By Matt Brooks, Product Delivery Manager and senior mobile lead

Whether you’re launching a pay-at-table service, loyalty app or any other mobile service which requires a change in customer behaviour or operational processes, it’s essential that as much time and effort goes into the launch as did the development – to ensure your new tech investment is a success.

Zonal’s Matt Brooks shares his top suggestions for a successful app launch, based on some of the best we’ve seen over the past few years:

1. Ensure staff are 100% behind it

The most important people to get on board in any new app roll-out are your front-of-house team. But this also extends to senior management and the board (if you have one). Why have you invested in this technology in the first place – is it to increase revenue? To encourage repeat business? To reward loyal customers? Whatever your reasons, explain what the benefits will be to your customers, to your staff and to the rest of the business. Encourage them to give their feedback and ideas on how to make it a success and of course get them to try out the new app for themselves to see how easy it really is to use. Finally, make sure any concerns are acknowledged and addressed.

If you don’t focus on achieving this one, you may as well ignore the rest of this list… it really is that important!

2. Support tipping

Make sure any new mobile ordering technology supports staff tipping – especially when the new service is replacing a task that the front of house team may have undertaken as part of their role, such as order and pay at table. Any negative impact on tipping will inevitably have a knock-on effect to how much staff are willing to promote the new service. Make sure this is also communicated to staff, including how and when they will get their tips.

3. Full and comprehensive training

Organise a series of dedicated training sessions for staff before launch, where you can provide a safe, non-live environment to help them get comfortable with the solution and practice real-life scenarios before they happen. This can also provide a great opportunity to gather feedback from the team and win their buy-in.

4. Emphasise the benefits in all of your customer comms

When considering the communications channels and touchpoints you plan to use to launch the new app, remember to lead with the key customer benefits. Think: ‘what’s in it for them?’ Why should they download it? Can they pay the bill quicker? Can they get a round of drinks at the touch of a button? Can they avoid the queue at the bar? Is there a special offer or discount? If they understand the benefits, they’re more likely to adopt the new app.

5. Make a splash about it

Think about where and how you will promote your new app and make sure you promote your new service everywhere you can – the more visible reminders the better. Consider table point of sale materials such as menus and flyers, as well as till receipts and staff clothing to help spread the word. Use all areas in-venue to advertise the new service: reception, bar, lounge or smoking area and even the back of toilet doors (yes really!).

6. Launch with an offer or incentive to download/register

Whether it’s a free drink, dessert or starter, if you’re asking customers to hand over their details, register for a service, download an app or even use the ‘guest checkout’ facility, launch offers or incentives are a great way to generate engagement in your new service.

7. Constant feedback

Your app is an important part of the customer experience. It is vital to actively solicit and respond to stakeholder feedback throughout all stages of the roll-out. Listening and responding to feedback and suggestions, adapting the technology itself or your communications will help to ensure its success in the long term.

8. Share numbers and reward success

Be transparent with the results – share the key numbers and metrics with the team: downloads/usage, spend per head, number and increase in orders, contribution by channel, dwell time, customer satisfaction. Something as simple as a small reward or team prize could help galvanise staff to hit and exceed any targets you’ve set for the new service.

9. Encourage competition

If yours is a multi-site business, leader boards can be a great way to drive behaviour and new app adoption. Encourage competition between staff and sites by offering a prize for the most revenue/registrations/downloads/new members via the new service.

Zonal is trusted to power mobile ordering technology for thousands of customer sites around the country. To find out more about our EPoS-integrated mobile ordering solutions, visit our dedicated web page >

This Q&A article with Zonal’s product delivery manager Matt Brooks on how the pandemic has changed the industry’s view on mobile ordering and payment technology first appeared in Big Hospitality on the 3rd Feb 2021.

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The pandemic has given mobile ordering and payment a real shot in the arm, so to speak…​

Even prior to the pandemic it felt as if the industry was reaching a tipping point in terms of adopting digital order and pay products, but lockdown has undoubtedly accelerated this. Zonal has been at the forefront of such technology for many years but over the last 12 months we’ve seen a 500% increase in the take up of our order and pay solutions.

