“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:
CLICK HERE to find out more about GDPR!
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 OpenTable if 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.
One of our customers, the growing brand CAU, explains how it worked for them.
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.
Like I said before, the answer is always simple…
CLICK HERE to discover more today!
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.”
That’s got to be worth a little effort…
CLICK HERE here to discover more today!
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) Bill management – 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.”
CLICK HERE to get in touch today!
A recent Guardian newspaper headline was bleak: “Bar and restaurant chains scale back UK expansion as costs rise.”
The article says the effect of rising costs – caused by the fall in the pound and the introduction of the living wage – is being exacerbated by a drop in the number of people dining out.
In the feature, Kate Nicholls, chief executive of the Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers, says: “There is a real reluctance to increase prices to the consumer for fear of damaging fragile discretionary spend.”
If you run a pub, bar or restaurant, you’ll fully sympathise with that view. And you may perhaps be suffering the effects of the economy yourself – even Jamie Oliver has closed six restaurants.
“Uncertainty is the new norm,” Kate says.
Of course, running a hospitality business has always been a high-risk occupation, so restaurateurs are accustomed to rolling with the punches to some degree.
And it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, the most successful of our restaurants continue to do well, despite Brexit and all the other challenges.
So we’ve taken a look at how these beacons of success are managing to shine – and we’ve identified ten technology tips that you can apply to your own business to help it through these uncertain times.
Many successful establishments have invested in a restaurant system that creates operational efficiencies, easing costs and helping to improve their bottom line.
This technology helps in 5 ways:
1) Our customer, our friend:
The more your restaurant knows about its customers, the more it understands them – and the better it can serve them.
Restaurant software with EPOS (electronic point of sale) captures important data about guests, which means you can create targeted email marketing campaigns. By knowing their preferences, you can make sure your offers hit the mark.
2) How was it for you?:
Social media reviews are now a huge influencer on diners – US economists Michael Anderson and Jeremy Magruder found that a ratings improvement of just half a star made a restaurant much more likely to sell out at peak times.
That’s positive reviews, of course. But what happens if a diner is posting negative feedback before they even leave your restaurant?
Today’s sophisticated restaurant software includes an alert feature that will warn your staff as the negative post is happening – and they can go and make things right before the guest even leaves.
3) Staff go mobile:
Giving your staff the power of mobile can make a great deal of difference to your labour requirements.
Because EPOS can be used on mobile devices ranging from dedicated handheld devices to iPads and smartphones, serving staff no longer have to run back and forth to the kitchen with orders on bits of paper.
It adds up to lot of saved time, helping to ease labour issues – and in these days when it’s getting harder and harder to source staff, EPOS can also help identify your busiest times so you can roster effectively.
There are other benefits, too. The accurate order is sent directly from tableside, so the kitchen can begin preparing the meal straight away.
Guests get exactly what they’ve asked for in double-quick time, which contributes to an excellent customer experience in these days when the average diner spends only 45 minutes in the restaurant.
4) Pay without delay:
Those busy guests also hate waiting around to pay, and that’s where restaurant software helps again. Waiting staff can take the payment at tableside, even with credit or debit cards, and print the bill out to a remote printer.
With large parties – particularly common in casual dining outlets – dividing up the bill is simple; another tick in the customer satisfaction box.
5) Trash talk:
Controlling supplies and cutting waste is one of the biggest issues in restaurants – former Nomad chef de cuisine Matt Orlando recently called on the industry to do better in this area.
EPOS helps you identify which dishes are most popular, and creates detailed reports that can inform procurement decisions and reduce the amount of food your kitchen throws away.
The UK’s Sustainable Restaurant Association reckons the average restaurant throws away a shocking 4 tonnes of food each year – and could save £2,000 by using it up instead.
That’s better in your pocket than in the bin, for sure – and it’s better for the environment, too.
Just add good food…
As restaurateurs all over the world know, good food, friendly staff and pleasant surroundings are the foundations on which any good dining business is based.
But equally, the industry is finding to its cost that today, these ingredients – high quality as they are – may just not be enough.
