Staffing costs
The US federal minimum wage is $7.25 per hour, of course some states have significantly higher minimum wages, however if a cashier earned the federal minimum over one year they would make approximately $15,000 per year.
Instead, a kiosk could offset some of that cost by doing the same job for a fraction of the cost. An owner could then take that $15k and invest in improving other areas of their operation.
Streamlined order taking
Kitchens are often a melting pot of cultures, with multiple languages being spoken at any one time. While varied backgrounds add flavor, they present obstacles in communication at times.
Many POS systems already offer features that allow you to customize the language displayed for BOH staff, however kiosks streamline communication by reducing the need to spend time clarifying orders. Allowing your staff to attend to customers, not each other.
With a digital ordering system, the potential for human error is also greatly reduced. With a self-order kiosks, your customers won’t have to worry about if their order is going to come out exactly how they wanted.
Upsell opportunities
By being more visual, kiosks allow a restaurant owner to dedicate more space to higher value menu items, as well as allow the customer to make their own additions to their selections. However, kiosks blend the practical with the psychological.
McDonald’s bet big on self-order kiosks, and saw a 4.8% rise in sales at their restaurants that implemented them. This happened while traffic remained relatively the same. CEO Steve Easterbrook explained that, “What we are finding is that when people dwell more, they select more.” Exactly, why not add that sundae?
Customizable
While self-ordering kiosks allow patrons to add and subtract as they please, they also allow the owner to add a few bells and whistles themselves. Additional information, branding, or even advertising can be displayed via a kiosk.
For example, a healthy fast-casual eatery could list key nutrition facts for their salads, helping their customers make a decision, and also capturing another data point for their analytics.
Customer data
Getting to know who your customers are is a key factor in any restaurant’s success. As kiosks are able to accept various digital forms of payment - Apple Pay, Google Pay, AeroPay - in addition to cards, you are able to collect actionable information about your customer.
Some allow you to record a customer’s email, which can help build a database to reach out to your customers with special offers or rewards. This can be a helpful way to build a loyal clientele.
Contactless payments
A key feature any kiosk should have is the ability to conduct contactless payment. As they are capable of hosting digital and card payments, there’s no need for a customer to interact with a cashier. Which as we have seen is essential due to COVID 19.
Even in the future when we reach a point where COVID 19 itself isn’t a cause for alarm, it is a more hygienic way to conduct transactions. Plus if a customer is in a hurry and can’t wait for a cashier, they can always stay one step ahead and head for the self-checkout kiosk.
Get a demo of the InfiKIOSK, our self-ordering restaurant kiosk with all these features and more.