What would you say to operators that are still on the fence about the technology?​

There is now a real danger for any operator left behind, as shown in our recently published GO Technology report. In a survey for the report 34% of consumers told us they would be more likely to choose a venue with order and pay technology and 40% feel safer in venues that use it. The report also found that three quarters of consumers are satisfied, or very satisfied, with the ease of digital ordering and payment and satisfaction levels are similarly high for ease of set-up and user-friendliness.

How big do you see mobile order and payments getting?​

We believe order and pay will become not just standard but something people expect. Suddenly removing it so consumers find themselves having to queue at the bar again will result in frustration. And any operators still concerned that order and pay technology could detract from the guest experience by limiting interaction with team members, should bear in mind that a properly thought-out solution will give staff more time to have meaningful interactions with guests.

What are the benefits for operators?​

Of course, order and pay technology doesn’t just benefit consumers. There are significant advantages for operators too – and those benefits are especially pronounced where systems can be integrated. The Zonal platform for example, is integrated to our POS in real-time, and powers our order and pay, click and collect, and loyalty white label apps, as well as our more recently developed browser-based ordering system. And it handles integration with third parties too, including the major delivery players, including Deliveroo and UberEats.

What are the benefits of a fully-centralised system?​

Everything is managed in one place, meaning operators can easily see orders, manage menus and pricing in real-time across multiple platforms and from multiple channels – including different delivery partners. There’s no double keying needed, saving a significant amount of time and removing the risk of human error.

Any examples?​

Take digital menus. Operators have reported that one of the major advantages of these over analogue menus is dynamic pricing – the ability to change prices according to the day of the week or time. A digital menu can also be set to automatically suggest add-ons and upgrades, perhaps offering people a side or the option to switch normal fries for sweet potato fries. Traditionally, operators have had to rely on staff to remember to do this but those using our system have found that automating the process yields great results for the bottom line.

What’s coming down the track that might shake things up?​

This area of technology is a fast-moving space. One thing to look out for over the coming months is the rollout of Apple’s App Clips. These are essentially mini versions of apps that don’t take up much space and – crucially – appear the moment a customer needs them. This is an area Zonal is looking at, as it offers the best of both worlds –  a native experience that’s as quick as using a mobile website. App Clips are also the gateway to customers downloading the full app with additional functionality, such as loyalty features.

Where does Zonal stand on the app versus browser-based order and pay debate?​

At Zonal we offer both solutions so it’s an and/or for us rather than versus. The beauty of technology today is that it can be on whatever platform the customer wants to use it on. The main advantage of apps is that they tend to be quicker, slicker and have the potential to offer more functionality, while browser-based solutions are instant and don’t require a download or a smartphone.

Any other predictions for mobile ordering and payments?​

Increasingly, we’re going to see hospitality businesses borrow from the playbooks of the likes of Amazon and Netflix to drive profitability. Personalisation is going to be key, but a balance does need to be struck between offering the customer the same thing over and over again and encouraging them to try new things. Ultimately, every restaurant and pub will use technology slightly differently but there’s always a way that it can improve operations for the business and the experience for the customer.

Perhaps you think the pandemic has put paid to loyalty schemes, at least for the foreseeable future. Loyalty schemes are, after all, about making customers feel special – hard to do when the doors are closed; they cost money to run at a time when cash is a more precious commodity than usual, and uncertainty reigns over when customers might be able to redeem any accrued rewards.

However, findings published in our latest GO Technology report, in partnership with CGA, tell a different story. With consumers eager to support their favourite businesses and get back into venues in 2021, this year could in fact be a prime opportunity to launch a new loyalty programme. With the pandemic having changed consumer behaviours though, a successful loyalty scheme will need to look a little different from anything offered pre-pandemic. Here’s four ways to make a success of a loyalty scheme in 2021.

1 Apps not cards

A mere 35% of hospitality operators surveyed said that their current loyalty scheme was card-based, with over half (52%) adopting loyalty schemes powered by apps. This is borne out by our own experience in recent times – over the last 18 months we’ve not had a single enquiry from operators wanting to implement a card-based system, indeed all of the loyalty schemes we have delivered in that time have been digital.

