Frictionless Customer Experience Examples
in Food Service
Making the experience for your customer as frictionless as possible provides a base of value in the relationship, boosting the trust they have in you, and the organization. While exploring frictionless customer experience examples in food service, there are various dynamics that need to be analyzed.
Restaurants have to prioritize frictionless customer experiences more than ever.
Customer experience can make or break an organization. Establishing a foundation of value and credibility in every customer interaction is crucial to growing your client base and nurturing your existing accounts. Many of us are familiar with the term, but how does technological innovation intertwine with it?
Looking from the lens of a consumer, we want our experience with an organization, product, and/or service to be as smooth and pain-free as possible. In a general sense, we like the ease at which we’re served and the effort it takes away from us. At the same time, we do want a sense of “experience” on a personal level, just enough to where it doesn’t interfere with how prompt we receive said service.
In the restaurant industry, the way to achieve this is a delicate balancing act between customer service and IT, where team members want to make an innovative impact on the consumers behalf.
There is so little room for error now that it could be easy to argue that hospitality, retail, and restaurants must not only avoid bad Yelp reviews but also actively stay out of the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
We are now in what some experts are calling the “latest restaurant recession”, having seen an unusual spike in bankruptcies from hit after hit since the pandemic.
Investing in customer experience to retain and grow a significant amount of guest regulars, customer experience is top of that list.
Here are the factors that have restaurants in a state of heightened concern regarding evolving customer expectations and maintaining a competitive edge in the industry:
Frictionless Customer Experience Example #1
Enhancing Post-Visit Experience with Generative AI
After dining at a restaurant, customers are often invited to fill out a survey to provide feedback on their experience. However, many customers expect a prompt and personalized response to their feedback, which can be challenging for restaurants to manage manually. This is where Generative AI can play a crucial role.
FACTORS ADDRESSED:
Increased Customer Expectations
Competition and Differentiation
By integrating Generative AI into the feedback system, restaurants can automate the process of responding to customer surveys. The AI can analyze the survey responses, identify key sentiments and issues, and generate personalized responses that address the customer’s feedback. This not only ensures that customers feel heard and valued but also allows the restaurant to maintain a high level of engagement with its patrons.
For instance, if a customer mentions in the survey that they enjoyed the food but felt the service was slow, the AI can generate a response acknowledging their feedback, apologizing for the slow service, and assuring them that steps are being taken to improve it. This kind of immediate and personalized follow-up can significantly enhance the overall customer experience and encourage repeat visits.
Real-World Application
A prime example of this approach can be seen in the case study of a global full-service restaurant group that implemented a Generative AI solution. This restaurant group used Generative AI to automate and personalize customer survey responses, resulting in improved customer satisfaction and streamlined operations. To read more about how this restaurant achieved a frictionless customer experience using Generative AI, you can check out the full case study here.
By adopting such innovative digital solutions, restaurants can not only meet but exceed customer expectations, fostering loyalty and positive word-of-mouth.
Smartbridge has developed our very own solution accelerator for enterprise knowledge management. Get to know SmartbridgeGPT, built on Azure OpenAI.
Frictionless Customer Experience Example #2
Ensuring Consistent Order Fulfillment and Food Quality
Maintaining consistent order fulfillment and high food quality is critical for providing a frictionless customer experience in restaurants. Utilizing advanced technologies like Smartbridge’s Grillmaster can significantly contribute to achieving this goal.
FACTORS ADDRESSED:
Increased Customer Expectations
Labor Shortages
Grillmaster is a sophisticated kitchen intelligence tool designed to ensure that food is cooked to perfection every time. By integrating this technology into the kitchen operations, restaurants can monitor and control the cooking process with precision. Grillmaster provides real-time data and analytics on cooking times, temperatures, and techniques, helping kitchen staff maintain consistent standards for every dish.
For example, consider a scenario where a restaurant uses Grillmaster to manage the grilling process for steaks. Grillmaster can be programmed with specific cooking profiles for different levels of doneness (rare, medium, well-done) and alert kitchen staff when the steak has reached the desired temperature. This eliminates the guesswork and ensures that every steak is cooked exactly as the customer requested, enhancing both consistency and quality.
In addition to improving food quality, Grillmaster also contributes to operational efficiency. The system can track order fulfillment times and provide insights into areas where the kitchen can improve speed and productivity. By analyzing this data, restaurant managers can make informed decisions to optimize kitchen workflows, reduce wait times, and ensure that orders are delivered promptly.
Real-World Application
An example of successful implementation of this technology can be seen in the case study of a restaurant group that adopted Grillmaster to enhance their kitchen operations. By leveraging Grillmaster, they were able to maintain high standards of food quality and consistency while streamlining their order fulfillment process. To learn more about how this technology transformed their kitchen, you can explore the full details here.
By investing in such cutting-edge kitchen intelligence tools, restaurants can provide a consistently excellent dining experience, ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty.
A Cultural Shift in IT
In order for an organization to efficiently pair innovation with the personal touch of customer service, IT members need to focus on developing a culture that excites candidates. The IT department especially must nurture a “start-up mindset” in order to continuously tailor their solutions towards the winding needs to food industry customers.
Digital transformation is impacting businesses for the better. Automation is especially a hot topic among digital trends that is affecting organizations (internally and externally), as well as consumers alike. New technology like Natural Language Processing (NLP) allows customers to manage general inquiries through an automated voice recognition system, without waiting in line to speak to a representative about their issue.
Dennis Maloney, Domino’s Chief Digital Officer
Embrace New Technology Without Becoming Faceless
In today’s fast-paced restaurant environment, the balancing act of innovation and frictionless customer experience is an art that must be nurtured. If an organization wants to retain a longstanding consumer base, its people must maintain a dynamic and solution oriented mindset, embrace technology without becoming faceless, and strive to always think from a consumer perspective.
If you need an advisor to help envision what this looks like for your restaurant group, reach out to Smartbridge and book instantly. You’ll be paired with a manager or director best suited to your needs, not sales or business development!
Keep Reading: Restaurant Automation – Look Beyond Robots
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