This blog is all about how the customer journey has been impacted over the past 3 years and will continue to be so
Toasted not burnt basically refers to how we need to quicken up service but not alienate the guest in doing so, turn and burn is a common phrase in getting more covers through your door but at what cost ?
Technology is all around us every day and those of you who have kids will now realise that a world when we can barely remember not having mobile phones will soon be our kids world of them not remembering cash, now if I had told you that even 3 years ago you would have laughed but this is the reality.
The new industry wants, cashless, slick, ethical, sustainable & experiential led visits to your establishment. They are now used to that in every other part of their life so why can’t we provide a system that can order and deliver a drink in under a minute, get my food( with mods !) in under 10 minutes and pay my bill without having to ask for it and whilst I’m at it tip you without the awkward bumbling for change !
It’s not what the guest wants in 2023 it’s what they expect. Humans will never be replaced people will scream , this is hospitality! Well waiting 45 minutes for a drink, losing the booking sheet with my birthday reminder on it, delivering my bill ( sometimes incorrectly) is also not hospitality!!!
Team members will always be central to the experience but why have them wasting their time performing mundane tasks & have them floating, in between sections, smiling, saying goodbye, holding the door , grabbing their bags , pulling out the chair, explaining about the brands WHY and encouraging the guest to visit again with a little QR code flyer.
I think that the guest has changed & will continue to do so and that QSR & casual dining will begin to merge and reflect each other. Tech will assist in this by removing the rubbish parts of table service.
65% of families, want to eat and leave within 60 minutes of arriving of a casual dining environment.
- Review your service journey - can it be improved without Increasing manpower? What do I need ? What will it cost ? Where is the dead money ? Check out best in class and copy them using your brand voice !
- Review your digital strategy . Are you capturing all the data you can about your guests ? Do you know simple but vital data like their birthday? Do you know why they came in last visit ? Where did they book ? Did they preorder anything ?
- Review your social strategy. Do you post pretty pictures ? Or do you post pretty pictures with a call to action ? Do you review your social performance each month ?
So lets keep pushing the boundaries of what tech can do, and make sure that we are delivering memorable experiences, slightly toasted, not burnt!