This shift to digital loyalty solutions is very likely to continue in our opinion, a result of increased consumer uptake and comfort with order and pay apps and online ordering during the pandemic. Not only does this offer customer convenience but could drive sign ups and repeat orders. By having applications integrated into one platform the operational burden of linking the solutions and data together is removed as the technology is doing the hard work for you.

2 Discounts will drive downloads

For the majority of people, discounts on food and drink are the main driver for using a loyalty app, with 48% looking for a percentage off their bill, 45% wanting a cash benefit, while 37% would like free food and drink after reaching a set spend. Non-monetary perks are relevant too (14% like a loyalty scheme to give them preferential booking and 11% want to be given queue jumping privileges) but with the economic outlook looking far from positive, unemployment on the rise, and job security a concern for many, it seems clear that in the future more sophisticated programmes will take a back seat to discount-driven rewards – at least in the short to medium term.

3 Integrate to generate profit

Once consumers start to use a loyalty scheme, they tend to make good use of it – about half say they do so almost or every time they visit a venue, so it makes sense to ensure your scheme is integrated with other digital products. Investing in a loyalty solution that integrates with your EPoS and booking functions for example, will reap many benefits, not least that members will be visible to staff at every point of the customer journey.

Further integration with your existing channels, such as with an order and pay app, offers further benefits. Giving delivery customers access to loyalty benefits as trading restrictions continue, for example, and then, when we can finally open our doors again, making it simple and easy for those downloading an order and pay app to join your loyalty scheme as part of the sign up process.

4 Powering insight

A major advantage of the shift to digital for operators is the valuable insights that can be gained from harvesting the available data. Visiting patterns, purchasing habits and general consumer behaviour can be collected and collated. This can be used to inform and deliver tailored deals and rewards to each customer, driving engagement and sales directly from the loyalty scheme, with the data then used to deliver more engaging and more targeted marketing campaigns. Using the insights alongside other customer data can also result in more informed longer-term strategy and planning to help future-proof your business.

Alison Vasey is Group Product Director at Zonal

With the roadmap for easing Covid restrictions underway, the ongoing vaccine roll-out, and the doors of hospitality businesses looking to re-open late April/mid-May, we’re finally looking at an exit from the pandemic.

There’s no question that tech now plays a vital role in hospitality – not just to solve current challenges, but to future-proof pub and restaurant businesses too.

According to CGA, 94% of business leaders now believe technology is a fundamental part of helping them to successfully navigate in the current climate. 

The pandemic pushed new tech solutions such as click and collect and mobile order and pay into the spotlight last year as consumers were quick to embrace the technology as part of their new COVID-compliant, contactless guest experience. At Zonal we saw over 40 times the amount of orders go through these channels than pre-COVID.

But the benefits of these new ordering channels extend well beyond the pandemic, and with the consumer adoption of these looking set to stay, now’s the time to think about if, and how, they fit into your current business model, and which other technology solutions could add value to your business.

Now could a good time to review your current operations technology stack and make sure it is fit for the future. Ask yourself questions such as:

1. Am I exploiting all the technology solutions that are relevant for my business and offer new revenue channels?
2. Which other tools are out there, that we’re not currently using, which will help our business become more efficient, control costs and increase profits?
3. Is our current tech stack delivering the benefits we expected? Are there any pain points that need resolving?
4. Are my current technology providers giving me the right level of support or has it highlighted the cracks in our tech infrastructure? Has it put pressure on other systems showing they can’t cope?

Additional points to consider when undertaking your review:

1. Sharing of data

Do your platforms sit in silos or do they talk to one another, can you capture this data centrally to give you a single view of your operations? Is it giving you access to the insight and data intelligence that you need to help you make informed decisions?

2. Operations

Do your tech platforms offer everything you need to support every aspect of your operations? Are they adding more time pressure on your staff, for example do online orders need to be re-keyed into your POS or kitchen management system or accounting tool? How do you ensure nothing is missed and how do you account for human error? Are the systems giving you complete control of all your customer touch points?

