”
“Before Google, and long before Facebook, Bezos had realized that the greatest value of an online company lay in the consumer data it collected.” – George Packer, author for the New Yorker
This is true for all businesses who collect client data not just these online behemoths. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which came into force on 25th May this year aims to redress the balance of how companies can use client data. The regulations give your clients a greater deal of control over their data with tenets of the regulation including the right of individuals to be forgotten taking centre stage.
In something of a blind panic and misunderstanding of the regulations, some companies prior to the regulation were sending emails asking people to opt in to mailing lists that, at best, had been long forgotten and gathering digital dust or, at worst, they may have not opted in to in the first place – the latter action in itself being in contradiction of existing laws. Some companies, such as Unroll.me, took the drastic step of have ceasing operations in the EU – such was the dubious foundation of their data collection.
However, like the millennium bug before it, the world did not end on 26th May. Unlike the millennium bug, the repercussions of GDPR and other regulations such as PECR (the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations) are real and ongoing.
You can never be too careful
It is easy to be blasé about the regulations. Our advice is don’t be. It is easy to fall foul even for companies that are tech-based and, one would presume, ought to know better.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has already claimed some high-profile scalps:
> BT – fined £77,000 for five million spam emails to customers
> Yahoo – fined £250,000 for compromising the data of over half a million UK email accounts
> Carphone Warehouse – fined £400,000 for a data breach affecting records of over three million customers.
The Carphone Warehouse fine was one of the largest ever issued by the ICO. However, it did not seem to act as an effective deterrent as they have had a subsequent data breach which may result in a further fine of a staggering £400 million. Coupled with store closures, this could represent a “perfect storm” where another high street name bites the dust.
Our recommendation, is that if you haven’t already secured your data that you do so immediately. Under GDPR, a serious complaint can lead to a fine of 4% of turnover or €20 million whichever is the greater.
Don’t panic
Now that the dust has settled you may have concluded that GDPR compliance is a marathon and not a sprint. No one was fully prepared before 25th May and the interpretation of the regulations varies from company to company. Furthermore, the ICO are changing the rules of engagement with the introduction of data protection fees – something they announced after 25th May.
> A few things to bear in mind if you are still unsure of what you need to do:
> Pay your data protection fee to the ICO – if you are processing personal data then you need to pay the fee. More details here
> Get a thorough understanding of the basis for data processing – you may have read a lot about getting consent, however, it is not the only basis for data processing. Under legitimate interests processing you may not need to fully eradicate your legacy data as is commonly believed and you can, with due caution, harvest further data. However, we would recommend that if you are holding any old data that you purge it immediately.
> Professionalise everything – we recommend that you conduct a thorough data audit and document what you have in terms of data and what the sources are. This makes it much easier to identify what needs to be kept and what needs to be jettisoned. Document why you need the data and what basis you have for processing this data.
> Dive deeper – pre-GDPR it was almost a badge of honour to have a huge list. GDPR presents an opportunity to really look at the data and identify who has engaging with your marketing communications. As a rule of thumb, if they haven’t opened your emails in the last two years – delete them.
> Lock it down – cleaning up your data is only one, albeit big, part of the equation. Apart from damaging your reputation with your clients, a cyber-attack can, as we have seen, lead to a big fine from the ICO. Make sure that your website is secure and that you have processes in place internally for sharing data. We recommend password protecting and encrypting databases where possible.
Further information
As we realise that the regulations can be daunting, we have put together a dedicated page on our website devoted to GDPR compliance and the evolution of hotel PMS software, restaurant epos and meeting room booking software towards meeting the regulations.
While you are there you can also download a copy of our popular “Easy Guide to Being GDPR Compliant” which is packed with useful and actionable advice.
Finally, hear what our CEO, Luis Desouza, has to say about the opportunities the new regulations present:
How hard do people have to work to visit your restaurant? To eat at Tiyagyoni – a pop-up restaurant on Mount Everest – people will have to trek for eight days to 17,500 feet.
Now, that’s a challenge you might be glad your diners don’t have to tackle!
