It’s no secret that business owners are adopting technology to streamline their operations. But many are going a step further, using technology to free up staff to focus on what matters most: giving customers the attention they deserve.
Square partnered with Cash App, Visa, and nonprofit Propeller for Feeding NOLA’s Future: Technology to Power your F&B Success, an event to equip local businesses with the technology they need featuring a panel of guests. The discussion surfaced the importance of personalizing dining experiences and integrating technology thoughtfully. Here are a few takeaways from the event.
Personalized experiences powered by technology
Want to create a memorable dining experience? Make it personal, and create an experience that can build a strong relationship with new and returning customers alike. One way to do this is by keeping track of your customers’ preferences and tailoring your offerings to keep regulars coming back for more. For example, you could proactively keep dietary restrictions on file so staff can make more personalized menu suggestions when needed. If you offer a returning customer something on the house, like a complimentary drink, you could suggest their go-to order.
“Every single conversation that comes up [is] in terms of, ‘How do I balance growth with keeping that hospitality and that personal touch?’ Because at the end of the day that’s what sets you as a small business apart from the big chains,” said Square U.S. Food and Beverage Product Marketing Lead, Leo Castro. “Being able to balance that out really matters, but at the same time, running a restaurant is super hard. We have recent data that shows that 75% of small-business restaurant owners are spending more time on their operations.” Castro added that this presents an even greater challenge when it comes to maintaining a personal touch. He recommends using technology to streamline back office tasks so owners and employees can spend more time taking care of guests.
Integrating technology with care
Balancing technology while maintaining a personal touch comes down to thoughtful integration. Start by looking at your business operations and seeing where you could fill gaps or help your staff by using automations or technology.
Are you a restauranteur with an indoor and an outdoor dining space? Mobile point-of-sale options could make taking orders in different locations quicker and more frictionless. Castro says technology solutions such as QR code ordering or kiosk ordering can help alleviate some of the pressure on wait staff. Having a strong kitchen display system can also smooth out back-of-house operations while not sacrificing the service customers expect.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe is already putting this advice in place. “We’re renovating our upstairs dining room, so now we have more seating upstairs than we have outside seating. So we put things in place not only to take in more customers, but to get them in and out because we don’t want somebody to feel like they’re waiting forever to eat,” co-owner Arkesha Baquet said. At Li’l Dizzy’s, customers come back not just for the food, but for the service. Integrating technology helps her always guarantee a great meal, and leveraging Square to help receive and fulfill orders quickly is one part of that promise. The second is delivering a great experience. For example, one of her regulars comes in for her favorite order, gumbo. “I can send someone with a handheld to go ahead and get that gumbo order for her and get her in and out, so she can get to her next project that she needs to take care of,” Baquet said. “That means a lot to me, because I want to be able to cater to everyone that comes to the restaurant.”
If your business caters often or fulfills a high volume of takeout orders, investing in online ordering technology is a tried-and-true strategy. With so many options for integration, technology can be an invaluable asset to scaling a business if done right. But doing so in service of maintaining top-notch service should be the main goal.