3. Protect your brand

With more ordering channels now available, this brings more opportunities for customers to engage with your brand. How is this being managed, is the brand experience consistent or is it being compromised? How do you ensure you offer the same experience customers expect from your brand even if they are not in-venue? Do the new platforms allow you to add your brand personality and unique offering, but still allow for that personal touch when needed?

4. Availability

How are you managing your available stock items or even available tables on different channels? Can customers order things or book tables that are no longer available? Not only is this an additional task for your staff to keep on top of but also leaves a negative impression of your brand with the customer if they are left disappointed during their guest experience with you.

5. Right partner

You may have needed to act quickly in implementing new technology solutions over the past year, and not had time to complete all the research that you would normally do when choosing a new technology partner. How is your partner working for you, how are they supporting you during this time, if you need help can you contact them outside of the standard 9-5pm? Can they meet your growth plans and expectations, can they grow with your business? Ensuring a partner can provide solutions that can integrate into your existing technology infrastructure and scale with you as you grow, will stand you in good stead for a successful, profitable business in the future.

A full technology review will help you to answer all these questions and work out which solutions will help create a healthy business for the road to recovery and a platform for sustainable growth.

Integration is key

With customer touchpoints becoming increasingly varied and arguably more complex and a plethora of platforms now available to operators, seamless data sharing and integration between technology systems is vital to minimise the burden on operations and ensure the customer experience is not compromised.

The data available from a suite of connected solutions provides invaluable insight for business planning, operational efficiency and meeting business goals – not just for re-opening, but for the future.

Get in touch with our friendly team to discuss your tech requirements, or if you’re a customer, contact your Account Manager directly.

For a completely integrated approach to your technology stack, check out Zonal’s full range of connected technology solutions and list of our partner integrations.

With more cities and counties up and down the country entering Tier 3 and 4 restrictions, restaurants, pubs and hotels are yet again forced to work out what to do with the mountain of stock and fresh produce that will be wasted. As UK Hospitality Chief Executive recently stated before London’s recent move to Tier 4, “as with previous short-notice lockdowns, this is going to cause a glut of wasted food and drink,” because hospitality businesses cannot “just turn on and off”.

Whilst changing Tiers and their resulting restrictions is out of your hands, having a clear picture of your inventory is always helpful at any moment in time, so that you’re able to quickly work out a clear plan of action to minimise all avoidable waste. And as lockdown measures are eased and re-imposed over the next few months (as is sadly inevitable), customer demand for stock items will continue to fluctuate, so knowing what you have in-hand has become more important than ever.

Our in-house stock and order experts have put together some top tips to help you reduce stock wastage and improve profitability over the coming months:

1. Stock ordering policy

Make sure you iron out your inventory and ordering policy and brief relevant team members. This includes establishing who’s in charge of ordering, what food items can be re-ordered (if you are open for takeaway), and when they can be re-ordered. If you have an integrated purchase-to-pay system in place, then an easy way to do this is by adding an approval structure within your system.

2. Understand what stock you hold

Ensure you have complete knowledge of what stock you hold at all times, as it allows you to prioritise which products are at most risk of going out of date or have the highest value. This will help you to identify ways to save your stock. For example, could some of your highest valued food products be frozen? Or could your stock be transferred to another site that are operating in tier one or two? These are all ways to help you educe food wastage and ultimately cut costs in the long run.

3. Find out which orders have been placed

Find out what stock orders have been placed and see if they can be cancelled. This may seem pretty obvious, but when you’re trying to manage all aspects of closing your restaurant this can easily slip one’s mind.

4. Adapt your food offering

Why not consider readjusting your sales mix and bundle some of your food items together to increase sales. For example, if you’re open for takeaway or are offering a click and collect service why not offer an extra side or starter, or if they spend over a certain amount offer them a free dessert. Whilst your overall margin and profit percentage will be less, you’ll still bring in more cash. It’s better to get some cash for your stock, even if it’s less than what you have paid for it, than to throw it away and get nothing for it at all.