The truth is, though, getting diners to choose your restaurant is a major challenge you do have overcome on a daily basis – and in some ways, it can be just as uphill a struggle as dinner at Tiyagyoni.
The good news is that modern software for restaurants is giving many dining establishments a real advantage, even in today’s highly competitive trading environment.
Providing restaurateurs with an unprecedented end-to-end view of their business and numerous ways to control costs and eliminate waste, they are giving digital-savvy restaurants the ability to delight their guests and bring them back again and again.
These systems can even help encourage positive online reviews…
In fact, there are no fewer than 8 great reasons to choose software for restaurants when seeking to make operations more efficient and increase both revenue and profit. They are:
1) Streamlined operations
2) Online booking
3) Better control of costs and waste
4) Best use of labour
5) Quicker table turn
6) Seamless customer service
7) Diner loyalty
8) Online reviews.
Streamlined operations
With costs rising constantly, labour hard to come by and trading conditions tough, anything that helps streamline operations has to be worth pursuing.
Today’s leading software for restaurants comes complete with a reporting suite that gives managers access to real-time data anywhere they have an online connection, via mobile devices.
Reports can include sales, stock levels, labour – and even let you know whether staff are dealing with potential social media criticism efficiently.
This business intelligence provides restaurants – even multi-location groups – with important information for making good business decisions.
For example, when the prestigious Temple Gate Townhouse hotel in Ireland installed an Epos system, reporting was a huge benefit.
“We’ve now got the data we need to better manage our operation,” Managing Director Paul Madden said. “Our key reports, such as product line mix and server performance reports, can be run instantly. This lets us focus on really important business management issues.”
Online booking
Customers today demand easy access in all areas of their lives – and eating out is no exception.
They’re used to accessing services via their smartphone or laptop, and hospitality is following the lead already set by the retail, financial services and insurance industries.
With the rising popularity of apps such as OpenTable this is particularly true of restaurant reservations.
Modern software for restaurants now offers guests the opportunity to book a table 24/7 without making a single phone call – and it can be integrated with OpenTableif required. It’s convenient for diners and gives the restaurateur extra revenue for you because reservations can be taken 24/7.
Better control of costs and waste
Did you know: UK pubs, restaurants, hotels and quick service outlets throw away 600,000 tonnes of food every year, according to pressure group Wrap.
Who can afford to be that wasteful in 2018? Not only does it mean your business racks up costs, it’s also considered highly unethical. Food waste is a key hate for the frugal millennial generation in particular, and could even become a reputational issue for your business.
This is another area where restaurant technology can help. With comprehensive up-to-date reports available at all hours of the day or night, a business owner can make good procurement decisions based on real information.
Stock control, for instance, can be finely balanced thanks to accurate forecasting based on genuine sales figures and identified trends.
It’s helpful that this useful software for restaurants is now available as a rental option, which keeps costs down and provides an immediate ROI.
Best use of labour
We’ve been seeing the Brexit effect in hospitality staffing for some time, as labour shortages cause wages to rise.
Matching staffing closely to requirements is another useful feature of restaurant technology – by identifying the busy and slow periods, restaurateurs can make sure they have sufficient people on at any time to keep diners happy while minimising costs.
Giving those staff technology that is intuitive to use keeps training to a couple of hours and gives them the tools to make their jobs easy – which is good news in a time when staff retention is a real issue.
Seamless guest service
According to a new study, the biggest brand differentiator for any business going forward from now will be the quality of the customer experience they provide.
Today’s digital-savvy and time-poor customers require seamless service, particularly from restaurants where dining times are getting shorter and shorter.
Serving staff can take orders on hand-held devices or tablets at tableside. Accurate orders are sent directly to the kitchen where preparation can begin immediately and quick service is assured.
Staff can then follow up by taking payment at tableside too – today’s software makes splitting the bill even for large groups who have made additional orders during the meal.
Quicker table turn
When staff with restaurant management software at their fingertips welcome guests, they can seat them quicker thanks to real-time seating plans displayed graphically on their mobile devices.
