A week on from Rishi Sunak’s announcement of the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme launching in August; how are you planning to maximise revenue & build consumer confidence?
With the national lockdown easing and restaurants/bars reopening, Eat Out to Help Out offers a 50% discount on food and drink (not alcohol) Monday-Wednesdays in August. With no minimum spend, customers are going to expect everything from a morning ‘Flat White’ in their local cafe to breakfast, lunch and dinner at reduced prices. Even though a maximum discount of £10 per person applies – how are businesses going to cope with a surge in demand as well as the added pressure on revenues? All whilst maintaining social distancing and boosting customer confidence?
Here are 4 reasons why implementing an order & pay solution is key to help businesses maximise on the benefits of the scheme:
1. You can actually make more money (and more tips for your staff)
Whilst safety is key, we also understand that for a number of businesses, this is a time of survival and this tech can enable you to not just survive, but thrive through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and beyond. With seating capacity capped at 40-60%, understandably restaurants/bars are looking for more ways in which to operate more efficiently and support their bottom line.
With an effective mobile order & pay solution, you’re able to turn tables faster, capitalising on maximum revenue from available tables. And as customers have control of the menu, they’re likely to upsell themselves with add-ons and extras as the experience is almost gamified, increasing revenue per customer.
Although some businesses may fear that all this technology removes the face-to-face interaction of a restaurant experience, feedback has proven that it’s not the case: “the customers loved it – they couldn’t believe how quick it was to place an order” and they “probably spent more using it!”. It’s a whole new experience, rather than a lesser one to that of pre-Covid; customers can easily modify their options to suit any dietary requirements and pay seamlessly with Apple or Google Pay.
Interestingly, a recurring theme is that many customers are tipping more than usual, at an average of 7.5% (notably higher in Liverpool!). Perhaps people feel they want to give back to hard working staff and to businesses that have gone to the effort of adapting a new way of serving? Or that customers are aware that they’ve been spending less in lockdown so they can give more back?
2. Reassure, regain trust and build consumer confidence
Covid-19 has been a real catalyst for change. Customers want to be in control of their environment when they venture into the ‘outside world’. With a mobile order & pay solution, the power is in their hands. A quick scan of a QR code and the customer determines when they want to order, what they want to order, when to pay and when to leave. When customers have more control over their choices, and can order through their own devices, the customer journey is likely to be enhanced (providing the right solution is implemented).
If someone has a bad experience, like having to wait to download an App or register to log in, it’s likely they’ll recoil back to the comfort of their own homes. So as a restaurant/pub owner, it’s your responsibility to build that confidence from the get go.
Although it may seem like some people have become more relaxed about the lockdown restrictions, many consumers want to feel that their safety is your number one priority. Providing that reassurance through an enjoyable and easy to use service, will build a loyal customer base that will keep coming back.
3. Stand out from your competition with a great experience
When people have an enjoyable & safe experience, they will return. It’s that simple. Equally important, when people have a bad experience, they’ll go wherever they feel safe. Recent feedback from one of our customers highlighted that they have gained new regulars from a competitor pub as the customers weren’t impressed with their poor WhatsApp order system.
By implementing a smooth solution, that can automate the Eat Out to Help Out discount calculations, you’ll avoid all that admin hassle and any potential negative queries. When the customer experience is seamless, you’ll maximise those sales and claims will be paid into bank accounts within five working days.
4. Operate efficiently to control staffing costs whilst keeping staff safe
Implementing a mobile order & pay solution will mean that you can serve more customers with less manpower and utilise your available capacity during service times. Eat Out to Help Out envisions to help protect 1.8 million jobs across the UK and although ‘the customer is always right’, your staff’s safety is just as important as your customers.
“We wouldn’t have been able to cope with the volume of orders if it wasn’t for ServeSafely”
The Oddfellows Arms Smokehouse & Bar
With additional PPE training and new processes to master, businesses need to give their staff the confidence to return to work in a safe environment. An intuitive, easy to use order & pay solution, which schedules and automates the appropriate discount, takes another worry away from your hard-working staff, plus the added bonus of potentially earning more tips is a great incentive.
Plus it’s not just the 50% discount our developers have been coding – that’s the relatively easy part – applying the discount to the applicable items to the maximum of £10 per person limit is what we’ve mastered.
“ServeSafely has helped us manage with less staff”
Next steps..
The government is encouraging businesses to register for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme as soon as possible, simply register here.
I’m sure you’d agree that we’ve seen QR codes a lot more than before Covid-19. The QR code is not the hard part. It’s having the seamless technology that helps restaurants maximise sales as customers slip comfortably into the ‘new norm’.
Crave have been delivering digital guest experiences for over 10 years and their ServeSafely solution has already helped many establishments re-open successfully.
Currently available for free for 6 months with a fully refundable set up fee*.
Get in touch today and talk to our friendly team:
*£195 initial set up fee which is fully refundable after your first £20k of transactions
