Contactless ordering became a necessity during the pandemic, but this simple-to-use food ordering system is here to stay. Customers have become comfortable with the new technology of self-service kiosks and contactless payment options — and all the benefits they offer.
The fact is, contactless ordering is revolutionizing the restaurant industry, and setting it up is easier than you might think. Keep reading to learn about the benefits of contactless ordering and how to make the most of it in your restaurant.
Contactless ordering is when customers place orders and make payments without interacting with a server or another member of your staff. It is becoming the norm in the hospitality industry; from hotels to airports to restaurants, customers are embracing this new self-service style.
With contactless dining options, customers can view a digital menu, submit an order online or through a self-service kiosk, and pay by swiping or tapping their credit or debit card.
Diners have become used to more digital and automated experiences. It seems what started as a response to the pandemic has changed the industry and the entire customer experience for the better.
Whether you ask diners to submit their orders via their mobile device or through an in-store kiosk, contactless ordering is the perfect solution for some of the challenges of running a restaurant. Here are the benefits to implementing a contactless process.
Whether you have online or in-restaurant contactless ordering options, they can help you and your customers save time.
If you offer online ordering, diners can submit orders on their way to your restaurant so that the food or drinks are ready when they arrive. Chains like Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald’s use online or in-app ordering very successfully, cutting down on wait times.
But online ordering isn’t the only contactless solution for to-go orders. You can also set up self-service kiosks in your restaurant to help cut down on wait times.
Contactless ordering can also be used for eat-in food service. Instead of waiting for a server to take their order or process their bill at the end of their meal, customers can place their order and checkout when they’re ready using a kiosk at their table. These time savings can lead to quicker table turnover, meaning more diners can be served, which equals more profitability.
Contactless payments are a helpful way to keep both your diners and staff safe. By minimizing the touchpoints between customers and staff, you can significantly reduce the spread of germs.
According to Forbes, contactless payments are expected to continue to grow in 2024. Plus, 70% of customers still want to keep safety protocols when dining out, even post-pandemic.
Is your team struggling to keep up with diner demand? Hiring more staff might seem like the answer, but labor costs can add up quickly.
Fortunately, contactless ordering makes it possible to take diner’s orders without hiring or training additional waitstaff. Simply set up your online ordering system and/or self-service kiosks and watch the orders roll in — no additional cashiers or servers required.
Contactless ordering allows your staff to focus less on taking orders and more on fulfilling them.
Consider these strategies to make the most of contactless ordering in your own business.
Think of your point-of-sale system (POS system) as the glue that holds everything together. Make sure yours is compatible with a contactless ordering process.
Through a compatible POS, customers submit an order that the system pushes to the kitchen staff’s kitchen display system (KDS). From there, the kitchen staff uses the KDS to manage the order until it’s ready.
Square is a popular POS option that provides front-of-house and back-of-house integration.
If you want to go all-in on contactless ordering, a digital menu eliminates the need to pay for (or clean) physical restaurant menus.
Digital menus make it easier to make these changes throughout the year (or even day-to-day if supply chain issues are keeping your menu items in flux).
The best way to share your contactless menu with diners is with a QR code. You can use a free QR code generator to quickly share a link to your online ordering system. All your diners need to do is open their camera app and point their camera at the QR, and their mobile phone will take them to your online menu.
While it may be tempting to share a PDF of your menu instead, this is bad for the guest experience — and it makes it more difficult if you ever want to change your menu or pricing in the future.
Your digital menu should include features like:
Categories: Create multiple categories for entrees, sides, drinks, and desserts so diners can order quickly.
Photos and descriptions: Text-only ordering systems aren’t very user-friendly. Make your online menu as visual and descriptive as possible.
Add-ons: Contactless ordering can be a great source of extra revenue for your restaurant. Offer add-ons like desserts or premium drinks to each customer to boost your ticket values and upsell your products.
Customization: Give diners the ability to “86” the lettuce or add extra ketchup.
Specials: Do you want to offer a weekly special? With a digital menu, you can adjust it how you see fit. If you’re trying to make the most of fluctuating supply chains, offering weekly specials can give diners the novelty they crave while boosting your margins.
Self-service kiosks are another way to embrace the contactless ordering trend.
If you’re already using Square POS to run your restaurant, setting up a self-service kiosk is as easy as installing KioskBuddy. All you need is a tablet, Square Kiosk hardware, and an app like KioskBuddy to start accepting orders.
With KioskBuddy, you can customize your kiosks to meet your specific needs. Here are just some of the features and options:
Accept promo codes for discount offers or specials.
Let customers earn loyalty programs points and cash them in right from the kiosk.
Quickly change menus when you're switching from breakfast to lunch or lunch to dinner.
Allow customers to select whether their order is “for here” or “to go.”
Give customers the option to add specific requests to their order, such as dietary restrictions.
Customize the kiosk display with brand colors, images, and other styling preferences.
If you’re switching to a new contactless ordering system, you need to educate your diners first. The best way to do that is by:
Email or in-app notifications
Website FAQs
Restaurant signage
Social media posts
Explaining the new process will save your staff a lot of time and help customers feel less confused about the new ordering process.
Contactless ordering gives restaurant owners a wealth of data, such as:
Which dishes people order the most often
How long it takes to order and then pick up a meal
Essential KPIs that are normally difficult to track
Thanks to the digital nature of contactless technologies, you can get real-time insights into how your restaurant is performing. Use these insights to make decisions about your menu offerings and future changes to your service process.
Investing in contactless ordering is an effective way to boost your brand. With the right approach, it can keep your restaurant competitive — giving benefits to both your bottom line and your diners.
Contactless ordering is an important extension of the service you offer your diners. To make contactless ordering a reality in your restaurant, sign up for KioskBuddy today.