The 3 Technologies MULO Restaurant Businesses Need Today: A Chat with Eric Seymour
Eric Seymour is the VP of Channel Programs at me&u. The company provides tech-powered ordering to restaurants. He believes strongly that the right technologies, combined with the best possible human-customer interaction, can help solve many of the problems multi-location (MULO) restaurants face today in terms of service and satisfaction today.
What are the top three must-have technologies for MULO (multi-location) brands today?
- An integrated point-of-sale (POS) system to streamline order
processing, inventory management, scheduling, and sales reporting. - Mobile ordering and payment for both in-store and takeout orders.
- A customer relationship management (CRM) system and loyalty program, to help you track preferences, build stronger customer relationships, and encourage repeat business and retention.
What is the benefit of adding more technology to restaurants?
Technology enables restaurants to solve a range of operational, customer service, and revenue-related pain points. Ask yourself first:
- Do you have bottlenecks in your service flow resulting in long wait times and unhappy customers?
- Do you face staff shortages?
- What kind of data do you need?
Knowing your ‘why’ will help you choose the right technology for your restaurant. The right technology can lead to customers spending 5-10 percent more per order because visual prompts and the best use of data can improve upsell and cross-sell, prompt reorders, and drive repeat visits.
Plus, the customer experience is better because orders are fulfilled faster, and customers can pay faster. They can easily split bills and tip with ease.
Humans can spend more time elevating the guest experience.
How can MULO (multi-location) brands plan for and rationalize their investment in new technologies?
First, you must be able to articulate the problems you’re trying to solve. That will help you set clear objectives and not buy more technology than you really need.
Choose the right partner. You want a company that’s a leader in the space and knows your industry. You want a partner who will support you throughout the onboarding process and offer 24/7 support, especially during peak business times.
Staff training and buy-in are especially critical; you want your tech partner to assist with that.
If you can, scale gradually. Pilot in a few restaurants before roll-out so you can fine-tune and iron out issues. Then, analyze your ROI and look at both short- and long-term benefits. Collect customer feedback to ensure you’re enhancing the experience.
Anything else?
The heart remains the cornerstone of hospitality. While technology is an asset to any venue, dining out is still about social interactions and making connections with people.
As the restaurant industry continues to face challenges in hiring and retaining staff while dealing with rising operational costs, tech can make restaurants stronger, more resilient, and more efficient – improving the experience for customers and employees alike.
