Let’s be honest, unless you’re a restauranteur, the idea of offering a table service option in your hospitality business probably wasn’t on your radar until the crazy events of 2020 unfolded.
Yep, we’re referring to the C-word, and since it descended on us earlier in the year, everything has changed.
There’s no point reminiscing on the good old days when you could get within two-metres of a customer without panicking about the repercussions, we are where we are and businesses wanting to remain competitive, not to mention above board, need to keep up to thrive.
A new normal
The latest government guidance for any business operating in the hospitality sector dictates a ‘table service only’ rule, meaning if you want to serve your customers food or drink your staff have got to take their order from the table as well as serve it to them there.
Problem #1
This has proven tricky (to say the least) for many businesses, as it requires a lot more manpower than the old way of doing things, e.g. letting patrons queue up and order from the bar or counter.
Problem #2
Employing additional staff is problematic not just because it’s extra work but because they need paying, and the financial repercussions of COVID and lockdowns on the hospitality sector have been significant (to say the least), making finding the funds challenging in many cases.
Problem #3
Fewer customers are also allowed in most premises than normal to allow for social distancing.
Problem #4
The government has also introduced the Track and Trace scheme in an effort to nip any outbreaks in the bud. Of course, we’re all behind the sentiment, but this is an additional responsibility placed on the business owners expected to collate the information and enforce the rules.
Problem #5
Although it’s no one’s fault, table service tends to take a bit longer than customers are accustomed to waiting and this can be a frustration.
The outcome
The combination of less income, more staff, fewer customers, and more responsibility is leaving many hospitality business owners with a headache and questioning the future of their company.
It’s also leaving customers with a less desirable experience when dining or drinking out thanks to the lengthier wait.
Thankfully, we’ve come up with a solution that leaves all parties involved better off – our Online Ordering App.
Online Ordering
At Simply Payments we’re all about helping businesses succeed and spurred on by this aim we’ve created our revolutionary app to help during this unprecedented time.
It allows hospitality businesses to accept orders for food and/or drink from the table, and works like this:
- The customer enters the premises and is seated
- There’s a QR code on their table which they scan using their phone
- The code directs them to your menu where they browse at their leisure
- Once ready, they order their food and/or drink and pay using the app.
No need for a staff member to bring them a menu, take their order, or come back for payment – game-changing, right?
Plus, the app links up to your kitchen or bar where your workforce can see the incoming orders on their phone, tablet, or laptop.
How does it work?
Getting set up is a piece of cake, you just give us a copy of your menu and we’ll upload it for you and create you a custom QR code.
All that’s left for you to do is print it off and place it where you wish around your business. (We can help with Printing and Design too!)
The benefits of our Online Ordering Platform
1. Cost-effective
We hate the idea that businesses are questioning their future because of the financial repercussions of COVID and that’s why we’ve done what we can to help.
With our Online Ordering Platform you’ll save yourself the additional cost of needing extra staff members to comply with the ‘table service only’ guidelines.
2. It’s customisable
Practicality needn’t come at the cost of functionality, and that’s why we’ve made our Online Ordering Platform fully customisable to suit each business’ needs.
So, if you offer different menus, like breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend menus, for example, you can add all these into the app and simply show the right menu within the app at the right time.
3. Manage orders on multiple devices
You can log into your Online Ordering Platform from any internet-enabled device so you’re not tied down to managing orders from just one place.
That means as the manager you can dip in and out from anywhere. It also means you aren’t expected to shoulder all the responsibility all the time, you can delegate management to another staff member when you’re ready for a well-earned break.
4. It’s safer
Not just because it eliminates the need for unnecessary human contact but because card payments, on the whole, are now deemed the safest way to pay in light of the pandemic.
Many fear cash payments carry a transmission risk since cash is handled by multiple people within a short space of time. With our Online Ordering Platform all transactions are fully contactless no matter the size.
5. Track and trace
Within our Online Ordering Platform, patrons can simply add one contact per table using the technology. Kiss goodbye to manually writing down names and numbers and feel safe in the knowledge you’re complying with regulations.
6. It reduces waiting times
With our Online Ordering Platform the customer doesn’t need to wait for a staff member to attend their table before they can make an order or pay – they do it all on their own watch.
This leads to a better customer experience and puts more smiles on faces, but it can also put more bums on seats as the faster service leaves more time for additional customers to dine or drink.
7. Quickly adapt to lockdowns
Up and down the country local lockdowns are being introduced to tackle outbreaks of the virus, and this has left many business owners on tenterhooks wondering if they’ll be next and what this might mean for business.
Within our Online Ordering Platform you can add a collection or delivery option too, meaning you can quickly and effortlessly pivot to a new business model and keep your business trading and income safe.
Ready to take the plunge?
If our Online Ordering Platform sounds like the ideal solution for your hospitality business we can get you set up and running in no time at all and it won’t cost you the earth, either.
Our Online Ordering Platform is affordable and simple, and unlike many of our competitors we don’t believe in charging fees for the sake of it. You won’t even be charged a Monthly Software Fee – just a simple, low rate for all card transactions processed.
Remember, at Simply Payments:
- We don’t charge set up fees
- We’ve got dedicated experts who’ll do all the set up for you
- We provide UK based support, 7 days a week and
- All our packages are tailored to suit individual businesses.
