Technology has woven itself into nearly every corner of modern life – from the smartphones in our pockets to the sophisticated systems powering our vehicles. The restaurant industry is no exception.
Touchscreen beverage dispensers give diners greater choice and a seamless self-serve experience. Biodiesel converters transform used fryer oil into fuel for delivery trucks and catering fleets. Across the board, innovation is reshaping how restaurants operate – and more importantly, it’s protecting the bottom line of an industry famous for razor-thin margins.
So how exactly can technology move the needle for restaurateurs? We’ll explore how one surprisingly affordable solution can boost profits, cut costs, and keep your operation running smoothly – even during the busiest rushes.
Stop seating parties like it’s 1999
Many eateries who don’t accept reservations are still relying on those costly, germ-ridden pager systems they’ve been using for 20 years or more. Yet these systems are pretty much the opposite of technological progress.
In addition to the sizeable cost of outfitting a restaurant with these bits of last century tech, you’re also on the hook for the expense of maintaining them, and replacement costs that can reach up to $100 per unit. Then there are the man hours spent on upkeep, searching for wayward pagers when guests get tired of waiting and just ditch them in the waiting area, and the eyesore of a blinking tower of plastic that greets your guests when they approach the host’s table.
Ditch the pagers, and instead tap into the technology that most of your diners are already carrying with them anyway. With a waitlist app like NextMe, you can replace all of that outdated equipment with a single sleek and sophisticated iPad or iPhone. Plus, the app is a simple solution to implement, and new host staff can be trained and up to speed quickly for a minimum of downtime. As an added bonus, guests don’t even have to download the app to take advantage of the NextMe system! They simply give the host their phone numbers, then receive SMS texts notifying them of their wait times and positions in line.
Keep guests engaged to prevent walkouts
Hosts see it daily. A party comes in, puts their name on the list, and sits down to wait. But when their turn comes and their name is called, the party is nowhere to be found. The host then has to spend valuable time trying to locate them before moving on to the next party in line. It’s a frustrating experience for all involved.
With the NextMe waitlist, customers can see exactly where they are in line, along with their estimated wait times – all via SMS texts without needing to download a separate app. Additionally, they can browse the menu, check out your current specials, read reviews on your social media pages, and otherwise engage with your brand while they wait. All of this leads to 25% fewer walkouts over all. But what about those who still leave? Since guests can confirm or cancel their table when they’re told it’s ready, your host won’t have to waste time tracking down wayward parties.
Double your table turns
If you could double the number of tables you could serve per hour at peak times, what would that do for your bottom line? You may be wondering how such a thing is possible, and what it has to do with waitlist apps.
Displaying digital menus to patrons while they wait can significantly cut down on the time spent at the table trying to decide what to order. And since NextMe’s customer facing mobile marketing page allows you to display your menu, specials, social media, and other promotional messages to each guest on the waitlist, you can expect tables to turn much faster – up to twice as fast! For those who are counting, that means double the revenue during peak dining hours.
Keep your front of house running smoothly
Have you even calculated how much time your hosts spend answering questions about how much longer the wait will be? Or tracking down parties who have wandered off or pagers that have been ditched in the bushes outside? As you’ve already seen, waitlist apps can help eliminate each of these time sinks to allow your hosts to focus on what really matters: hospitality. And that increased staff efficiency means more productivity with fewer FTEs, and a less stressful shift for those working peak hours.
But does it really save money?
NextMe’s track record has been proven, and restaurants can attest to the effect it’s had on their customer satisfaction as well as their bottom lines. Of course, your results will vary depending on the size of your restaurant and the volume of guests you seat on a given day, but it’s not unreasonable to suggest you’ll likely save thousands. In fact, Southport Grocery & Cafe, a tiny brunch destination, saved over $2,000 by switching to NextMe. And a larger chain, Lou Malnati’s, saved upwards of $10,000 across their 13 locations. So the real question is, can you afford not to update your waitlist?
