In this article written by George Koroneos it explains how restaurants are now taking advantage of wireless technology. Some restaurants are trying to attract more customers by simply offering free wireless internet access to their guests, while others are using wireless in many other ways. One way that wireless internet is used is through electronic comment cards. Bd's Mongolian Barbeque decided that they were not getting enough feedback from paper comment cards so they implemented an electronic comment card into their restaurant. Now that they have started using this their feedback has risen to 92% of all of their guests. Some questions also enable the manager to be informed when a guest is not happy with their experience. For example if one of the questions were, "would you return to Bd's again after your experience today", and if the guests replies no then the manager is immediately paged and can go over to the table and try to fix the problem. Another wireless technology that is being used in the restaurants is a system that manages guests seating and waiting times. The guests enjoy this service and believe that it helps in cutting down waiting times. Another benefit of this system for the restaurant is that they are able to analyze their average wait times and gather information about repeat customers. The wireless internet also enables the restaurants to use hand held POS systems which also cuts down on order times. Friends Coastal, located in Louisiana implemented a hand held POS system and they believe that it is one of the most beneficial systems they have added. It helps with order times, guest service, turning tables, and makes payment easier as well. Instead of the server having to take the credit card and walk away it is done right in front of the customer.
I believe that it is a great idea for restaurants to be using wireless technology. There are so many benefits to this technology that it does not make sense not to use it. I have been to plenty of restaurants where the comment cards were paper and they came with the check, and I do not think I have ever filled one of those out. But if there was an electronic comment card I would definitely fill it out because it is different and interesting. The great part of the system is the feature that the manager can be paged in response to a question. This allows the restaurant to try and understand any problem that the guest may have had. Instead of the guest walking out unhappy this system allows you to change the outcome to hopefully a more positive one for the guest. I also believe that the hand held POS system is going to become more popular and will start becoming a must have instead of a choice. Some critics believe that the system takes away from the guest service because the server must look down at the screen instead of looking at the guest. In opposition to this the believers in the hand held system say that the guests service goes up because the guest is so interested in the system. This debate will soon be resolved as more and more restaurants begin to implement it. One great benefit of the hand held system is the ability for the check to be paid right in front of the guest. With identity theft being a big topic in our industry this system allows the guest to never lose sight of their credit card.
Koroneos, George (2007 October). Going Mobile. Hospitality Technology
http://www.htmagazine.com/HT/archive/1007/1007_05.html
5 comments:
I totally agree with Chris. When I worked at Vita Nova in the front of the house, I offered the electronic survey kit with receipt. Some guests were really interested in it and happy to experience it. Some of questions are critical so if guests press “no,” the student manager and one of directors are paged. So we could correct something wrong and not let guest leave with bad experience even though the pager was not paged by bad experience so far. Palm pilot POS system would take a place instead of old one. It is easy to use, efficiency and saves time both servers and guests. Servers do not need to work around to enter orders or print out receipt and guests can keep eyes on their credit card. It is a way to make both parties happy.
Wireless technology is good in a reastaurant, but not to the point where it is infringing on the comfort of the guest and speed of service. I have yet to see wireless POS terminals that are very easy to use, the usual problem is the small screen and pinpoint precision you need sometimes to input the items. At Vita Nova we were told to take the order on a regular pad of paper and then go to the wireless terminal to input because doing it tableside took too long, you would be searching too hard for each item adn it would stall the service and look unprofessional.
These technologies seem like they would really help in a restaurant. The electronic surveys are a great idea and really do get more feedback from the guests. The handheld POS is something that has been talked about for a while now and I do wonder if it will ever be widely implemented. The debate over the "look" of it and the guest's feel is something that will have to happen. It is a completely different feeling and look so the industry will have to feel out the customers' thoughts.
Wireless technology is a huge deal. Customers are more and more demanding wireless access, especially in airports, college towns, and restaurants in the center of business districts. Electrical comment cards are an amazing idea. They are quick, convenient, and anonymous, which helps convince the guest to fill it out. A wireless system to manage wait times at restaurants is also a good idea. I know that I personally hate when Im told the wait will only be so long and I actually have to wait double the amount of time than what the host told me. A computer to estimate the time would make me feel much more secure in knowing what to expect.
I agree with most points made in this article. But I couldn't with one thing said-hand-helds would be the must-have for restaurants. I believe this idea is great as it surly can greatly solve the credit card payment safety problem for the guests and it can also improve the efficiency of the service. However, considering cost and training, I would hold this idea to be implemented depending on the restaurant type. You wouldn't want a small home-style restaurant to use these expensive devices, would you?
But for the other part of the article, I couldn't agree with you more. Mobility has a lot of potential in our industry. Not limited to electroin comment cards and hand-held devices we can also utilize the mobility technology into employee instant knowledge sharing, instant guest problem solving and instant information updating in the system.
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