So add a dash of the latest technology to the mix. As a recipe for success, it’s a proven winner.
CLICK HERE to discover more about Aloha EPoS
A recent survey of performance in the pub and restaurant market found that operating costs now stand at over 50% of turnover. That’s the highest it’s been since the report, by ALMR Christie and Co, began in 2007.
And while the survey also found widespread confidence in the sector, in these uncertain times it has to make sense to keep those operating costs under control. That may seem quite a task – but as many successful restaurants and bars have found, the answer can be quite simple: invest in a great EPoS (electronic point of sale) system.
This technology can help you control every aspect of your business from stock levels to ordering – and it even cuts down on labour time and costs by providing serving staff with handheld devices that send orders directly from tableside to the kitchen.
Sounds attractive? Of course – but how do you determine what’s the best EPoS system for your restaurant? Naturally, you need to think hard about your business and determine the challenges that you want to overcome.
So do you know the answers to these 6 questions?
1) Do you throw a lot of stock away? How much is it costing you every week?
2) Do you know which of your dishes sell the best – and which ones should be knocked off your menu?
3) Do your labour costs seem too high for the number of covers you serve every day?
4) Do customers ever complain about slow service or getting the wrong meal?
5) What are your busiest times – and are they actually the most profitable?
6) Which of your suppliers offer you the best prices on a regular basis?
If you don’t have a good EPoS system like Aloha from NFS, chances are you either don’t know the answers to some of the questions – or if you do, you can’t say what the reasons behind them might be.
Technology has made a fantastic response to the changing needs of today’s challenging restaurant environment, and the best EPoS systems for restaurants can provide major benefits.
These days, we’re dealing with a major shift in the spending patterns of diners, who are moving more towards rapid casual dining experiences – the average diner now spends only 45 minutes in a dining outlet.
The top ten casual dining brands in the UK are showing remarkable growth. For instance, CAU steakhouses – a valued customer of Aloha from NFS – showed a 67% sales growth in 2015-16 according to a recent market insight report.
There’s also increasing competition from outlets using delivery services such as Deliveroo. Some are not even restaurants, but simply kitchens that send out – and they have far lower overheads than you do as a restaurateur with an establishment to furnish, maintain and staff.
Even the meals people want are changing, as the rise in the popularity of tapas and other small plates in the UK shows.
So how exactly does EPoS help you? We’ve identified 5 key questions that you need to ask your software vendor when to make sure you look at only the best EPoS systems for restaurants.
1) Does your Restaurant EPoS system capture real-time data to improve your supply chain and stock ordering choices, eg by identifying which dishes are selling well?
2) How will your staff use this EPoS? Can they use dedicated handheld devices, iPads or mobiles to take orders?
3) Does they system provide tableside ordering and payment taking so staff do not have to waste time trekking back and forth?
4) Does it integrate with kitchen automation so chefs can start on orders as soon as they are sent from tableside? Can it integrate with your restaurant’s other systems, such as accounting, too?
5) What other businesses like yours are using the EPoS system – and can you see testimonials?
EPoS systems are available for any size of restaurant or hotel; for instance, Aloha can be provides as a web-based enterprise system that is accessible anywhere you have an internet connection.
This is particularly useful if you have a group to run, cutting down on duplication of technology and roles in different locations.
The data your system collects should be made available to you as comprehensive reports to give you an end-to-end view of your operations no matter how large or complex your organisation.
EPoS can even help in complex areas such as fraud prevention – when every transaction is tracked, unusual behaviours can be easily spotted and staff can be deterred from fraudulent action – and table management.
The successful capture of guest data means the restaurateur can create targeted marketing campaigns that will appeal to preferences.
The best EPoS systems for restaurants can even alert you that a diner is posting adverse reviews on social media so you can put things right before they leave your establishment.
CAU Estates and Property manager Colin Williams says his restaurants have used Aloha EPoS for ten years and will continue to roll out the system as the group grows. For the full CAU case study CLICK HERE.
“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,” he says.
“It’s amazing for stock control – one of our biggest challenges – and it integrates well with our other platforms.
