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Should we turn to tech to speed up service?

Author Damien Wilde
Posted On 28th June 2016

should we turn to tech to speed up service

Technology has improved vast portions of our work and personal lives, shrinking the world and making things considered implausible, possible.

But why haven’t we seen huge leaps into tech within the service industry?

Which is a strange omission, with regular diners welcoming the implementation of technology in a bid to speed up service, especially if it would speed up the process of ordering their meal.

Whilst we have seen plenty of industry applications of technology within the food industry that improve energy efficiency, cooking times and food consistency, we have yet to see ‘true’ adoption of technology throughout the entire service process.

After finding out what we already knew (that customers hate waiting around) research – conducted in partnership between a marketing insight group and a technology specialist – has previously found as recently as 2014, that many customers would react positively to the ability to order for a pay for courses via mobile phone apps and other, similar, pieces of technology.

Almost half of those who responded in the survey said that they would give new ways of service the thumbs up.circuitboard

5,000 people, who had dined out at least once in the previous six months, were asked about their restaurant preferences.

Nearly 50% stated that waiting around was their biggest frustration, with incorrect orders and communication mix-ups being other high-ranking annoyances.

One in six (17%) mentioned that the inability to pre-purchase or pay in advance for their meal was a major source of frustration – something which technology could eradicate in an instant.

According to the survey, a third of respondents stated that they would like to be able to use mobile devices in restaurants to speed up service times.

However whilst that figure may not be that impressive, the number of tech-savvy advocates soared to well over half  within the 18-24 year-old age bracket. And it was split fifty-fifty for those between the ages of 18 and 44.

The rise of web applications and mobile ordering systems – such as Deliveroo, JustEat, Hungry House and of course restaurant specific systems – has shown that there is a huge market for businesses to exploit in the mobile-ordering space.

“Competition is fierce,” said Stuart McLaren, who was associated with this initial survey conducted back in 2014.

“People know that if their restaurant of pub doesn’t give them speed and convenience, there are plenty of others who will.

“We need to make life for our customers as easy as possible and [those that] achieve that will be the ones that win.”

It does seem as though there is a huge market with which the food service industry can seek to improve their processes and save money. Imagine never having to deal with a waiter or waitress ever again though? We’re not quite sure where the line should be drawn, some customers are likely to come for the food, with others obviously seeking the ‘service’.

Maybe we will eventually see a happy medium within the coming years?…

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