How Chatbot for Restaurants Can Boost Your Business

AI Chat Reshaping the Restaurant Industry: 5 Key Ways

Chatbots can also drive the conversion of browsers into paying customers. As soon as the customer receives the bot’s initial notification, they are incentivized to engage with it. Once the customer begins interacting with the chatbot, they are prompted to select their preferred options such as payment and delivery location.

Make sure you have a call-to-action (CTA) request somewhere during the chatbot dialogue to collect email addresses and other contact info. You can also use the chatbot to promote any events your restaurant is hosting in the near future. This info could be given by the chatbot when asked by a visitor or you could use it to start the online convo. 65% of consumers surveyed said they’ve cut ties with a brand over a single poor customer service experience.”

Leveraging “human-likeness” of robotic service at restaurants

Across multiple industries, capturing and retaining customer interest and business through AI powered technologies has now become a priority. An estimated ​2 billion messages​ have been sent by 60 million business on Facebook messenger alone on a monthly basis. This shows that there is a huge opportunity for chatbot in restaurants when it comes to enhancing customer engagement and thereby opening the doors to a broader hyper connected demographic. Given that customer retention and loyalty is at the core of any service based business, it is paramount for restaurants to fulfil and exceed expectations when it comes to guest service.

While this is a fairly new concept, it’s been widely implemented by online restaurants as bot technology continues to improve. With the aid of bots, restaurants and online food businesses are able to easily engage with their customers by sending them personalized messages and notifications. In this blog, we will look at how restaurant chatbots can help drive more online orders.

Smart Web Restaurant News and Blog

Having consistent citations across different websites improves your restaurant’s visibility and credibility in the eyes of search engines. Richard is a technology copywriter who aims to simplify the complex world around us using words. As well as an interest in all things tech, he enjoys learning about usability and the overall customer journey. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, skiing, video gaming, and playing the piano and drums. During this pandemic, the way you serve your customers has drastically transformed.

• This blend of dining and technology promises a transformative experience, aiming to elevate both efficiency and customer satisfaction.
• By using previous purchase information, a chatbot can advise customers of dishes they may not know about or advise them on the best drink to match their preferred meal.
• This has been true since the Internet-era really took hold, but it is perhaps even more important during the COVID-19 era.
• Today’s travelers no longer go to their local travel agent in order to book their trips, they are more and more connected and digitally savvy, doing all their research online.
• This way, you have the background pre-built, and you only need to customize it to add your diner’s information.

Each of these chatbots opens up new opportunities for enhancing user interaction and operational efficiency in their respective fields. Embracing chatbots aligns with customer preferences, especially among Gen Z, with 67% using them for product searches and over 59% for food orders. They go beyond these basic functions to answer frequently asked questions, gather customer feedback, and provide real-time updates on orders. Healthcare chatbots are at the forefront of transforming patient care and service delivery.

Restaurant chatbots: How they can drive online orders

This is not only a matter of cost reduction; bots go further and can handle a big variety of tasks that ranges from relations with customers to user experience. According to a recent study, 60% of U.S. consumers ordered delivery or takeout once a week and 59% of restaurant orders from millennials were takeout (Everett, 2019). Quick-service restaurants used to be the primary provider for takeout or delivery food orders. Most restaurants offer rewards and incentives to their loyal customers to engage them continuously and ensure repeat business.

Promote Offers

Chatbots can email new deals and offers to your list of current customers. They can also send such promotional offers on social media, your website, and the app. Thanks to machine learning, restaurant chatbots can easily recognize customers and their motivations. Creating data-insight-driven promotions for customers is a great way garner sales and boost the ROI of your marketing efforts. Chatbots offer 24/7 customer service, a much cheaper alternative to hiring 24/7 human support.

The relatively quick implementation and scalability of AI chatbots mean that hotels can start seeing a return on their investment in a shorter time frame compared to other technology implementations. The ChallengeThe time immediately after a guest’s stay is crucial for collecting feedback and encouraging future bookings. However, this process is often inconsistent and manual, missing opportunities for re-engagement.

