Do QR Codes in Restaurants Make the Menu Contactless, But The Service “Hospitality-Less?”

Adopting new technology is challenging for any industry, and hospitality is no exception. Restaurants and hotels pride themselves on their beautifully designed menus, great food, and exceptional service. So, some restaurateurs find it hard to switch to QR codes for their restaurant’s menu. They harbor a misconception that a contactless menu may not offer the level of customer service they aspire to deliver. However, nothing can be further from the truth.

Orderlina contactless restaurant ordering app

Due to COVID-19, restaurants and their customers began adopting the convenience of technological advancements such as QR code menus. Digital menu implementation was a game-changer for the hospitality industry and made QR code menus a “new normal” for their guests.

While it was a mandated move, QR code in restaurants is the most revolutionary upgrade the industry has seen in the last 100 years. Guests are happier because they can order without having to wait for a table to become available. They can send their orders straight to the POS and pay via mobile. Your staff is more productive because they spend less time on data entry and more time serving guests. It’s a win-win for everyone. Not to forget, QR code in restaurants helps you turn more tables with speedy services and realize higher profits.

After carefully studying our client reviews, we’ve compiled some of the best reasons why the QR menu for restaurants is contactless but not hospitality-less.

Let’s get started.

More 5-Star Reviews with QR Codes in Restaurants

By merely displaying QR codes on flyers and QR menu links on social media pages coupled with instant menu access, many restaurants in New York and Toronto were able to increase their reach to potential customers. These QR codes in restaurants also eliminated the need to download a separate scan menu app for ordering.

@BARELYDISFIGURED – NY, USA, ordered a custom QR contactless menu that looked like their brand and implemented it at their cocktail bar. Guests could scan the menu and place orders without vying for the bartender’s attention in a crowded place. Naturally, they found QR code ordering to be more fun and easy. Their guests then posted stories about their amazing experience at the restaurant.

@LULUSCHOCOLATE BAR – GA, USA, increased their orders via social media by adding a link to their QR menu as the Start Order button on their Facebook page. QR code ordering doesn’t just apply to in-person dining. The QR codes in restaurants are essentially links to its menu that can be placed anywhere – on tables, walls, cashier’s tables, etc.!

Utilizing QR codes in restaurant menus saves time for the customer and the restaurant as there’s no waiting line. In fact, a contactless menu was just what restaurants needed to thrive in COVID times.

The hospitality industry is all about friendliness, a sense of care, and convenience. Restaurants and hotels that take time to implement the latest technologies, such as digital menu solutions, always stay ahead because guests feel valued and leave fully satisfied.

This leads to more five-star reviews, setting into motion a virtuous cycle that feeds itself.With QR Codes in Restaurants, Staff Get More Time For the Guest

Great waitstaff are paid for their uncanny abilities to impress the guest. It involves smoothly interacting with customers, closely observing multiple tables, and meeting the guests’ needs. Removing the “data entry” and “payment management” aspects from the ordering process frees them to serve guests better.

The optimal way to achieve this is by implementing digital menu solutions that integrate with your POS system. With servers spending less time walking credit cards from the table to the POS terminal, they get more time to serve the guests.

Moreover, QR codes in restaurant menus should replicate the same menu presentation skills as paper menus: Also, QR menus should not entirely remove the “human” interaction from the restaurant customer service for the following reasons:

  • Servers can still upsell.
  • They can assist with special diet questions and requests.
  • Wait staff can make the guests aware of specials and complementary pairings.

By combining technology with customer service, your restaurant will win over more patrons and multiply your revenues.

More With Less

Due to global hospitality staff shortage, restaurants are under pressure to deliver great service as usual, even with the dwindling staffing levels.

Our data shows that QR codes in restaurants can help with dine-in table ordering by reducing the ordering steps by more than 50%. It also increases table turns by up to 10 minutes per seating. By removing the initial order entry process, and the back and forth involved in a separate order of drinks (these can be requested without summoning staff), high-volume restaurants can manage large, outdoor eating areas of over 50 tables with only one staff member! That’s revolutionary by any standards.

A Better Guest Experience

With QR code in restaurants ready to receive orders as soon as the guest builds their order cart, they can start ordering as soon as they’re seated. It works well for officegoers on a lunch break or regulars who know what they want. Additional drinks can be ordered anytime without interrupting their conversation to get the server’s attention. Customers can make payments using their secure phone ID or payment gateways such as Apple Pay or Google Pay. After making the payment, they can leave without waiting for the check to arrive or for payment to process.

However, the true power of QR codes in restaurant menus remains untapped. For the first time, the restaurant industry can automatically re-market dine-in guests with pickup and delivery products. By connecting their QR menu links to social media, they can now provide their guests with updates on new products and menu changes. To learn more, check out our social media guide.

Increase Upselling With QR Code Ordering

Upselling products is of utmost importance to any business, especially in the hospitality industry.

With the help of contactless menus in the form of QR code menus, your staff still has the time to upsell your best dishes or complementary services.

For instance, many bars have happy hours each day; the staff can use this opportunity to inform potential customers about the great deals available during happy hours. Restaurateurs can also spend time with social media marketing companies to plan a proper campaign, such as integrating QR menus on social media accounts, which can attract more patrons and multiply your revenues.

Menu items like fries and salads generate the most profit because they combine low-cost ingredients and easy preparation. Pairing them with high-cost, top-selling items such as specialty burgers increases the profit margins on each order of high-volume items.

A QR ordering system allows the restaurant to make high-margin items more prominent on the guest’s phone. It enables them to quickly add the optional sides to their order basket and proceed to the checkout.

In Conclusion

QR codes in a restaurant’s menu are such a familiar concept that as soon as a customer sees a QR code stand on the restaurant table, they already know what they need to do. The customer is already QR-educated. It’s time that restaurants rapidly catch up, especially in places like crowded bars and hotel pools.

By placing a QR code in restaurant menu, you make the dining experience better for the guests and enhance your staff productivity too. Also, contactless menu solutions reduce your outgoing expenses on staffing and admin tasks, resulting in higher net profits.

As far as hospitality is concerned, implementing a new normal such as a QR code ordering system takes time. You must bring the staff along for the change and make some guests aware of the latest technology. The proof is in the pudding – restaurants that have made the switch report that it is keeping their businesses afloat. They are enjoying increased guest satisfaction with up to 95% adoption of table ordering using a QR menu.

QR code + restaurant menu is a winning combination. It boosts the quality of service, reduces inefficiencies, and augments customer experience.

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