The Importance of Product Flexibility During and Post COVID-19
In what marks 60 days of COVID-19 related industry impacts, the Ready team are reflecting on what the last 2 months has meant for the hospitality industry and what learnings we could apply to the next series of phases, that at this very moment, are still uncertain for many.
As the immediate impact of venue closures took hold, our existing clients quickly contacted us for support as they were well aware that our technology catered to the most unexpected use case anyone could imagine – a 100% contactless first party ordering and payment solution. What came next was coordinating our team to support safe on-premise pick-up. The only thing required from venues was some quick print signage and in a very short time they were able to turn on direct ordering to help reduce reliance on staff, as well as save on fees in a time when any money coming in the door was lucky to be covering costs.
Despite conflicting mandates across all the states and provinces Ready supports clients in, the emphasis on safety was, and still is the guiding principle behind helping to keep venues operational. As time goes on however, client needs, Government rules and customer behavior remain variable, which is why working closely with technology partners is so crucial to the survival of restaurants right now.
What we have experienced since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis are rapidly evolving use cases that continue to change.
On-premise ordering for contactless pick-up
Home ordering via URL to order ahead for contactless pick-up
Virtual drive thru. On-premise ordering with in-car delivery or curbside pick-up
And now, as restaurants begin to re-open, a tailored approach to dining in, with digital menus and contactless pay at table
What does this look like?
Ready caters to a wide range of hospitality venues. From full-service, to fast casual and QSR, right through to stadiums, theaters, airports, and hotels. Anywhere people eat out, our technology is purpose built for seamless use and total flexibility. As venues reopen, here are the use cases we are working with our clients to solve:
Digital Menus
With single use menus presenting a costly and wasteful solution, and per-use cleaning a labor intensive option, we’re working to allow customers to view a digital menu on their phone with a quick access QR code or URL (no app download required) and from there, it’s up to the venue what workflow suits them.
Virtual Kiosk
If they are a fast-casual venue or a QSR, they may opt for ‘virtual kiosks’ that allow guests to scan a QR code nearby on their phone to order and pay for their meal and either pick it up at a designated area, or have it delivered to their table, seat or car. This option sees Ready technology utilized from the very beginning to the very end of the dining experience, but this might not suit every venue.
Pay at Table
Full-service venues may opt to utilize Ready only at certain points in the dining experience, so their service levels and guest experience are not compromised completely. They can safely have guests view a digital menu on their phone but have a sever take the order. The meal can be delivered to the table and when it comes time to pay, the guest can access their check on their phone via a QR code nearby and split/pay without the exchange of cash, a physical card or contact with a payment terminal. Here’s a video showing how pay at table works, and just how frictionless it is.
In uncertain times, a ‘one size fits all’ solution simply isn’t practical so what we are anticipating are even more varied service-related use cases. With dining room capacity reduced by 50% or more to accommodate social distancing, venues are likely going to trial extending capacity by utilizing outdoor spaces such as courtyards and parking lots, as well as getting creative with new ways to deliver a brilliant guest experience that’s aligned with all of the things their loyal guests know and love. While people may be fearful and wish to minimize ‘touches’, hospitality has a beating heart and we want to help our venues provide that too.
What we are continuing to find is the true value we deliver to our clients is flexibility, and the ability to work closely with them to grow and evolve our product suite in real time as the level of crisis and needs of venues and guests changes. Because we are an established player in the hospitality space backed by iQmetrix, a payments company of 20 years with over 20, 000 retail locations in North America - our strength has been three-fold:
Quick access to additional, experienced resources to push product updates and integrations
Proactive and cooperative working relationships with our clients, and new venues interested in working with us
Our team. Each Ready team member has done and continues to rise to the challenge ahead in their specialized field, as do our clients
While no one knows quite yet what a post-COVID-19 world will look like, from what we’ve seen the businesses who will not only survive, but thrive after this will have these things in common:
A laser focus on safety and guest experience in equal parts
The agility to try new things and access to data to assess success quickly
A considered approach to their digital strategy in the short, medium and longer term
Technical partners with experience who they can trust
A vendor selection process that aims to ‘bundle’ services to save on fees and operational inefficiencies
The ability to balance trust, safety and profitability each and every day until we reach ‘the new normal’
We are Ready and here to help. If you wish to offer first party guest driven Digital Menus, Contactless Ordering, Contactless Payment, Guests Reviews or Loyalty…