Bianca Esmond

Vibrating black pagers for waiting restaurant guests was a novel idea in 1995, but those that continue to rely on dated technology — and overlook the impact of restaurant software — are quickly falling behind the curve. It’s like insisting on using a flip phone while your competitors have moved on to smartphones.

Now’s the time to opt for restaurant technology, because digitally savvy guests are no longer willing to wait for businesses to play catch up.

Empty chairs and tables are more than enough to convince restaurants it’s time to upgrade their operating systems from pen and paper to digital solutions. And with the help of restaurant software, you can give your diners a new level of personalized and on-demand service.

Traditional guest management solutions are negatively impacting the bottom line

An “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality won’t cut it anymore. And neither will sticking with legacy tools to manage your guest relationships. Wasting time deciphering handwritten feedback leaves staff with fewer opportunities to interact with guests — but restaurant software can easily automate these manual processes.

Consider a diner who calls with a request for a same-day reservation. Her first call goes unanswered — the host is tied up with another guest — and when someone finally answers on her third call, the information is jotted down on a Post-It note. Upon arriving at the restaurant, there’s no record in the reservation book, which is filled with scribbled in bookings. The diner, frustrated by the overall experience, loses her temper with the host and later leaves a nasty review on Yelp.

Paper-based processes can lead to empty tables, and less profit at the end of the day. Instead of managing your traditional reservation book or having to wait by the phone, your hosts should be checking in on guests and filling tables with little to no downtime.

In the same way pen and paper can leave money on the table, storing guest information and email addresses in a basic spreadsheet has the potential to shortchange your marketing efforts. With hundreds of rows and columns to sort through, narrowing down the top guests for each promotion or campaign can take more time than you have.

Why the answer lies in restaurant software

• Reservation software connects restaurants with guests all over the world, giving your diners the power to reserve tables on their mobile devices while staff keeps service moving efficiently.
• New and improved software collects diner feedback in real-time, empowering your staff to make smarter decisions on the fly to address a guest’s immediate pain points.
• Interconnected software increases visibility across the entire business, helping you optimize your reservation book and use guest feedback to improve operations.
• Innovative software shares guest preferences between different platforms and restaurants, making it easy to cater to guests and customize experiences.

Drive efficiency and deliver the personalized service customers crave by bringing aboard innovative restaurant software. Breaking free from a reliance on old tools can make it easy for your staff to give diners their undivided attention, leaving guests satisfied and more likely to come back.

Get a demo of the reservation software powering restaurants across the globe.