Even though the lockdown measures have died down a little, we still haven’t fully recovered yet – and probably never will be. Many believe that COVID-19 changed the world for good as industries are now more inclined towards digitization. So, it’s about time the restaurants have started offering contactless ordering and dine-in solutions. In this article, we have compiled 5 essential tips for restaurants to win back customers amid the COVID-19 crisis or similar unforeseen circumstances.

Tip # 1: Contactless Dining

Here’s how a standard order takes place at a restaurant. A diner goes to a restaurant, finds a table, gets seated, picks his/her favorite meal from the menu (if there’s one at the table), calls the waiter, tells him/her the order, waits for the food to be prepared, and finally gets to enjoy the meal. Contactless dining refers to the process of ordering food from the table without having to come in contact with or communicating with the restaurant staff.

Contactless dine-in orders are placed via a digital or an online menu. Once an order is placed, the restaurant staff is informed of the specifics. This eliminates any or all interactions with restaurant staff, especially the waiters, which reduces the risk of transmission significantly. Since the order is placed and paid for digitally, the likelihood of coming in contact with anything infectious is significantly minimized.

Tip # 2: Get Rid of the Paper Menu

It’s about time you dropped that paper menu and moved on to a digital solution. Paper menus are more likely to spread infectious diseases. You might sanitize your hands every minute but the same can’t be said about the guy who touched the menu before you. And all it takes is a silly mistake to cause an infectious disease to spread.

The interactive menu solutions, on the other hand, work as a web-based POS for the restaurant and an ordering app for the customers that can be accessed via a URL or a mobile app.

Tip # 3: Reduce Time Inside the Restaurant

This might sound like an unwise strategy but hear us out. The risk of transmission is comparatively higher at a crowded place than a place where people are distantly seated. By reducing the time they have to order & wait for their food inside the restaurant, you will facilitate your customers to comply with the social distancing protocols without having to close down your business. This might affect your business in the short-term, but in the long-run, you would eventually earn the loyalty of your customers by showing them that you care.

Tip # 4: Optimize Table Turnaround Time

This tip is a follow-up of tip # 3 as it will help you recover the business lost by reducing the seating capacity. Most of the reputable restaurants expect a table to be occupied for an average of two hours. Once the customers have paid the bill and left, the table is cleaned and prepared for the next round. The gap between the shuffling of parties (guests) at a restaurant table is referred to as turnaround time and this tip is about optimizing it.

Empowering customers to order beforehand really comes in handy here. Encourage your customers to order ahead while they’re on their way to the restaurant. This is technically a win-win for both the parties – the restaurant, and the customers. It would facilitate restaurants to decrease table turnaround time and optimally utilize the capacity. The visitors, on the other hand, would get to skip the prep time and enjoy their ordered food moments after arriving at the restaurant.

Tip # 5: Be Open for the Masses

Even though you abide by all the social distancing protocols and opt for other digital solutions, there will always be some customers who would not be comfortable dining-in at a restaurant amid a global pandemic. And then there is Generation-Z, the customers who are always on-the-go – seeking convenient options. These customers are less likely to travel for a dine-in experience and prefer pickup or delivery.

Solutions like self-delivery, pickup, and curbside ordering really come in handy here as these features enable you to be open for the masses. For people avoiding public places during the pandemic, have their food delivered through the curbside pickup. Empower customers to order food online and pick-up as per their convenience. And offer delivery services for the couch potatoes who prefer staying at home. Why just be a diner when you can become a platform – facilitating customers with diverse preferences.

Wrap Up

The good news is, the world is slowly recovering from the global pandemic. The bad news is, we don’t know what’s next. Industries around the globe are slowly recovering but from what we just witnessed, we can never be too prepared. Since we operate in the restaurant industry, we felt obligated to come up with this article – presenting 5 essential tips for restaurants to win back customers amid COVID or similar unforeseen circumstances. If you found our article to be helpful, do let us in the comment section below.

The post Fighting COVID: 5 Essential Tips for Restaurants to Win Customers appeared first on Plugd.