Together with the advantages of handheld ordering and payment, it adds up to quicker table turn, a lucrative result. It also sends diners away satisfied that their valuable time has not been wasted and their dining requirements have been met perfectly.
Diner loyalty
Which leads us neatly onto diner loyalty, a hugely important factor in bringing guests back again and again to your establishment.
Personalised service is highly valued by guests, but to get it right requires a lot of knowledge about your customer.
Fortunately, leading software for restaurants including EPOS capture important information about each guest, building up a good picture of their preferences that enables restaurant owners to email them offers and rewards that stand a good chance of hitting the mark. Hello, loyalty!
Online reviews
Alongside online reservations, consumers worldwide have come to rely heavily on reading online reviews before they make their selection.
Your restaurant management system should have social media tools to help you monitor any online reviews of your restaurant – and they should be able to give your management team a heads-up whenever if a diner is posting a poor review.
It gives your team a chance to make amends before the customer even leaves his or her table – and that’s a huge positive for your reputation.
Sanj Naha is Head of Sales Support and Enablement, B2B Marketing and International Groups, at The Fork, a TripAdvisor company, and he says all feedback can help you to improve your business.
“You can use review feedback to enhance your value proposition,” he says.
“Track which review sites your online traffic is coming from, and learn exactly how people are navigating your website. Following that, you can use the information to optimise their user journey.
“In addition, you can use the review information to target messaging that will convert your online traffic into leads, bookings or calls to action.”
CLICK HERE to get in touch and discover more today!
This is probably one of the questions I get asked the most by businesses considering a new restaurant system – and the answer is always simple.
Yes – you can.
Restaurants are notoriously hard businesses to control, particularly those in multiple locations, because of their complexity and the fluctuating nature of their business.
We’ve seen some high-profile struggles recently including Jamie Oliver, Prezzo and Byron, and it’s no surprise when costs are escalating, labour is getting hard to come by and the customer pound is being squeezed.
So how does a restaurant system help you boost your restaurant growth while scaling back costs at the same time?
The answer is two-fold – the system provides you with a perfect end-to-end view of your business through comprehensive reporting – and gives your staff the technology they require to create an excellent guest experience.
With real-time data at your fingertips any time, thanks to online access, you can keep track of what’s selling and what’s not – and even see forecasts. This helps you improve stock control immensely, reducing food waste and enabling your kitchen to provide menus that will hit the mark.
Reporting also helps with labour control by giving you a deep knowledge of your busiest and quietest times, so you always have the right number of staff on at the right time.
This is particularly helpful in the current climate, where Brexit is making filling staff roles a real issue.
With the right restaurant system in place, the staff you do have are happier because their job is easier thanks to tableside ordering and payments via hand-held devices ranging from tablets to smartphones – less running back and forth to the kitchen.
Their device will also give them upselling prompts as the order is placed, providing opportunities to boost revenue at every table.
Diners are happier too, because their food is delivered quickly and accurately, and there’s no hanging about waiting for the bill (good restaurant systems can even split complicated bills with ease).
And afterwards, the information your system has captured means you can bring those happy guests back again with offers you know will appeal to them.
You can use their feedback to improve your website, and if anyone posts an adverse review online while dining, your managers are alerted so they can put the problem right straight away.
One of the best aspects of restaurant management systems like ours is that they are now available as a rental option, which means restaurants do not have to make a major capital investment and can achieve almost instant ROI.
Estates and Property manager Colin Williams says: “We like the efficiency of it in streamlining our business – it’s definitely saving us money in terms of time, efficiency and capturing data so we can identify trends.
“We also appreciate the way it helps you cut down on fraud – staff who might be tempted know they can’t get away with anything. “It’s amazing for stock control – one of our biggest challenges – and it integrates well with our other platforms.”
We’re glad to hear it. So if you don’t already have this kind of technology, now’s the time to give your business the restaurant system it needs to stay ahead.
Tragedy hit a Conneticut restaurant earlier this year when the manager, incensed by a bad food review, shot and killed his chef.
