The Challenges of the Modern Restaurant
The challenges facing restaurants today are numerous. First, there’s the sheer number of options available to consumers. With countless restaurants to choose from, how do you stand out from the crowd?

Second, consumer expectations have skyrocketed. Customers want personalised experiences, convenient ordering, and high-quality food. Many also want to know about your sustainability practices and social responsibility initiatives.

Third, restaurants are now dealing with the complexity of multiple sales and delivery channels. Apps, website, third-party apps and websites, take-away, delivery, third-party delivery, pay at the counter, pay at a kiosk, drive-thru… it’s bewildering, and a real challenge for staff to manage.

Fourth, staff shortages. Finding good staff has always been hard. But during the pandemic many workers left the industry, and in most markets restaurants are still struggling to find and retain staff.

The Changing Customer Journey
The journey for a restaurant customer often starts with a rumble in the tummy…

But the awareness of hunger isn’t always the first step. It can start with the need to choose a place to meet friends or family. Or an advertisement that makes them want to try your new product. Or a notification from your mobile app about a special offer. Or they could just walk past one of your restaurants and feel enticed.

The journey really begins when the customer becomes problem-aware (which might be long before they become product-aware) and then moves through an intricate process of further awareness, consideration, and decision-making/purchase.

And it doesn’t end at purchase. In fact, the customer journey doesn’t really end at all, as a successful business will go on to focus on loyalty and advocacy as the final steps, which then loop back into the next visit or the next customer.

Wherever it starts, the customer journey has become a multi-faceted affair. 
The channels to promote awareness have dramatically expanded through the invention of social media, loyalty apps, and targeted online ads. 

Online delivery apps bring new customers, but sometimes add complications for restaurants in managing third-party relationships, and can blur the lines of responsibility when orders are late or incorrect. 

The consideration phase has also become ever more significant, as customers now research their choices using online reviews, check out the website and menu ahead of time, and often get a sense of the place through pictures or Google StreetView.

And with online reviews and social media sharing becoming so common, there is nowhere to hide your mistakes. Restaurants have to be at the top of their game every day. If not, the world will know about it instantly.

Solutions for the Modern Restaurant
So, how can restaurants adapt to this changing landscape? 

Embracing technology is one of the most important steps to managing the modern customer journey. From online ordering and loyalty programs to in-store kiosks and payment automation – technology is essential for modern restaurants. 

Here are a few key strategies for using technology to meet customer expectations:

Focus on personalisation. Customers today want personalised experiences. This could mean recommending dishes based on their past orders or customising the meal, all of which is made easier with kiosks and apps which can use data of customers’ past purchases to recommend relevant customisations. 

Prioritise convenience. Make it easy for customers to order, pay, and dine. This could include offering delivery, takeout, and kerb pick-up. It can mean ensuring your store layout is effective, with options for self-service kiosks or staff service at the counter, positioned effectively so that service flows smoothly. It can also mean making sure all payment options are offered, including cash, card and mobile payment.

Build an omni-channel experience. Customers might want to start their journey on the bus, or on their sofa, and finish it in-store. Or vice-versa. Or some other combination. Integrating websites, apps and in-store kiosks so that customers can step between digital and physical services is becoming the new norm, and the new expectation.

Offer exceptional customer service. But that’s the human element, right? It is, and usually the most important part. But when labour is in such short supply, it can be hard to deliver the level of service you want to. Using automation to cover simple, repetitive tasks such as cash handling, drive through management, and even taking orders, allows the staff you have to be more available and focused on the customer experience. 

The restaurant industry is constantly evolving. But by understanding the changing customer journey and implementing the right strategies, restaurants can thrive in this new era.

To discover Glory’s broad range of restaurant solutions, including kiosks, cash automation, drive-thru and more, click here or get in touch to arrange a chat with one of our team.