their food and drink, which all contributes to reducing the dreaded no-shows. The power of an integrated online book-
ing system such as Zonal can, for example, allow operators to analyse booking data to identify the busiest times and have the appro- priate amount of staff on-hand to ensure ser- vice goes smoothly and maximise covers. By analysing past booking patterns, operators can accurately forecast daily staffing require- ments for waiting staff and kitchen personnel, alleviating staff stress during peak hours and potentially cutting costs. With complete in- session visibility of every stage of the custom- ers’ stay or dining experience, operators can better manage bookings, wait lists and walk- ins from the online interface. Olivia Fitzgerald, chief sales and marketing
officer at Zonal, says: “An integrated system also gives operators the ability to collect guest data from all parts of the business and use this information to make key strategic decisions. Operators who integrate their EPoS with their reservations and table management systems can merge spend data with bookings data to construct a comprehensive customer profile. This enables operators to craft more person- alised marketing campaigns for customers, which are geared towards fostering customer loyalty, enhancing retention rates, and boost- ing overall revenue.” Dan Brookman, chief executive of hospital-
ity customer relationship management pro- vider Airship and Toggle, agrees but suggests many companies are failing to benefit from rich data: “Technology is now better connected and data flow is immediate, which makes it far easier to get into the granular detail about a specific guest in your restaurant, pub, café or bar. Despite this, however, the harnessing and use of data is an opportunity still widely missed by much of the industry.” While many operators collect data on their
Colin Winning
“Anything that helps us free up resources to allow our staff to spend time with guests is a winner
in my opinion” David Scott, Hotel Folk Group
customers, he says few use it effectively; yet data is the key to making informed decisions based on genuine insight and accurate and up-to-date information about consumer behaviour, prefer- ences and market trends. Data can be used to build up a picture of customer behaviour across the likes of booking, feedback and visits which in turn can help inform strategic business deci- sions and improve the consumer experience.
8 | Technology Prospectus 2024
www.thecaterer.com
▲
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52