An outrageous and rare occurrence, thank goodness. But it does go to show how high passions can run when it comes to online reviews.
You might have a good location, lovely rooms, fantastic food and great customer service, but you’re operating in a competitive world that just keeps on getting tougher.
So you need good online reviews to draw in new customers. With diners making enthusiastic use of review sites ranging from TripAdvisor to Yelp and TrustPilot, they’re the modern equivalent of word-of-mouth, which has always been the most potent marketing tool.
Reputation revenue expert Sanj Naha is Head of Sales Support and Enablement, B2B Marketing and International Groups, at The Fork, a TripAdvisor company.
He says: “You might say: ‘Online reputation – why bother?’ but this is why: 90% of consumers read online reviews.
“Would you want to do business with a company linked to ratings of 1 out of 5 and phrases such as: ‘Bad service’, ‘Terrible experience’, ‘Horrible food’?”
Good reviews, of course, have quite the opposite effect. A good example of a restaurant that receives great reviews is the Covent Garden branch of Dishoom, an NFS customer, currently rated in the top three by Yelp in London. That can’t be bad for business…
So how do you go about encouraging your customers to log on and leave positive online reviews? It’s an area where ethics are important – fake reviews are usually easily spotted and should never be considered.
So first, make sure your hotel, restaurant or venue is genuinely operating an excellent service and making customers happy. Without that, nothing will bring you positive reviews.
Many savvy businesses are keeping their operations in tip-top condition with the support of management software – restaurant POS systems, for instance.
They capture real-time information that helps you check the performance of every aspect of the business, from online booking to stock and labour control. They also provide significant insight into your guests so you can provide a personal service – a highly valued commodity.
And – importantly – a restaurant management system has social media tools that can help you monitor your online reviews, alerting your management team if a diner is posting a negative review.
That way, you can put any issues they have right before they even leave the restaurant, turning a negative into a huge positive.
Once you’re sure your business is operating well and generating happy customers, what can you do to encourage them to post the kind of reviews that will persuade others to follow?
Sanj says the modern customer wants a personalised offering, responsive communication and staff empowered to give them great customer service. Mobile access is incredibly important in these app-friendly days, and they want everything quickly, with no delays.
Sanj recommends several tips on how to improve your online reputation and find your place as a top ranked business:
1) Create amazing service and food
2) Make the most of your listing content
3) Create a great first impression
4) Go for picture power
5) Be contactable
6) Take charge of your reputation
7) Offer free wi-fi
8) Increase the number of reviews
9) Engage with every review.
Create amazing service and food: As we’ve just discussed, the right restaurant POS software can help.
Make the most of your listing content: Claim your page and give it more information and identity, so it’s more engaging.
Create a great first impression: Make sure the first thing potential customers will see reflects well on you.
Go for picture power: We all look at posts with good or unusual images more than those without. Find pictures from all kinds of sources and make sure you have permission to use them.
Be contactable: Make it easy to find your contact details.
Take charge of your reputation: You can create ‘promoters’ by asking loyal customers to post reviews praising your restaurant. Minimise ‘detractors’ by taking action to put negative experiences right before customers post downbeat reviews – your restaurant management software can help you spot this situation.
Offer free wi-fi: You can collect data by using a wi-fi gateway service and encourage Facebook likes and posts.
Increase your reviews: Use your software to collect email details for TripAdvisor Review Express, a free email service that allows hospitality businesses to send customisable bulk emails to up to 1,000 guests asking them to submit reviews.
Engage with every review: If you do get a negative review, it’s not the end of the world. Respond in a way that shows empathy, and provides an explanation and assurance. With positive reviews, say thanks, offer further information and look out for cross-selling opportunities.
Get into the habit of doing these things regularly, or delegate a trustworthy member of staff to do it for you. Building your online reputation is worth spending some time on – and Sanj says there’s even more you can do.
“You can use review feedback to enhance your value proposition. Track which of the review sites your online traffic comes from, and learn how people navigate your website. After that, you can use the information to optimise the user journey.
