Going Mobile
Hospitality Technology
October Issue, 2007
The first wireless techology that was installed in food-service operations was wireless internet. This was traditionally used to lure in guests. However, a few companies are taking wireless even further, and it seems to be working quite well. Bd's Mongolian Barbeque decided that they wanted to do away with traditional paper comment cards normally seen in restaurants. They installed "The Informant" by Long Range Systems, which is an electronic comment card solution. The device looks like a credit-card tray with a few more buttons, and a digital screen that displays the questions. A suprising 92% of guests agree to take the survey, which is a huge increase from how many people fill out paper comment cards. One of the questions asked in the survey is "Based on your experience today, will you return to bd's?" If the guest answers no, a manager is paged and can go talk to the table before they leave unhappy. This is a great way to keep customers coming back who normally would never return. Another big advantage for managers is that if a certain server's guests are not having a good time, the manager will see this, and can talk to them specifically. Bd's also installed a new pager system that texts a guest's cell phone when their table is ready. Lazlo's Brewery & Grill is using Panasonic Toughbooks and ProHost to manage guest seating and wait times. With these new handheld devices, hosts can meet guests in the lobby to get their party information. Guests love the new system, and managers love it because you can see what your average wait time is, and also collect information to do market analysis. Friend's Coastal was completely ruined in Hurrican Katrina, and after looking for a new POS system, they decided on Digital Dining by Menusoft. This system features handheld POS units and remote payment collection. One server greets the guests and takes their order. A back-up waiter brings the drink and food to the table. This is helping Friend's to increase table turns and increase customer satisfaction.
All of these new technologies are pretty amazing. I believe that the digital comment cards is a great idea. Not only does it get more guest feedback, but it also allows for managers to deal with unhappy guests who may not have said anything otherwise. The guest information can also be used to evaluate your employees based on if their guests leave happy or unhappy, and if they were satisfied with the service. As for Lazlo's new table management system, I strongly believe that all busy restuarants should have a similar system. Many hosts have never worked in a restaurant before and having this technology would allow for more accurate wait times, which means happier guests. Digital Dining is a little weird to me. I don't think it's a very good idea to have a back-up waiter who only runs food and drinks. This would increase your labor costs. Servers should be able to run their own food and drink in a timely fashion.
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2 comments:
There are so many innovative technogies in the restuarant industry today and it is difficult to decide which ones are actually worth the cost and training required to operate them. The comment card is a wise investment of hotel managers. It is very impressive to the guest for the managers to just know when they are not satisfied. To personally address the guest to apologize and improve the situation is the best way to recover unhappy customers. It also provides the managers with a way to observe all servers simulatneously because bad service constitutes to a servers mistake. Also, table management will be of great benefit to hosts who have no experience prior. Overall, these technologies will only make the restaurant experience more personal and efficient.
I think the comment cards right now are probably the best investment. If restaurants want feedback on their service, comment cards are outdated, and most people won't fill them out. However, when someone sees an electronic comment card in front of them, they may be intrigued with the technology and want to try it, explaining the 92% response rate.
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