PW-FEB20-34-Guest-Article.qxp_Feature 03/03/2020 16:10 Page 34
Guest Article
Hungry for change
Parks and destinations need a zingy new recipe for queuing and ordering says Omico CEO, Mel Taylor.
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ever come between guests and the new food or dining experiences you’re offering. It’s one of the main lessons from fresh research into the eating habits of 2,000 US theme park visitors . This found 93 per cent
of guests get really frustrated about lack of fast, easy access to food and drink. The point is that if parks put a lot of effort and invention into new dishes such as
alligator-bites or dining in space stations, they need to make sure it’s as easy as possible for guests to get to them. Almost three-quarters of visitors (73 per cent) said trying out new restaurants or new recipes for food and drink, is an important aspect of their visit. But nearly half (47 per cent) said they are frustrated by having
to wait in line. Parks can fall into the trap of revamping menus only to neglect ordering,
queuing, paying and delivery. In the era of movie-inspired dining and dramatic new combinations of flavours, the old burger-and-fries approach to consumer- facing hospitality technology no longer cuts the mustard. Younger visitors, for example, will soon lose their enthusiasmif futuristic restaurants involve prehistoric queuing experiences. The whole visit-eat-ride excitement continuum will at be risk, with parks and destinations losing out on important revenue streams.
Guests have their own ideas including kiosks Guests want new food and beverage experiences to be matched by innovation that removes the frustrations – but they also have ideas on what will work. More than half (57 per cent) in the research, for instance, believe kiosks and
phone apps could solve the problems of queuing or waiting. More than three- quarters (77 per cent) like kiosks because they make ordering and paying much faster and easier. Ordering ahead increases the likelihood a guest can pick up a spicy new wrap just as he or she arrives. In the research, more than a fifth of visitors in the 16-24 age group said they are attracted to kiosks because they involve no conversation with members of staff.
Nonetheless, with the right combination of hardware, software and location, kiosks
definitely accelerate the eating experience in busy quick-service locations – and boost sales. It’s why, for example, McDonald’s is planning kiosks in 6,000 US stores. It doesn’t suit every guest, but it’s what many prefer. Kiosks are also highly-prized when guests run out of phone battery, which is fairly common on a day-long visit.
Hot on delivery and phone apps Three-quarters (75 per cent) of guests said having food delivered directly to them wherever they are in a park would ‘definitely improve’ their visit, emphasising the centrality of convenience. The use of phone apps and kiosks to give the user’s locationwould be one way to achieve this. More than two-thirds (67 per cent) said a park’s bespoke phone app would
make life easier through advance-ordering. One of the reasons for this is that if you order on an app, you don’t feel hassled by table staff or by people queuing behind you. This was a why 39 per cent of respondents like ordering on apps. More than a quarter (27 per cent) like apps because they give quick and accurate access to loyalty programmes and points.
Meal deals and loyalty But it’s not all about technology. It’s clear that parks and destination operators are failing to offer food and beverage planning options, such as meal deals, before guests arrive. Meal deals enable guests to order and pay for their eating and drinking requirements in advance and are attractive to visitors who want more certainty or are more budget-conscious, perhaps because they have families. Disney and Universal already use them. Despite this, just 45 per cent of US theme park visitors in this research were aware of meal plans and only 39 per cent have used them. However, the research found 78 per cent of guests are ready to buy meal
plans if they come as part of package with loyalty points that can be spent in the park. The clear advantage of meal deals for operators lies not just in advance payment and cashflow, but also better predictability for resource allocation and overall planning. Loyalty schemes are definite triggers that operators need to use much more
effectively. The key to their uptake is having points or rewards that are instantly visible and accessible so that guests know where they stand, see what they have accumulated and don’t have to jump through hoops or wait set periods before they can spend them. Being able to see loyalty points easily is one of the reasons respondents said they favour using kiosks. In summary, the research, which was conducted right across the US,
demonstrates very clearly that visitors become frustrated when the excitement promised in zingy new food, beverage and dining experiences is undermined by
Mel Taylor has been CEO of Global retail technology provider, Omnico Group since 2014.
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clunky, slow processes. Destinations, theme parks and resorts all urgently need to refresh their recipes for ordering, queing, payment and delivery so that they don’t stand between guests and the experiences they have come for.
FEBRUARY 2020
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