“You can also use the review information to target messaging that will convert your online traffic into leads, bookings or calls to action.”
What would any restaurant manager say if you asked them if they’d like better control over labour and stock, quicker table turn and a closer engagement with customers?
The answer is obvious – and that’s why restaurant management technology is such a growing trend in the industry.
Restaurant POS software represents a step change in the constant hospitality industry battle against rising costs, inefficiency and waste.
It puts the power in the hands of the restaurateur, quite literally – serving staff use handheld devices to take orders and payments at tableside, while managers gain an end-to-end view of operations online from their mobile or laptop.
It also captures important information about guests, including their preferences, enabling establishments to provide the kind of personalised service today’s diners demand.
So it’s no wonder that restaurant companies of all sizes – and especially multi-location groups – now rely on restaurant POS software to streamline their operations and ensure survival in today’s difficult trading conditions.
But what if you don’t yet have this valuable technology? There are a lot of restaurant management systems on offer, and it’s by no means a one-size-fits-all situation – after all, every restaurant is unique.
Different systems have different facilities, and some can make a huge impact on your operational efficiency. So here are the key questions you should ask your technology vendor before making the investment.
1) Is this a dedicated restaurant POS system?
Be specific about you want. POS systems are available for retail, too, but to get all the facilities you need, you should invest in a dedicated system that has been developed to meet the special requirements of restaurants.
2) Course management – can you split courses to help the kitchen, and make changes such as a starter as a main course?
This should be straightforward to change, and you should also be able to set the kitchen up so the printer or screen displays the correct information to each station, such as a grill chef.
3) Service management – Can you send from tableside handheld devices to different printers?
Serving staff should be able to send orders direct to the kitchen, where it integrates with kitchen automation screens or printers so the meal is delivered swiftly. And after the meal, they can take payment at tableside and print out the receipt at a printer in the restaurant – all time-saving activities that please busy diners and help servers create a great guest experience.
4) Menu management – Can you manage the menu for different times of day so staff don’t have a huge menu to deal with?
This is important in restaurants that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, which could mean an unwieldy menu on the hand-held device.
With advanced restaurant management technology you can use the job code of the staff member to choose which screen layout is displayed. You can also easily set events to enable or disable menus based on the terminal or area, the employee, the job code, the time of day, the day of the week or even specific dates.
5) Order management – If diners move tables, can you reallocate everything easily?
You should look for a system that provides flexible table maps where you allocate specific orders to specific tables.
A good restaurant management system will also allow you to transfer the whole or part thereof the ticket, and merge or split tables up. If using Aloha Guest Manager, for instance, it will suggest a table based on wait time and profitability – it won’t suggest a party of three is seated on a four top if it’s next to another four top that can create an eight.
6) Billmanagement – Is it possible to split bills easily for large parties?
This is particularly useful for casual dining restaurants where parties are often large. It saves time for both the diners and the staff, making table turn quicker and the dining experience seamless.
7) Inventory management – Can you control stock down to ingredient level?
The best restaurant POS software certainly can do this, tracking the most popular menu items, spotting trends and delivering accurate forecast reports. It helps drive informed procurement and reduces waste.
8) Loyalty management – does the system capture important customer data?
This is crucial in improving engagement with your customer, because if you know their preferences you can provide tailor-made service and also create email marketing campaigns that will hit the mark.
9) Cash management – Can the restaurant POS software track all transactions in full detail?
There’s a lot of cashflow in a restaurant business, and it can be hard to keep tabs on. A good system will give full details in real time so your cash position is always immediately visible.
10) Training – how long will it take?
The best systems are intuitive to use, and staff can be taking orders within a couple of hours so there’s little disruption.
11) How much will it cost?
A restaurant management system can be a major investment, but cloud-based systems represent an excellent ROI because there’s no need to buy expensive hardware – also check out rental schemes with an easy monthly payment.
What else should you think about?
You’ll no doubt have plenty more questions on top of these that you want to ask any potential software supplier – your business will have its own distinct requirements.
