Why restaurants must open their digital doors

By: Cris Jucan, Co-Founder & CEO, Tacit Corporations

It’s a time for hope as well as caution as governments prepare to ease lockdown restrictions and restart the economy. Yes, we’re entering a new normal with plenty of uncertainty around what the future holds. But one thing that businesses can bank on is the importance of contactless digital payments and delivery.

Nowhere is this more the case than in the food services industry, one of the hardest hit sectors of the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Customers have come to expect a seamless delivery experience and restaurateurs have had to quickly adjust or risk going out of business completely. At Tacit Innovations, we’re helping restaurant owners make the switch. Here’s what we’ve learned about transitioning to a safe and profitable new normal.

Embrace the digital-first shift in consumer behaviour

Consumers have learned new digital purchasing habits due to the pandemic and they won’t revert back once the worst of the crisis is over. Contactless digital ordering is now the standard and there are high expectations around convenience, personalization, and safety. Restaurants must make online ordering quick, simple, accessible, and mobile-friendly.

Trust is the new currency with customers

Customers have come to associate physical distancing with safety. Therefore, restaurants must create ordering and payment experiences that facilitate it. Touchless technologies both online and on location signal to customers that their health is a top concern and encourages them to return. Plus, studies have found that a majority of customers prefer to use self-service technologies anyway, making them a worthwhile investment for the long term.

Speed is the name of the game

Every second spent handling orders is one not spent on improving the customer experience. That’s why restaurateurs must integrate third-party ordering and delivery services into their point-of-sale process. This takes the stress off of restaurant staff and reduces the chances of mistakes during order preparation. Adopting these third-party platforms also increases a restaurant’s visibility among customers, which is key to bouncing back after lockdowns.

Leverage digital delivery as a marketing tool

As the old saying goes: if a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound? Restaurants need to promote their integration of convenient digital ordering and delivery solutions to their customers to reap the full benefit of this shift. They are powerful marketing devices, especially when combined with digital coupons and loyalty programs that are easy for customers to use!

There’s no doubt that transitioning to this digital-first environment can be daunting for restaurant owners accustomed to doing business in an analog way for so long. Yet it also presents an incredible opportunity to reinvent a business for those who step up to the challenge. Customers have come to expect a higher standard of service. It’s time for restaurateurs to deliver.