Month: June 2019

Food has always been something that connects people. It is, hence, no wonder that the restaurant industry is a flourishing one and also an evolving one at that.

But, at the same time, what remains untouched by various emerging aspects and trends of the industry is the importance of aspects like timely orders, short wait time, and quick services. A prolonged waiting time still remains a major source of customer dissatisfaction across all restaurant formats. What a restaurant requires here is an effective means of managing queues that can :

Reduce Wait Time

Improve Table Turnover

Increase Customer Satisfaction

While a restaurant owner may aim for the above and more, he might still be wary of capacity expansion.

Current Scenario

In today’s day and age, managing customer queues at your restaurant is imperative. The longer you make your customers wait, the more inclined they are to prefer to go to other restaurants.

The use of old school method of managing queues (i.e. using pen and paper) might seem “easier” but on a holistic level, it not only affects your staff’s productivity but also can lead to loss of important customer details, errors in assigning table and increased table turnover time. Eventually, it is your business that takes the hit.

So, How To Manage Queues and Tables So That It Does Not Hamper Your Business and Staff’s Productivity?

According to a recent study, letting customers use their mobile phones for alerts and notifications instead of the token system resulted in 9.1% fewer turn away from the restaurant.

A few years ago, the concept of a Table Reservation and Queue Management System came into the picture and completely revolutionized the way restaurants dealt with reservations and queues. It includes modules that help restaurants simplify the whole journey from table reservations through queue management to actioning feedbacks.

Here’s how it works :

The system offers a virtual ticket to the customer once the guest gives his/her contact details..

The guest can check the status of the queue online and visit just before their queue number arrives.

The analytics can enable the restaurant to assess when the queue starts forming usually, which will help the restaurant stay prepared.

Can a Restaurant POS play any role in all of this?

Yes, indeed! Let’s take an example of Table Reservation and Queue Management software Inresto which can be integrated with around 11 POS software. For instance, it links seamlessly with Torqus POS.

Once the guest is assigned a table, his details (already taken at his arrival) along with his table number automatically flow to Torqus POS. The waiter can now go ahead with taking their order manually or through a digital ordering mechanism like Inresto DineIn, wherein guests can place their orders through their own smartphones or tablets placed on tables. Orders placed through DineIn, in turn, flow to the POS as well without the need to punch them all over again. This saves time and removes room for error.

Advantages of a Table Reservation and Queue Management System

A better communication channel between the staff. The host and the staff members would have a clear knowledge of the serving tables.

The turnaround time of tables would decrease with streamlined processes. As the staff could keep a track of all the tables without errors, the time-to-serve would reduce considerably.

With the previous data and power of reports, the staff can offer personalized services to their customers. This offers a chance to turn recurring customers into loyal customers. For instance, remembering if a customer is allergic to garlic and avoiding the addition of garlic in food without a prior reminder from the customer.

With seamless experience, restaurants can increase brand value and enhance brand image.
Based on the insights, you can optimize your seating layout. For example, if the average waiting time for 3 people is more, then you could increase the number of tables having 3 or more seats.

Conclusion

While a table reservation and queue management system does wonders for the functioning of restaurants, the features, and efficiency of the system can vary from product to product. If your product falters, it may do more harm than good for your business. Hence, it’s always advisable to use best in class products with offerings that are best suited for your restaurant. With a good system in place, you’re all set to serve a wider audience and make your mark!