So think hard about what you want to achieve with your restaurant management system, and how you want your staff to use it; what sort of reports will help you run your business efficiently? Then ask your potential supplier to talk about restaurants they already supply, and be sure to seek references.
Investing in restaurant management software may be one of the more important decisions you’ll ever make for your business. So take your time, and make sure you make a wise choice.
CLICK HERE if you would like to enquire and find out more about NFS solutions!
Many in the hospitality industry were looking ahead to 2018 with trepidation, and who could blame them? Brexit is coming ever closer, labour shortages are becoming a problem and costs are rising. Yet the UK hospitality industry is remarkably resilient, and business remains buoyant in many areas.
For instance, the start of 2017 saw the highest number of new hotel rooms opening since 2012 – and PwC predicts that room occupancy will rise to 76% in London this year.
As providers of hospitality software, over the last three years we’ve also seen the exciting development of many new concepts and restaurant openings in the UK.
In fact, we’re so convinced of the robust nature of the industry that we’re Gold Sponsors at the Restaurant Association’s 50th anniversary celebrations at the Savoy on February 26.
As we look ahead to post-Brexit 2020, and examine the experiences of our own customers, I’m sure the businesses who thrive will those that take advantage of technology to transform the way they operate.
Here’s my view of the key drivers for technology-enabled success:
> Mobility –particularly app-based
> Cloud technology – fast and affordable deployment
> Enhanced guest experience – based on data and personalised service
> Social media – positive online engagement
> Online ordering/booking – responding to consumer behaviour
> Loyalty programmes – for increased revenue and client retention.
Mobility – Our clients Gaucho/CAU, a growing group of steakhouses, use our Aloha EPOS mobile technology to drive greater staff mobility and improve customer service with efficient point of sale.
Serving staff can use mobile devices including tablets to take orders at tableside, sending them instantly to the kitchen.
Cloud technology – Honest Burgers have successfully deployed our cloud-based POS solution Silver over 28 restaurants, delivering multi-site management and web-based reporting on a cost-effective basis.
Because the system is cloud-based, it gives managers access to comprehensive information wherever they have an internet connection.
Online bookings – The contemporary Beales Hotel Group deployed our roomMaster PMS and Rendezvous Events venue management technology to streamline operations.
The PMS automatically pushes out rates and availability to online travel agents, saving staff time and giving guests 24/7 booking facilities.
General Manager Mark Schipper says: “We’re doing incredibly well on our rooms and the rate is continuing to go up.”
Social media – Dishoom, one of our fast growing restaurant operators, use social media as a key component of their customer engagement.
Head of operations Brian Trollip says their Aloha EPOS management system from NFS has helped Dishoom grow to six large and successful restaurants, with more in the pipeline thanks to keeping customers happy.
Personalised service – The British Airways i360 in Brighton is one of the UK’s most exciting new venues – and uses our Rendezvous venue management software to deliver a great customer experience.
“Whether it’s checking availability of a room, checking a contract for a client or issuing an invoice, the system has worked really well for us,” says Sales Manager Sophie Shepherd.
Loyalty – Shandon Hotel and Spa in Donegal has quickly established a reputation as a leading spa hotel with the help of our roomMaster PMS.
The system’s giftcard facilities are helping the resort to promote loyalty.
“It’s great for us – we actually brought in £320,000 on gift cards in the first year,” said General Manager Carolynne Harrison.
So it’s clear that as we move on through troubled times ahead, successful hospitality businesses will need to combine efficient operations with the innovative use of technology and reliable services from suppliers to deliver a profitable business and a great guest experience.
With our 24/7 support desk and well-established systems, at NFS we’re well-placed to help.
As Colin Williams, Estates and Property Manager at CAU, says: “We’ve been with NFS for ten years, and they are absolutely fundamental to us. The NFS product line is very good – and you get an unbelievable level of customer service.
“We like the functionality in terms of streamlining our business – it’s saving us money and time, improving operational efficiency and capturing data so we can identify trends.
“Our market is constantly changing, and the Aloha EPOS solution from NFS helps us keep up. In all, it helps us deliver a slicker guest service experience.”