Moreover, chatbots allow food delivery business owners to reduce the number of necessary help assistance employees. Data by Chatbots Magazine proves that implementing virtual agents saves companies up to 30% of their customer service costs. Chatbots are adept at building engagement with customers, be it online or in your restaurant. They can make recommendations, take orders, offer special deals, and answer any questions or concerns a customer has through a fun, conversational interface. The process is quick, easy, and potentially reduces the risk of confrontation.

The user can then choose a different question or a completely different category to get more information. They can also be transferred to your support agents by typing a question. You can change the last action to a subscription form, customer satisfaction survey, and more. The easiest way to build your first bot is to use a restaurant chatbot template. Chatbots are computer programs capable of communicating and conducting conversations with humans through chat interfaces.

Artificial intelligence, on the other hand, entails the creation of computer systems that accomplish tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as decision-making and problem-solving. What’s more, if it’s an order for delivery or takeout, the payment can also be processed in the chatbot as well. Suppose a customer explores various steak options and orders one via the chatbot. With AI integrated inventory management, restaurants can predict demand and optimize inventory levels more accurately, thereby significantly reducing waste. AI can help restaurants analyze previous purchase and inventory data to assess trends and recommend exactly what to buy, how much to buy and when to buy so that waste is minimal. Burger King’s chatbot for Messenger is probably the most famous example of the use of chatbots in the world of food and drink.

Panda Express’ Chatbot collects customer feedback

This data can be used to enhance menu offerings, respond to customer complaints, and develop targeted marketing campaigns. A restaurant, for example, can use chatbot data to identify popular menu items and adjust its offerings appropriately. The use cases of chatbot in restaurants rely heavily on the kind of experience restaurants want to offer their visitors. Although restaurant executives typically think of restaurant websites as the first place to deploy chatbots, offering users an omnichannel experience can boost customer engagement.

Human agents are not always available to provide prompt customer support, whether it is at night, during the holiday season, or other peak travel period. Today’s travelers no longer go to their local travel agent in order to book their trips, they are more and more connected and digitally savvy, doing all their research online. As shown in a study conducted by Expedia, people end up visiting 38 websites on average while planning their travels and increasingly look for personalized offers and travel plans. Restaurants can react faster and offer fully integrated service through the digital channel, with chatbots acting as front-line scouts that identify opportunities and possible problems as soon as they arise. Of course, the number of guests isn’t the only parameter that restaurant owners care about – the average amount spent by each customer is just as important.

This can speed up the process for them, especially when your restaurant is busy. And as suggested in a previous point, they will face less frustration, as a chatbot is not going to take down the wrong order details. Your business will benefit from the streamlining of the takeaway process, and your customers will benefit from the ease of ordering. AI-powered kiosks operate on the same principles as chatbots and drive-thru assistants aiming at providing personalized menu recommendations and streamlining the ordering process. However, the kiosks have the potential to add an entertaining twist for the customers’ experience, with the incorporation of artistic design that would fit the customer  base and brand aesthetic. Restaurant chatbots have the potential to take the growth of any food and beverage business to the next level.

These intelligent virtual assistants offer real-time support and assistance, handling customer queries with instant responses. What sets AI chatbots apart is their 24/7 availability, ensuring that customers can receive help at any time. By implementing chatbots, restaurants are able to reduce wait times for customer support, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction. Another advantage of AI chatbots is their ability to engage with multiple customers simultaneously, improving operational efficiency.

In China, the fast-food chain has opened the “KPRO” concept store, which uses facial recognition to suggest menu items based on the customer’s age, gender, and facial expressions. They’ve also used artificial intelligence to analyze social media data and customer feedback to improve their menu options. The purpose of this study was to explore customers’ perceptions and behaviors when using chatbots in restaurant takeout orders. Built on the social presence theory, this study conducted a lab experiment to examine and compare three ordering methods in quick-service and full-service restaurants. Results revealed that phone ordering and online ordering were both better than chatbot ordering in terms of satisfaction and behavioral outcomes.

A well-designed chatbot will be able to understand what a customer is asking or requesting and guide them to a quick resolution. In the next article, we would talk about the disadvantages and advantages of using bots in the food industry. According to the chatbot magazine, this is going to be one of the biggest shifts in how people interact with a computer.

Read more about Chatbots for Restaurants and How Effectively Use It? here.