Picture this: It’s the usual rush hour in your restaurant, with customers queuing up for tables and the entire restaurant staff bustling around trying to cater to the demands of the guests. In all this hullabaloo, there may be times when a customer’s order is not entered into the POS due to negligence, or when a specific customer request is not honored. Imagine the chaos that would follow: the wastage of the food (when the dish is returned) and the incomparable damage that would ensue, disgruntled customers. Often restaurant managers need to offer a complimentary item or discount to appease unhappy customers (pro tip: read how to deal with difficult customers here).
All of these can be avoided with the help of a simple restaurant ordering app for waiters. The order taking app allows your waiters to accept customer orders right from their table. The waiters are equipped with a handheld device such as smartphones, tablet, or an iPad, through which can access the app and accept orders. The app is a mini-version of the POS and allows the waiters to accept the orders right there into the app and maximize table seating.
How the Restaurant Ordering App Works
Whenever a waiter takes the order at a particular table, the tables get blocked. This way, other waiters can view which tables are being attended to, and which table is yet to be served. This eliminates the confusion of missing orders.
The waiter can view and add the items from the menu directly to the cart and place the order. The orders are placed against the customers’ name or number. Thus smart POS integration of the app with POS CRM allows you to build the customer database as well, easily.
The order is reflected instantly at the central POS, thus eliminating any confusion regarding the order. The KOT is instantly generated that is sent to the kitchen. If you are using a Kitchen Display System, the order is automatically visible to the kitchen staff that alerts them that a new order has been placed.
This helps you to keep a track on the orders and ensure that no orders are missed. The restaurant ordering app allows waiters to accept the orders only; the bill is generated at the POS itself. Helping maximize table seating and generating more sales.
Benefits of the Restaurant Ordering App
According to an intricated report on the Restaurant Industry & Market Evolution, restaurant operators said that they received 43 percent of online orders via direct channels. Restaurant table utilization smartly is essential for any restaurant to generate more sales with limited resources. A restaurant ordering app provides smart features that allow you to take orders quickly and improve the table-turnover rate and also increase customer delight.
1. Quick Customer Service
The best part about the order taking app is that it reduces the order placing time. The customers don’t have to wait for the order to get entered to the POS, and then the KOT being sent into the kitchen. This ensures that your guests don’t have to wait too long to place their order hence, providing quicker and better customer service.
2. Improved Table Turnover Rate
When the orders are accepted quickly and efficiently into the POS, and the KOT is sent automatically into the kitchen without any delays, you can serve your customers and turnover tables pretty quickly. This, in turn, allows you to serve more customers over time, resulting in an improved restaurant table turnover rate and increase your sales even more. Restaurant table utilization is something no restauranteur should miss out on.
3. No Missed Orders
All the waiters using the restaurant ordering app can view the tables which are being attended to. Since the orders are entered directly into the POS, which is sent directly to the KDS, you don’t need to worry that the waiter did not communicate the order to the cashier or the kitchen.
4. Increased Customer Delight
The best way to win over your customers’ heart is with the excellent guest experience. While food is something which is taken over by your Chef, you can ensure impeccable customer service with the help of the Server App. Not only customers feel intrigued by the order being taken through the app, but they would also certainly appreciate the quick and efficient service. Any special requests, such as not using too much chilly, can be added as a comment in the order, which is reflected in the POS, and hence the KOT.
One of the major complaints of the customers’ especially at busy restaurants is the difficulty in getting the waiters’ attention! While your waiters must be genuinely busy, ensure that the rush does not let you miss even a single customer!
Ask how to get the Order Taking App for your restaurant here.
