As the advent of new technology continues to disrupt multiple sectors across the world, some industries are finding it more difficult to adjust than others. As the expectations for convenience and speed begin to rise, businesses must find new ways to satisfy their customers or risk becoming obsolete.
According to a new report from BRP Consulting and Windstream Enterprise, evolving technologies and guest expectations are creating a major divide in the restaurant industry. This report, The Restaurant Digital Crossroads: The Race to Meet Guest Expectations, combines findings from over 1,225 restaurant guest and 60 restaurant executives.
Scott Langdoc, Senior Vice President at BRP, broke down the major findings of the report: “As guest expectations continue to rise, restaurants must transform their business with new technologies to make the dining experience more seamless and frictionless,” he said, “Unfortunately, many restaurant brands and franchisees have a long way to go to catch up to guest expectations. The good news is that restaurants are aware of the gap and their future plans include enhancements to key areas that guests deem important for a great experience: ease of ordering and payment, WiFi availability, and mobile POS.”
The report found that the Millennial and Gen-Z generations have the highest expectations for restaurants to have digital capabilities. The report recognized significant gaps between the expectations of these generations and the deliverables of the restaurants.
One growing area of concern for restaurants are digital discounts and promotions. While companies like Groupon and Woot offer digital coupons to customers through an agreement with the restaurant, many restaurants are finding it difficult to adapt.
BRP’s report found that 60 percent of guests feel that discounts and promotions are important to attracting and retaining their business, while only 35 percent of restaurant operators admitted to having this capacity.
Another growing concern among restaurant patrons is the availability of Wi-Fi within the restaurant, especially in areas where cell phone reception is limited. The report found that 60 percent of guests feel this feature is extremely important, while only 44 percent of operators stated they had Wi-Fi capabilities within the restaurant.
As the needs and priorities of modern consumers continue to change, it will be interesting to see how restaurants use this information to satisfy their clientele.