Every industry gets affected by technology sooner or later in one way or another. Although disruptive in the beginning, especially for industries that don’t rely on technology as much, technology does, in fact, bring numerous benefits and advantages.
A good example of this scenario is the restaurant industry. One would think that this industry’s primary focus is food and service, not technology but reality is telling a different story. As a matter of fact, the restaurant industry is pioneering in adopting new and innovative technologies. One such innovation is self-serving kiosks.
The concept behind these kiosks has existed since the early 1990s but they are gaining more popularity these days, especially since popular brands such as McDonald’s have started to experiment with these technologies recently. That said, these kiosks turned out to be quite appealing to consumers. With that in mind, here are a few key ways self-service kiosks can boost your sales. You can also learn more about self service kiosks in healthcare and how they change the healthcare service delivery.
Powerful upselling capabilities
Boosting sales doesn’t always mean more sales. In fact, it can also mean increasing the AOV (Average Order Value) as well. That said, self-serving kiosks have powerful upselling potential that can encourage customers to buy more or buy higher-valued products.
Since this technology is innovative, it can help restaurant owners collect relevant data about their customers regarding buying decisions. With this information, you can create great upsell promotions and offers that will be appealing to your customers.
And since these kiosks have an interactive display, customers can visualize the value of the product you’re recommending to them. Consumers believe that visually appealing food tastes 29% better and they are willing to pay up to three times more for it.
Reduced ordering time
Nowadays, customer service is all about convenience. When it comes to an efficient self service kiosk, convenience is guaranteed. The fact of the matter is that customers can order a meal and pay for it on their own and without waiting for a staff member to serve them. This drastically reduces the ordering time.
From the sales point of view, this means that you can serve more customers at once than you normally could. More customers mean more purchases. Customers no longer have to worry about delays associated with traditional service and you no longer have to worry about customers leaving because of it.
More customization options
As mentioned before, self-service kiosks in restaurants provide customers with a whole new level of convenience. This convenience also includes more customization options. As a matter of fact, customers can spend more time at a kiosk customizing their order.
As a result, they have a tendency to spend up to 30% more on food and beverages because of it. In other words, having such kiosks in your restaurant can positively impact your company’s bottom line in the long run.
Simply put, self-service kiosks can vastly improve customer experience and thus encourage customers to not just interact with these kiosks but also buy more products that are offered, as well as spend more on the offered products. For restaurants that leverage this technology, this can mean a great boost in sales.
Customer loyalty
Aside from providing customers with a seamless and exceptional experience, self-service kiosks can also ensure customer loyalty and retention. The amount of convenience originating from this technology is bound to guarantee customer satisfaction.
That said, repeat customers have a tendency to spend up to 67% more than new customers. Moreover, by increasing your customer retention rate by only 5%, you can boost your restaurant’s profitability by up to 90%.
In addition, one of the aspects of self-service kiosks that factor into customer satisfaction and experience is order accuracy. A staff member may occasionally get the order wrong but kiosk technology will not make the same mistake. That’s why consumers consider these kiosks to be more reliable when it comes to the order processing.
Better use of inventory
When it comes to boosting sales, restaurants want to ensure that they don’t overspend on inventory, especially groceries that won’t be used so they’ll have to be discarded after they spoil. Self-service kiosks can remedy this problem and help you better manage your inventory.
As previously mentioned, you can collect customer information that will allow you to know exactly what their demand is so that you can purchase groceries based on that demand.
However, if you happen to have excess inventory, you can leverage kiosks to alter menus and provide discounts, as well as special offers that will allow you to sell the inventory you have. After all, selling the inventory at a discounted price is better for your bottom line than not selling it at all.
In the end, the use of technology in industries that don’t really need it at first glance is extremely beneficial, after all. Self-service kiosks are an ideal example of how technology can provide an advantage to restaurants, especially when it comes to boosting sales.