You cannot run a successful restaurant without effective communications. Whether it is between service staff and patrons or within your team, communications are a critical ingredient in restaurants. But just like everything else in the industry, the medium of communications will be forced to take a giant leap forward from time to time. Digitisation has already had a dramatic effect on restaurants, simplifying essential processes such as inventory, accounting and staff management. And now it’s time for communications in restaurants to get a digitised overhaul. Here’s how digital communications are redefining the future of the restaurant experience.

The benefits of digital communications

The game has changed and is not quite done changing. Digital is the new normal and restaurants that get on board will thrive in the evolving digital age. Here are some of the benefits of embracing digital communications in restaurants:

Keep up with innovation – Things can only get more innovative and digital from now on  – there’s no turning back. The sooner restaurants take advantage of digital communications, the easier it will be for them to keep up with the times.

Woo the millennials – Millennials are quickly becoming the most influential generation across all industries. And one thing is universally true about them – they speak digital. If you’re hoping to attract them, you must become fluent in this language.

Leverage the digital edge – Most importantly, digital communications are good for your restaurant. If you consider everything else that digitisation has optimised and revolutionised in the restaurant industry, it’s exciting to imagine the potential it holds for more.

What lies ahead

Speaking of potential, the future of digital communications in restaurants is looking good. A few disruptive technologies are changing the way restaurant staff communicate with patrons and each other. Here’s a sneak peek at some restaurant trends and what the future has in store:

Waitrons with wearables – Wearables have become a staple in many consumers’ daily lives and track their health and fitness. But in the future, waitrons might be equipped with smart watches to help them stay in touch with their orders. Shake Shack has already partnered with Apple Watch to introduce smart watches to its New York establishments so waitrons can get real-time information on order updates.

Virtual reality – Virtual reality (VR) technology has inspired us to imagine communications, entertainment, storytelling and gaming environment in particular when playing best payout casinos in completely new ways. Honeygrow, an American restaurant chain, did exactly that when it started using VR to train its staff. Research shows that training employees using VR improves learning speed.

Voice payments – Biometric payments that use fingerprints, iris scans and even selfies arrived in a wave over the last two years, now voice is next. A few San Francisco restaurants are testing voice payments powered by Google’s voice recognition to make paying the bill more convenient. All a patron has to say is: “I’ll pay with Google.”

Download The Definitive 21-century Restaurant Playbook for more insights about the importance of technology in the restaurant industry.

Author : Rudi Badenhorst

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