Here, digital self-service experts QikServe assess the huge advantages mobile offers the hospitality industry, as the company launches a digital guide to achieve mobile success.
Customer-facing digital technologies are changing the face of consumer expectation and engagement in industries across the board, from web-based trip management in travel to kiosk and mobile ordering in hospitality. The digital revolution is moving at a breath-taking pace. And of all the digital channels that offer the promise of unbeatable customer service and critical revenue generation, one channel in particular has catapulted its way to top spot in the eyes of brands and consumers alike: mobile.
Mobile offers the hospitality industry in particular huge advantages as a recent report from CGA revealed. Some 40% of Millennials prefer to use their smartphone to order food and drink and 67% would spend more if they could order with mobile. Whether operators are ready or not, smartphone penetration will only grow with consumer expectation for mobile self-service. Now, customers don’t just want brands to offer mobile services, they expect it. They expect to browse, order and pay for goods and access information with a click of their finger and this intuitive digital mindset is only gaining momentum over time.
Within travel hospitality, mobile couldn’t be a more perfect antidote to the bustling and often stressful environments serviced by F&B concessions businesses. From moving customers through the airport, reducing staff costs and providing that innovative edge when bidding for new business, a mobile order and payment app can transform many areas of the business for the better.
Although the power and importance of mobile can’t be ignored, it’s critical operators consider the full range of self-service channels available to them when building a comprehensive digital strategy. From web to mobile and kiosk to tablet – a fully integrated, multi-channel self-service solution is the holy grail of consumer experience. Letting guests hop between channels and retain the context of the consumer journey as well as harness the power of existing back-end systems is the end goal of a successful digital strategy.
One example of the power of digital self-service in travel hospitality is the recent deployment of tablet ordering by HMSHost International at their Kebaya Asian Brasserie in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Guests are attracted to the venue with large, attention-grabbing, high res digital menus where they can browse the mouth-watering images of all the dishes Kebaya has to offer. When seated at their table, guests can view the complete menu in their chosen language using sleek, ultra-modern Samsung tablets. Orders are sent immediately to the kitchen where they’re prepared and served in under 15 minutes. This means guests who are in a hurry to make a flight, don’t have to forego a high-quality dining experience to get to their gate on time.
As HMSHost International CEO Walter Seib explained: “At Kebaya, we have aimed to raise the guest experience to new heights and we are delighted to see that customers have wholeheartedly adopted our new approach to ordering. The feedback we have received from both guests and staff has been overwhelmingly positive and the QikServe-based ordering has been a pleasure to work with, allowing us to seamlessly build the ordering component into our point of sale system.”
As the widely publicised mobile ventures of super brands such as McDonalds and Starbucks show, the benefits of mobile ordering are wide-ranging and significant. But how do you ensure this level of smartphone success? Once a customer has deemed your app worthy of valuable space on their phone, how do you make sure it’s not rashly deleted in favour of photos of a beloved child, pet or plate of food?
For F&B travel concessions operators desperate to achieve mobile success, the digital guide Ready for Take-off with Mobile Order and Pay, from digital self-service experts, QikServe, offers practical insights, tips and tricks to boost adoption of your app ensuring it has maximum staying power on your guests’ phones. From comparing the types of ways an app can be deployed to pragmatic marketing examples centred around specific travel concession environments, this guide arms operators with the tools needed to make their app a long-term success.
The guide can be downloaded by clicking here.
NOTE: The Moodie Davitt Report also publishes The Foodie Report, the world’s only media focused on airport (and other travel-related) food & beverage. The Foodie Report e-Newsletter is published every two weeks and The Foodie Report e-Zine every month.
Please send all news of food & beverage outlet openings, together with images, menus, video etc to Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com to ensure unrivalled global exposure.
The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards.
FAB 2017, hosted by Greater Toronto Airports Authority, will take place in Toronto on 21-23 June. For details, click here.