5. Rotate your stock

Prior to the Coronavirus, WRAP estimated that 21% of restaurant food waste was due to food spoilage, so make sure you keep on top of your stock rotations by ensuring your oldest stock is utilised before its use by date. This will help you cut down the number of items going out of date and therefore waste.

6. Close your beer lines

Make sure your beer lines are shut properly as you don’t want to come back to beer that’s gone off or spoilt in the lines as this will increase wastage. This allows you to focus on what really matters – getting back up and reopening!

7. Donate to a good cause or charity

Sadly, despite the very best of efforts, there will inevitably still be wastage –especially if your business has no choice but to close completely during the pandemic. According to our latest GO Technology report with CGA, 60% of consumers are more likely to use a brand that donates spare food to charity. So, rather than simply throwing good stock away, why not consider giving it to charity, a local food bank or other good cause. There are plenty of fantastic organisations such as Too Good to Go who would be incredibly grateful for the support.

For more tips on how to reduce stock wastage and improve your profitability, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our in-house experts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly put digital solutions at centre stage in the customer journey. As operators across all sectors of the industry put a laser focus on safety measures and managing cash flow in order to survive, we’ve seen an explosion of innovative revenue streams and ordering channels – many of which have been made possible through technology.

Most notable of these have been order and pay at table solutions – from apps to web ordering, which, prior to the Coronavirus pandemic were still emerging technologies – used mainly by early adopters – both operator and consumer. Zonal and CGA’s GO Technology research programme has been tracking the adoption of order and pay technology over the past two years, and findings from the most recent study show that the percentage of UK adults using order and pay tech has more than doubled since before the pandemic – up from 18% to 43%.

Satisfied customers

And consumers have reacted positively to the new ordering channel. Just over three quarters (77%) say they have been satisfied or very satisfied with the ease of ordering, and even more (79%) with the ease and speed of payment – a notorious and recurring pain point for customers in hospitality venues.

Safety first

Whilst order and pay was previously viewed with scepticism by some as a replacement to human interaction, it has in fact, enhanced the customer experience and served to provide reassurance for customers around safety issues. According to the 5,000 UK adults surveyed: nearly nine in ten (86%) of those who used order and pay solutions reported that their interaction with staff was the same or better than it was before lockdown, and 40% of consumers say they feel safer in venues that use order and pay technology. A further third (34%) stated that they would be more likely to visit a venue that has order and pay technology.

The future

So is order and pay here to stay? With current adoption almost doubling compared to pre-COVID times and almost half of 18-44 year-olds intending to use the technology going forward, even when COVID measures no longer need to be implemented, we say yes.

Lockdown in March caused chaos and uncertainty in the industry. Within days businesses were forced to close their doors and no one could predict what was going to happen next.

As the industry emerged from lockdown, technology very quickly became the solution to a whole raft of new challenges, from social distancing to table service and contactless payment, leading to an acceleration of three to five years in the demand and usage of self-ordering and payment solutions. At Zonal alone, we’ve seen over 40 times the amount of orders go through our online ordering platforms than prior to COVID!

Many operators were forced to adopt new technology solutions at record speed, or make better use of those they already had over the past few months – for everything from managing bookings and capacity, to creating completely new ordering channels via click and collect and delivery. 48% of business leaders suggest that implementing new technology has been a major, or their biggest focus post lockdown to help safely reopen their businesses.

Fast forward seven months and we were presented with a second lockdown. So how can you use this time effectively? What have we learned and how are things different this time round?

Many of our customers are using this time to build for the future, not just for post-lockdown – planning long-term operational strategies, and for many this includes reviewing their entire technology suite.

Now is the time to look back and reflect how this tech is performing

You’ve implemented online ordering, click and collect or delivery. What now?

Having embraced these new technologies, it’s time to ask some serious questions of them – are you getting the most out of the solutions? Are they performing as you hoped they would? Is your provider giving you the right level of support or has it highlighted the cracks in your tech infrastructure? Has it put pressure on other systems showing they can’t cope with an omnichannel approach? A technology review will reveal the strengths and weaknesses of these solutions to ensure they are fit for purpose and capable of delivering your business needs.

