Can an Order-at-Table App add value to your business?

For many years Apps have ruled the roost when it comes to ordering takeaways and deliveries but there has been a growth in ‘Order-at-Table’ Apps in the last 12 months within the hospitality trade, but can they really add any value to your business?

So, what is Order-at-Table, well it pretty much says what it is on the tin, the ability for the customer to place an order, at the table, by themselves.  No staff required and in most cases the customer pays the bill up front.  The order is then fulfilled by the business and either taken direct to the table or collected by the customer, when notified, from a designated collection point.

Offering this service has some major benefits to the customer, and the business, some quite obvious, but also others you might not have thought about.

Benefits to the customer:

  • They don’t have to wait at the bar or table to be served. This means they don’t get frustrated and they can relax much quicker. In most cases they save 15 minutes of waiting time.
  • They can take longer to browse the menu and order.  No need to feel hurried at the bar because of the queue and less stress of trying to remember what everyone wants.
  • Easier to re-order or add stuff on.  If you forgot something or want an extra drink because someone arrived late, it’s just a few simple taps rather than another wait.
  • They spend up to 15% more money.  Letting them take more time actually gets them to spend more money.

Benefits to the business:

  • Faster table turnaround. Customers not having to wait means you can serve them quicker, and they leave quicker, which can help you increase table turn over and process more customers.
  • Increased serving capacity.  You are no longer restricted by the number of people behind the bar or the size of your serving area, and you can put your efforts into getting drinks to tables.
  • Encourage more people to visit. A study done by Velocity found that 40% of people said they would eat out more often if they could order and pay via an App.
  • More detailed customer data.  You will capture more information about your customers and their spending habits.  You can see what menu choices and offers work best for certain types of people and even look at the best and worst performing tables on the floor.

Back to the original question, can it add value?  I think it is clear that it definitely can, for both you and your customers, which should have a positive impact not only on the quality of service you provide, but on the financial returns of the business.

App4 can provide an intuitive order at table service for your business that can stand alone or work with a variety of EPOS providers including Revel, Maitre’D, Touch Bistro, Clover, Epos Now, Talech and more.  For more information on our Order-at-Table service call us on 01332 742514 or click here to arrange a call back.

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