The entire Point-of-sale game is undergoing massive changes as the hospitality industry sets its focus on digital commerce. Restaurants should learn how to utilize digital ordering & payments platforms sooner than later as most legacy POS systems could be extinct in the near future. This post will dive into multiple benefits that come with QR code ordering and how the digital commerce wave has “ushered in a new era of hospitality.”
Data Collection
To start, digital ordering allows customers to scan a QR code, order their food, and close out their tab all on their smart device. Our company tabski has even more features such as tab sharing, order tracking, and auto-gratuity but that’s for a different blog. These integrated QR code systems act as perfect data collectors because every customer must give their phone number, email, and credit card information. However, they are also providing even more valuable data such as their food and drink preferences that can be used to market back to them in the future. With all of this new information you can “design marketing strategies, upsell certain dishes, and push promotions at their most effective times.” If you are a restaurant owner, the sooner you start collecting this type of data, the more effective your marketing & inventory management will be.
Increase Revenue
QR code ordering is designed to work around the customer in ways the legacy playbook can’t. The main solution it provides is a more streamlined service built around the guest’s timeline and needs. Giving the customer the power to order and pay on their own time means they can add to their tab whenever they want leading to more orders and more money in the restaurant’s pocket. Customers will feel much more comfortable adding another beer to their tab than trying to wave over the server. It also frees up the servers from having to do the grueling tasks of taking orders, splitting checks, grabbing change, etc. With servers now focusing on running food and providing hospitality, table turnover sees a huge increase, and you can seat more customers on any given day.
Menu Customization
If you ever had to scratch out an item on your paper menu with a pen, you’re not alone. Digital ordering gets rid of the need to let your guests know when you’re out of certain items. With tabski for instance, restaurants can simply turn off items in their inventory app and the menus on the customer’s phones will update immediately. You can also customize different menus based on time of day, specials events, etc. If your Happy Hour deals are from 3 PM to 6 PM, your customers will only be able to see that menu during that 3 hour window. This improves the customer experience and allows restaurants to run in a more organized manner.
Tokenization
One of the more glaring problems with the legacy system is that you literally give your credit card to someone and they leave with it. This wouldn’t be considered acceptable in any other situation but yet it has lasted in the restaurant scene for years. With digital ordering, the customers card is tokenized meaning after their first visit it is securely saved for the future. Uber uses this so you don’t have to type your card number in every time you want a ride. In the hospitality setting, you would be able to pay at all your favorite restaurants without ever taking out your card, typing in numbers, or giving it to the server. This means QR code ordering is not only more convenient, but more secure, and definitely faster.
The Numbers
There are many more benefits to offering a digital ordering platform but let’s talk about the rise of QR codes in today’s hospitality industry. Due to the pandemic we have seen a 50% increase in QR code scanning since 2020, according to Insider Intelligence. However, as the world slowly opened back up, QR technology has proven it’s here to stay. “68% of adults say they are likely to pay using contactless or mobile payment options if the restaurant offers them.” It’s becoming a ‘must-have’ as opposed to a ‘want’ for restaurant owners. According to qr-tiger.com, 66.5% of American consumers would prefer scanning a QR code to order and pay rather than waiting for a server to do all of the above. The modern consumer doesn’t want to wait and it’s becoming very apparent that they won’t have to wait anywhere for much longer.
Conclusion
The POS systems we all know very well are becoming obsolete knowing that there are much smaller & smarter POS systems in every consumer’s pocket. Digital ordering companies such as tabski are finding a way to utilize the smart phones of customers and even staff to make restaurants run as efficiently as possible. The time of servers going back and forth to the POS is coming to an end and it can only mean good things for both consumer and business. If QR code ordering interests you at all you can learn more at tabski.com.
https://www.nrn.com/technology/qr-codes-have-ushered-new-era-hospitality