Not sure where to begin? Here are a few points to consider when undertaking your review:

1. Sharing of data

Do your platforms sit in silo or do they talk to one another, can you capture this data centrally to give you a single view of your operations? Is it giving you access to the insight and data intelligence that you need to help you make informed decisions?

2. Operations

Do your tech platforms offer everything you need to support all your operations? Are they adding more time pressure on your staff, for example do online orders need to be re-keyed into your POS or kitchen management system or accounting tool? How do you ensure nothing is missed and how do you account for human error? Are the systems giving you complete control of all your customer touch points?

3. Protect your brand

With more ordering channels now available, this brings more opportunities for customers to engage with your brand. How is this being managed, is the brand experience consistent or is it being compromised? How do you ensure you offer the same experience customers expect from your brand even if they are not in-venue? Do the new platforms allow you to add your brand personality and unique offering, but still allow for that personal touch when needed?

4. Availability

How are you managing your available stock items or even available tables on different channels? Can customers order things that are no longer available? Not only is this an additional task for your staff to keep on top of but also leaves a negative impression of your brand with the customer.

5. Right partner

You may have needed to act quickly in implementing your new solutions and not had time to complete all the research that you would normally do when choosing a new technology partner. How is the partner working for you, how are they supporting you during this time, if you need help can you contact them outside of the standard 9-5pm? Can they meet your growth plans and expectations, can they grow with your business? Ensuring a partner can provide solutions that can integrate into your existing technology infrastructure will stand you in good stead for a successful, profitable business in the future.

Adding new technology to your business to meet changing demands is not as simple as a tick box exercise, it’s not easy and you’re not alone, 94% of leaders suggest that implementing new technology is at least somewhat challenging, with 1 in 3 suggesting it is a major challenge. You need to review, listen to your customers and work with your technology partner to ensure you are providing the best experience to keep those loyal customers.

With customer touch points becoming increasingly varied and arguably more complex, the seamless data sharing and integration becomes ever more vital to ensure the customer experience is not compromised and to minimise the burden on operations.  With a plethora of platforms now available to operators, never has there been a greater need for a holistic view of customer touch points and this can only be achieved through an integrated approach to technology. The data available from this approach will be invaluable to any business, it will aid planning, ensure operational efficiency and help meet your business goals not just for re-opening but for the future.

For a complete integrated approach, check out Zonal’s range online ordering tools

With the current lockdown in place and the Tier system set to come back into force once lockdown measures are eased, concerns over protecting your employees, customers and communities will remain as important as ever.

The pandemic pushed mobile ordering and payment technology into the spotlight last year, and consumers were quick to embrace the technology as part of their new COVID-compliant, contactless guest experience. But with benefits of order and pay technology extending well-beyond the pandemic, this trend is set to continue well into 2021 and beyond.

What’s more, changes in consumer habits and a desire to stay connected during the pandemic have driven an increase in mobile phone usage with 56% of people now using their mobile more than since COVID-19 began.

Zonal has been working with operators for several years now, supporting their order and pay solutions, however in October 2020 before festive restrictions came into force, we saw a record number and value of contactless orders processed through our mobile ordering solutions – £15million in one month.

So whilst customers are currently confined to their homes for another lockdown, now’s the opportunity to get on the front foot with Order and Pay technology, ready for when the industry opens back up again.

As with any new technology rollout, there are critical steps and pitfalls which determine its success or failure and we’ve put together a few Dos and Don’ts to help you make a success of your new order and payment solution.

1. Don’t rush your decision

With restrictions and government guidelines constantly changing, operators have had to make quick decisions, pivot business models on the spot and adapt to what is expected of them with only a moment’s notice. However, making a quick decision about a technology solution is not always the best decision, so make sure you take the time to do your research to find the right online ordering system for your business. Think through exactly how staff are going to quickly receive and manage orders, without disrupting other existing operations. Why not write a checklist of all the things you want your order and pay technology to be able to do, and be sure to speak to a few providers before making your decision.

