How to optimise guest experiences with technology

No matter how good your food or drinks are, the backbone of every hospitality venue is the customer experience. Providing a good experience is like the side of chips to your burger – there’s something missing when it’s not there. 

Let’s paint a picture. You go out for a meal and sit down at your table. So far, so good (we hope). But then the staff are slammed, and it takes 20 minutes to take your order. That’s the kind of thing that will set the tone of the meal to come, and it can be hard to rescue. 

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Order at table tech 

Fortunately, technology is here to save the day and help you deliver better experiences across the board. One of the simplest ways to optimise guest experience with technology is through online ordering and mobile payments. Allowing guests to place their orders and pay for meals through their smartphones makes the process more convenient and streamlines the ordering process for staff. 

With online ordering, guests can browse the menu and place their orders as soon as they sit down, reducing wait times. Additionally, mobile payments make checkout faster and more efficient, allowing guests to spend more time enjoying their meal and less time waiting to pay.

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Experience doesn't end when guests leave 

Once a guest has left the door, you can keep the good times rolling through a CRM. This marketing tool allows you to gather, store and analyse customer data, which is then used to create personalised marketing and build brand loyalty. 

For example, if a customer frequently orders a certain dish or drinks a certain type of wine, you can send them a promotional offer for that menu item or wine through an email or SMS.

Using tools like Connect, this can be managed through automated customer journeys. When a customer reaches a milestone, such as amount spent or a birthday, it will trigger an automatic email or SMS with promos or incentives of your choosing. This creates a stronger sense of loyalty and encourages return visits, which taps into a lot of potential revenue. 

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Your own loyalty program 

Getting opt-ins to your CRM database is easier when you offer access to a loyalty program and make it clear that there are incentives inbound for guests who sign up. Loyalty program opt-ins are simple to manage too. Guests simply check a box when completing their order and they’re all set to earn points and get rewarded for their business. 

When you pair ordering, marketing and loyalty tech, you have access to a next-level growth engine that can be used to scale up your business and build exceptional customer experiences. 

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