Het is geen geheim dat de afgelopen jaren vol hindernissen hebben gezeten voor restaurants en horeca. Eigenaren hebben zich moeten aanpassen aan nieuwe manieren van zakendoen en personeelstekorten. Nu we het nieuwe jaar naderen, is er een steeds groeiende lijst van digitale oplossingen die kunnen worden geïmplementeerd om zowel oude als nieuwe problemen op te lossen.
Online reserveren en boeken
Although online reservations aren’t exactly new, we can see that numerous businesses are attempting to improve the customer experience on that front. The pandemic has forced restaurants to rethink how they approach admitting customers into their premises. Even venues that previously didn’t have a reservation system in place were forced to implement one rather quickly. We expect to see this trend continue, and restaurants will have fewer walk-ins since most of their business will be done via reservations. Therefore, it’s natural to look for new developments in how reservations are placed and handled.
Besides having the ability to place a reservation, restaurants and other service providers are implementing software that gives their customers more options for online booking. Restaurants are already offering 3D virtual tours with a choice of seating. Of course, it’s still advisable to provide good support over the phone if your customers need help from one of your employees, as well as monitor those calls for future improvements. However, advancements are also present there in the form of AI chatbots that can offer assistance to your online customers.
Opkomst van AI
Kunstmatige intelligentie (AI) was de doorbraakster van 2023; van ChatGPT tot AI-kunstcontroverses, uit het nieuws kan het lijken alsof AI een voorbijgaande rage is, maar het kan je restaurant stroomlijnen door recepten te vertalen, een digitale voorraadlijst bij te houden en nog veel meer. Op weg naar 2024 voorspellen we dat er alleen nog maar meer geweldige manieren zullen zijn om AI te implementeren.
Maak contact met de klanten
Most businesses in the service industry rely on the purchases of regular customers for a large volume of their sales. Software for managing customer relations already exists and is used by many companies in various branches of the industry. Ecommerce online stores have developed CRM into an art form, and restaurants have started to follow suit. Unfortunately, loyalty programs can only go so far, and they traditionally depend on rewarding customers for returning to your restaurant. Although that is a proven strategy that can boost sales, the decision is still left up to the customer. This means that the restaurant can do very little other than offer loyalty rewards.
Having a constant line of communication between you and your customers has proven to be the most reliable way to ensure that your restaurant is their go-to choice for dining. This doesn’t mean that you should just ask visitors for their emails and bombard them with advertising. Restaurants will need to implement digital solutions similar to those used by eCommerce stores to contact their customers with specialized offers. Firstly you’ll need to develop a strategy that will get users excited to follow the latest menu changes. You can appeal to users with exclusive offers and seasonal food that will only be available for a limited time. Additionally, you can examine their previous dining habits and offer them specialized deals that cater to their taste.
Flexibele orderverzameling
Sommige restaurants hadden nooit gedacht dat ze zouden moeten investeren in de drive-through en afhaalopties. Door de regels voor sociale afstand werden ze echter gedwongen om een manier te vinden om met de nieuwe situatie om te gaan. Gelukkig was het vertrouwen op diensten en softwareoplossingen van derden een redding, vooral voor kleine bedrijven. Uiteraard was er zelfs in die gevallen nog veel ruimte voor verbetering.
Curbside pick-ups became commonplace, and that trend isn’t going away anytime soon. For both delivery services as well as individuals who wish to personally pick up their order, timeliness was a significant issue. People sometimes just run late, and when it comes to something like food, even half an hour could make a huge difference.
Restaurants needed to find a way to solve problems of food getting cold, or drinks and desserts not being refrigerated long enough before a pick-up that ran late. The software can allow users to communicate with restaurant staff regarding the exact time of their order pick-up. This approach will ensure that the food is kept warm until the precise moment of pick-up. Users will expect excellent on-time service, and restaurants will need to look to software solutions to meet those demands.
Robots en geautomatiseerde assistenten
Automated labor took a long time to catch on with restaurants. However, amid labor shortages sweeping the country, we can assuredly claim that for 2022 tech predictions – robots will soon become a large part of the restaurant workforce. Chefs will still run the kitchen and oversee how everything functions, but an increasing number of tasks can be left to robotic assistants. Activities like chopping ingredients, deep-frying, and grilling have already been automated in large restaurant chains. New tech advancements and dropping prices for implementation will push this trend forward. Although a fully automated restaurant is still a thing of the future, we are slowly inching closer to it every year.
Conclusie
For restaurants, bars, and other small businesses in the foodservice industry – solutions for most of the current problems are already here. Our 22024 tech predictions only go to show how necessary the implementation of digital solutions is for restaurants if they plan to stay relevant and offer their clients a stellar dining experience.
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Deze blog is bijgewerkt op 22 december 2023 voor bijgewerkte informatie en duidelijkheid.
Over de auteur
Harold Lind is an Outreach Marketing Specialist for Meer omzetten. Harold loves finding ways of adopting new technology in order to boost the efficiency of any process. His work in marketing allows him to constantly meet new and amazing people. Harold is a foodie with a particularly developed sweet tooth.
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