2. Do check it’s future-proofed

Ensuring that your system is future-proofed is vital. A short-term solution could end up as a long-term headache, which drains more of your time than it saves. Does your online ordering system seamlessly integrate with your POS, so that orders are sent straight to the kitchen without your staff having to manually re-key orders? Does it give your customers a real-time view of your prices, stock, menu availability and offers? These are all things that need to be considered when choosing the right order and pay system and things that could very quickly become a drain of your time.

3. Do set KPIs and review them regularly

The best way to ensure a return on investment on your order and pay app is to review its performance against a set of KPIs that you set at the beginning of the project. You can quickly identify what’s working and what’s not, and prioritise any areas for improvement. You might want to set KPIs around the number of users, average spend or other important goals for your specific venue.

4. Don’t underestimate the importance of testing

Order and Pay is an extension of your brand and is an essential part of the customer experience. Make sure you test it out for yourself and ask staff, friends and family to do the same, to make sure you are happy the user experience. You’ll find that their feedback and engagement will enhance the overall success when it’s time to launch and could also give you some valuable nuggets of feedback that turn it from a standard solution to one that really flies!

5. Do take the time to train staff

Your staff can be your biggest advocates. It might seem straightforward but staff knowing how to use it inside out will be critical to its success. Take the time to train your staff thoroughly and allow all your staff to trial it.

6. Don’t expect your Order and Pay solution to sell itself

Just launching a mobile order and pay solution doesn’t guarantee it will be used. Your staff will be your main promotional channel for using the service, but it’s equally important to utilise every marketing tool in your kit. Whether it’s point of sale material on tables, till receipts, posters on toilet doors, on your website or emails, making customers aware that they are now able to order from the seat of their table will ensure its success.

If you’re thinking about an order and pay solution for your business, take a look at Zonal’s Order and Pay solutions, or get in touch with one of our team today using the form below to discuss your requirements.

You’ve decided to invest in a new piece of tech to improve the customer experience in your hospitality venue, great news! The next stage, however, can seem a rather daunting… from deciding on the right solution to invest in, to selecting the menu items you wish to push. What exactly does it entail? And what needs to be done to ensure you get the most out of your investment?

Over the past few years, Zonal has helped thousands of hospitality businesses to successfully deploy mobile order and pay solutions, so based on this experience, we’ve put together a handy checklist of everything you’ll need to do,  to ensure you get up and running quickly, using your system to its full potential.

1. Appoint a project owner and identify key stakeholders

Whether you’re a single site business, small group or multi-brand operation, the first and most important step is to decide who will be managing and championing your order and pay project. Even the biggest technology projects can fall between the cracks if there’s no clear owner to manage communications, gather feedback and keep the project on track. Likewise, if you’re not involving all of the members of your team who will be impacted by the new technology, it’s much harder to get their buy-in. Some key stakeholders you might want to involve could be wait staff, bar staff or even customers – it’s these groups who will be using it the most after all.

2. Set KPIs

As you probably already do with your other technology solutions, setting KPIs for your mobile Order and Pay solution will help you measure success and allow you to spend time nurturing those areas that are doing well.  There are many different metrics you can potentially track including spend per head, engagement with the service, frequency of visits or even average table occupancy.  Tracking these will help you to accurately determine ways to improve performance and develop an action plan based on the data.

3. Keep your brand and customer journey consistent

Before investing in an Order and Pay solution it’s helpful to ensure your brand guidelines are up to date. To ensure your Order & Pay web page or app is customised the way you want it to be when it goes live, double check you have all your logos, images, font files and colours ready to go. Ensuring these are all up to date and match your current branding will ensure consistency of your brand and enhance the customer journey.

4. Decide what menu items to sell

Whether you choose to include your full menu or a select few items, deciding which items to appear on your menu is necessary before implementation. Push special promotions or offers to promote your best sellers or push those less popular to increase sales. Menus, pricing and stock availability are kept up to date in real-time, so guests are never disappointed.

5. Ensure payments can be processed

To process payments through a mobile order and pay solution, you’ll be required to set up a Braintree/Paypal account. This is simple to set up and just requires to you to send a few details to Braintree and can be processed in 1-3 days.

