Your counter service or fast-casual restaurant (FCR) may have amazing and unique menu offerings, but great food is only part of what makes a customer experience exceptional, especially when there is no wait staff to interact with customers. The experience begins with the ordering process and continues even after the bill is paid and the food eaten. Here’s how fast casual restaurants can leverage the features of their point of sale (POS) solution to create an experience that customers will remember fondly and will encourage them to come back.
Seamless Mobile and Online Ordering for Fast Casual Restaurants
It’s expected that your restaurant will have either a website and/or a mobile app where customers can order exactly what they want. With the majority of website users coming from smartphones, the mobile and online ordering experience may be the only experience customers have. Marketing and research firm, The NPD Group, found that restaurant visits via mobile app increased 50 percent between 2017 and 2018 and that number will likely continue to rise.
Since online and mobile app orders are placed directly by the customers, they can review their orders and be confident they’ll get exactly what they want. It’s important that the point of sale software becomes an integrated piece of the process from placing an order to getting it made just how the customer wants it. Be sure the POS system for your fast-casual restaurant allows submitted orders to go straight into the queue in the kitchen so that they are prioritized with the in-store visitors. This ensures that online or mobile orders aren’t forgotten.
Your POS should also include specials or add-on options for those who use your online ordering process. Since customers tend to order more food through online or mobile ordering than they might in-store, these options can grow your counter service restaurant’s bottom line.
Integrated Customer Database and Personalized Offers for Fast Casual Customers
The point of sale software for fast casual and counter service restaurants should have the ability to automatically create a customer database. A customer database will allow you to track customer purchase history and contact information. This feature is invaluable as it will grant you the information you need to send personalized offers to customers. For example, your customers are more likely to return for a 10% off coupon on a menu item they’ve ordered consistently. Additionally, low-priced add-ons can be offered if the customer orders their favorite dish within the same week.
All of this valuable data should be recorded within your customer database to be used for future offers. Your fast-casual restaurant POS should also allow you to use robust reporting tools that coordinate customer data from across multiple locations. This means you won’t have the same customer in the database several times over.
Loyalty and Reward Programs for Fast Casual Restaurant Customers
Customers have a connection to brands they like. They want to feel that their business is valued, and they enjoy being rewarded for purchasing things they enjoy. A loyalty or rewards program can provide that extra push a customer needs to choose you over the competition nearby. Using your point of sale software, you can configure rewards based on dollar amounts, number of visits, or specific items purchased. These rewards can be redeemed for monetary discounts or free food. Every time the customer buys online or visits you in-store, they can earn towards their reward. This requires your restaurant’s online ordering system and the POS to talk to one another. Otherwise, customers will be aggravated with you for not tracking all the ways they make purchases.
With the insight gained from order histories and preferences in the point of sale software, you can create customized and relevant rewards and special offers that make your customers feel like you “get” them and increase positive associations with your brand.
Tablet POS to Increase Mobility
Tablet POS gives you the mobility you need to give your customers a better experience. Tablets can shift from a fixed-based POS workstation to a mobile solution, allowing your staff to service customers standing in-line to cut wait times. With line busting, you can quickly serve more customers, and potential customers won’t be deterred by long lines.
Being mobile also means taking orders tableside, effectively upselling, cross-selling, and minimizing order errors. With a tablet POS, your staff can open up all areas of the restaurant, so you can be ready for patio season and special events. The added mobility of a tablet POS allows you to provide the time and attention that will keep customers happy.
Interested in learning more about a tablet POS can improve your quick service restaurant’s operations?
Using Your POS to Enhance the Overall Restaurant Customer Experience
The ideal customer experience encompasses several factors: ordering convenience, speed and accuracy of service, food quality, and positive interactions with the restaurant, which includes personalization. The right POS should be future ready so that your fast-casual restaurant can benefit from the latest in technology advancements for a better customer experience. In the highly-competitive restaurant industry, the customer experience you provide can help you stand out from the crowd and thrive.
If you’re ready to add one or all of these features to your fast casual and counter service POS, HungerRush has POS solutions that can be tailored to your unique needs. Designed by restaurant professionals and supported by 24/7/365 service, our solutions will help you grow your fast casual restaurant. to find out more today and start providing first-rate customer experiences.