Save your customers a little bit of time, and they’ll love you forever. Restaurants of all kinds are adding line busting capabilities to cater to busy customers and improve their daily operations. Incorporating line busting can also drive up revenue in your eatery.
Line busting can take many forms: some restaurants are rolling out tablet POS to process orders on the fly and speed up customers’ wait time standing in line or in a drive-thru. Others are developing mobile apps or partnering with existing products such as Android Pay and Apple Pay to enable customers to order and pay ahead of arriving at the restaurant, shaving valuable minutes off the total transaction time.
Cut the Queue to Boost Customer Service
Restaurants that implement line busting capabilities improve service, and the overall experience, for their customers. They achieve this by:
- Improving order accuracy. When customers input orders themselves via a mobile app, or give their order directly to an employee who is walking through a line, it’s less likely that they’ll make mistakes. Fewer order errors means less time spent correcting orders that went awry, which can lead to delays in the queue and frustrated customers.
- Accelerating the speed at which orders are processed. Orders that come in through an app, a self-service kiosk, or a tablet are transmitted directly to the kitchen, so that workers immediately can begin preparing and packaging the food.
The Smart Way to Drive Traffic
When you roll out line busting capabilities, you’ll notice that your foot traffic starts to creep higher. That’s because customers will notice that you’re getting them in and out more quickly, enabling you to process a greater number of orders overall. Customers will also become “stickier” and give you their repeat business when they realize that you can save them precious time grabbing that crucial morning cup of coffee or making the most of their all-too-brief lunchtime break. After all, why would they go to a competitor without line busting and have to wait around longer when they can enjoy a faster, streamlined transaction with you?
Send Your Average Ticket Size Higher
Line busting has been known to drive ticket sizes up. Why? Customers with shorter wait times are happier (who wouldn’t be?), and patrons in a positive mood are more likely to spend more, make impulsive choices, and embrace upselling by your associates.
Think about it this way: if a customer walks into your eatery and encounters a long line, she might be tempted to reduce her order down to the “bare necessities,” such as forgoing the pumpkin spice donut that she might have wanted to enjoy with her Americano, in an attempt to speed up the time in which the order is processed. Line busting reduces this friction and encourages customers to order freely.
More and more restaurateurs are deploying line busting technology. Adding this capability to your restaurant shows customers that you’re committed to elevating the experience and also increases your bottom line. If you’re considering this technology, go ahead take the plunge. Your customers will thank you.