“Our market is constantly changing, and Aloha helps us keep up with that. In all, it helps us deliver a slicker service.”
It’s a great recommendation for the capabilities of state-of-the-art EPoS, and for Aloha in particular.
And in these uncertain times for restaurants, when everyone is facing spiralling costs, it’s clear that the best EPoS systems for restaurants can provide the firm foundations on which you can build and grow your business.
For more information on Aloha CLICK HERE
Exactly when did dinner start coming on small plates? No more than a few years ago – but it’s revolutionising the way people dine today.
Tapas, of course, has been popular in Spain for centuries, thanks to the way they allow groups to share a tasty variety of small dishes. It’s a sociable and informal way of eating that sits well with modern-day diners.
And while tapas restaurants are now popular all over the world, many other types of restaurant are also finding the benefits of serving up small plates – for instant, the smash hit Indian street food chain Dishoom in London and Edinburgh has a hugely popular menu that lets customers pick and choose. In fact, “tapas is capturing the zeitgeist,” according to The Caterer magazine.
Tapas-style service is not just great for customers, it’s good for operations, with smaller food plates creating lower food costs, good turnover of ingredients and generally a higher spend – the average is £65.
But with a huge menu and a real need for speed to keep customers happy, making a success of the small plate revolution needs some nifty technology. In any restaurant, it’s crucial to make the guest experience a good one, but tapas-style places have even more refined needs.
The Growing Expectations
Recent research carried out by Barclaycard showed that dining customers are becoming more impatient than ever – they now prioritise quick service (37%) over value (21%) and menu choice (33%).
A good electronic point of sale (EPoS) system provides the tools you need to deliver that swift and satisfying experience.
In particular, that includes tableside ordering using handheld devices ranging from dedicated technology to iPads, and kitchen automation technology that gets service underway immediately.
With EPoS, serving staff can send the order straight from the table to the kitchen, where it is displayed on screens so chefs can prepare it immediately, or to the bar so the drinks can be prepared.
That means dishes often start to arrive even while the guests are still debating about their last orders, which is always impressive.
With small plates, customers often decide they want more, and EPoS makes it easy to add new orders – or more drinks – to their order. All arrive quickly, because there’s no running back and forth to the kitchen with orders for the serving staff.
At the end of the meal, an EPoS system makes it simple for customers to pay. Bills can be easily split if required, and items are never missed off. Customers can pay at tableside using credit or debit cards, or even payment apps such as Zapper.
Luis De Souza, our CEO at NFS Technology and an industry expert, says the benefits are not all at tableside.
“Afterwards, the data captured enables restaurateurs to identify what’s selling and what’s not, improving their ordering and helping to keep stock levels under control,” he says.
“That’s highly important in today’s challenging operating environment.”
The word from the casual dining industry backs up what Luis is saying.
The Bar Iberico Story
I asked Jacque Ferreira, the Co-Founder and Executive Chef of Bar Iberico in Nottingham and Derby – one of the country’s top tapas restaurant chains – about how his company makes use of EPoS. Bar Iberico in Nottingham was recognised in the 2016 Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand, which celebrates restaurants offering good food at moderate prices.
Jacque says his restaurants simply could not serve the number of covers they do each day without their Aloha EPoS system.
He said: “We expect to serve more than 700 people in the Summer when our outside area is running at capacity. The order going straight from the handheld to the kitchen screen ensures a blistering speed of service. I spend a lot of time on the restaurant floor, and it is quite common to here customers exclaim ‘Wow – that was quick’, referring to the speed the food comes out of the kitchen. We’re looking for future locations to expand – and we’ll definitely be taking the system everywhere we go.”
Casual dining was expected to outgrow all other channels and achieve spend of well over £5 billion by the start of this year, finishing at 13.7% ahead of the casual dining spend recorded end of 2014, according to analysts NPD Group.
So far, despite 2017’s challenging environment of Brexit concerns, exchange rate fluctuations and rising prices, things are still going well for the growing tapas industry.
Do good things really come in little bundles? When it’s a combination of small plates and good technology, I’d certainly say so.
To discover more about Aloha EPoS CLICK HERE