6. Set up your developer accounts

If you’re going down the bespoke mobile app route, you’ll also need to set up developer accounts to push your app to the Google Play store or Apple stores, so it can be downloaded by customers. This can be set up in a few steps, and your app will appear in no time!

7. Make sure staff are onboard and fully trained

Ensuring your staff are onboard with any new technology solution will be critical to its success. Encourage them to give their feedback and ideas on how to make it a success and of course to use the new ordering process to see for themselves how easy it is. Why not organise a series of dedicated training sessions ready for launch with one of our trainers to help get you started. Providing a safe, non-live environment for all users will help them get comfortable with the solution and practice real-life scenarios before they happen.

8. Create a dedicated marketing campaign to launch your new service

You’ve created a fantastic new ordering channel. Now what? The success of your Order and Pay solution is completely dependent on how you promote it. So before rolling it out, make sure you create a dedicated marketing plan, incorporating all of the channels you have at your disposal – website, social media, in-store POS, email, till receipts… Consider an incentive to encourage customers to use the new ordering channel too. Maybe a free drink? Or free dessert with a spend over a certain amount. Think about really clear and simple messaging in your venues where it’s visible for customers to see. Having the right marketing in place, can help encourage downloads, improve customer experience, and help you meet safety expectations. The Zonal team are happy to help with more ideas on making a success of your roll out.

9. Test, test, test

If deploying an Order and Pay solution with Zonal, our dedicated Project team will support you through the testing phase to ensure everything is working as it should. Once you’re happy with your solution, it’s also important to test it with your stakeholders – staff, friends and family, to identify any final tweaks that will ensure it is an instant success!

10. Set a date to review the implementation

Like any great technology rollout, the analysis and adjustment phase is a critical stage to enable you to check that the tech is working as you hoped it would, to review results and identify anything that needs to be adjusted to improve results. Put a date in the diary to get your stakeholders together post-go live.

Using Zonal’s Order and Pay solution is seamless, efficient and stress free and your deployment process should be no different.

Find out more about Zonal’s Order and Pay solution here or get in touch using the form below.

If you’re over 55, special offers and deals are likely to get your attention. If you’re between 18-34 it’s most likely to be the drinks menu. Zonal’s GO Technology research explains how customer behaviour and preferences change depending on age and gender.

Pub and restaurant customers are a diverse bunch, but there are some interesting patterns when you start crunching the data: different groups of people have very different expectations when it comes to the booking and dining experience.

According to Zonal’s GO Tech research, there are distinct differences between differing age groups. Older customers are much more likely to check a pub or restaurant’s website before visiting the premises, with 34% of over-55s looking for special offers and deals compared to just 26% of 18 to 34s. The pattern repeats with booking information – 44% compared to 32% – and location information, which was required by 32% of over-55s compared to 22% of 18 to 34s.

Some things are universal, however. Across every demographic, the reasons for using a restaurant’s website are ranked in the same order of importance: the menu first (88%), followed by opening times (63%), booking information (38%), offers and deals (31%) and the drinks menu (29%). If your website people aren’t making it really easy for people to get those bits of information, you might want to have a word: when it comes to the biggest frustration with restaurant websites, 44% of people across all demographics say that it’s the lack of a viewable food menu. Difficulty in using or accessing the website is second (20%), followed by lack of booking information (12%), not listing opening times (10%) and not having a viewable drinks menu (7%).

That’s not to say that there aren’t some demographic differences in that data. The drinks menu is much more important to younger consumers: 41% of 18 to 34s check the drinks menu before visiting compared to just 21% of over-55s.

Points to remember:

• Over 55 are more interested in special offers and menus than any other age group
• Older customers are much more likely to check a pub or restaurant’s website before visiting, so make sure all of the information they are looking for is clear and easy to find
• Website features and frustrations are common across all demographics: lack of a menu is the biggest sin
• Some information is more important to specific groups: older consumers want location info and younger ones are looking for a drinks menu

• The most important thing about data is what you do with it – where you invest your valuable time, IT budget and marketing effort.

Discover more about how Zonal’s loyalty management system gives you the tools to build smart loyalty programmes that reward your most loyal customers and encourage increased spend.