Triumph with tech

WITH THE HELP OF LEADING TECHNOLOGY EXPERTS IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY, WE TAKE A LOOK INTO THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY WITHIN BAR VENUES – FOCUSING ON HOW DIGITALISATION CAN ELEVATE YOUR BUSINESS AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, HOW TO ACHIEVE THE PERFECT BALANCE BETWEEN TECH AND HUMAN INTERACTION TO ENSURE MAXIMUM CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.

We are living in an increasingly digitalised world, where technology has become the driving force in most of the things we do. As with all industries, technology has completely transformed the hospitality sector, with more and more bars relying on tech to support and aid their day-to-day trading activities.

Technology in bars – particularly when it is well-executed – has many advantages, and can totally elevate a venue. From improving customer experience and staff well-being, to reducing business costs and increasing overall revenue, technology is undisputedly an essential tool in improving your bar and its processes.

Supporting this statement is Henry Seddon, Managing Director of Access Hospitality, who explains: “Technology has the capacity to change bar operations beyond recognition by simplifying processes and providing the tools to run the business as safely, efficiently and enjoyably as possible.”

Recognising the role of technology within bar venues and its importance, is Sebastien Sepierre, Managing Director EMEA at Fourth, who explains: “Innovative technology is becoming an increasingly essential tool for hospitality operators to maintain staff productivity and optimise business growth. Technology can play a role in every aspect of a company, whether this is through ensuring staff are equipped to deliver a smooth service experience or effectively managing kitchen stock and reducing waste.”

Further highlighting the importance of technology is Conor Shaw, CEO of Bizimply, who states: “The right technology can be a bar operator’s best friend. The trick is to find technology that helps team members to be the very best versions of themselves: happy in their work, motivated and delivering exceptional customer service.”

Taking the pressure off of waiting staff is a great way to boost staff morale, while also increasing efficiency and providing an overall, positive customer experience –technology can aid this.

Digital menus and online ordering apps in bars enable customers to order their drinks and pay their bill at the click of a button, which provides a variety of benefits to both the customer and to the venue. A quick and easy digital ordering app, as opposed to the traditional method, reduces the time spent by customers waiting in long queues to order and pay, thereby improving customer satisfaction and experience. For staff, less time is spent taking orders and waiting on tables, improving efficiency and, therefore, enabling staff to focus on providing great service and drinks.

Lisa Scheele, Director of TableSnappr, highlights the increased customer service expectation among consumers, and explains that: “Customers want immediate service, but they also want to focus on quality time with their friends and family.”

Implementing ordering apps can answer this demand, providing quicker and smoother service to customers, and putting the consumer in control of their experience.

While improving customer experience and staff efficiency, implementing technology, such as service ordering apps, can bring increased sales and overall growth to your venue. Lisa reveals the effectiveness of TableSnappr in bars, stating that: “Tech is a great way to boost venue efficiency and sales; our statistics show order size increased by 22% with more repeat ordering because it’s so easy and accessible.”

She further explains: “The system is so easy to use that one of our venues, Chow Down, in Leeds, says that they can get pints on tables ninety seconds after opening.”

Technology, which provides staff with additional time to focus on the important customer experience and puts the customer in control of their own visit, can be a real benefit to a venue.

Drink Command, a globally recognised leader in the self-serve beverage sector, is another example of effective technological advancements within the hospitality industry. Peter Robinson, UK and European Director of Operations and Sales at Drink Command, describes the innovative equipment: “Drink Command’s self-serve systems reduce wait times for customers with a total interaction time of less than thirty seconds, allowing guests to avoid the long queues. With a cashless payment system, guests follow the instructions via Drink Command’s touchscreen system and pull a beverage in seconds.

“Drink Command’s customisable tap walls allow venues to integrate the walls to fit the space and interior. Venues can choose between one to two-hundred taps for their wall, giving guests the option to choose a variety of beverages”, Peter adds. Both elevating the customer experience, and improving staff efficiency, self-serve tap technology, such as Drink Command, opens opportunity for increased revenue too.

“Drink Command’s technology ensures that every drop in a keg is paid for –eliminating waste and over-pouring with the use of Drink Command’s ultra-sonic flowmeters and solenoid valves. In addition, with the use of credit card and contactless payment options, transaction times are significantly reduced as well as labour costs.

“Bars are looking to increase their margins, and implementing self-pouring systems will aid this and ultimately increase their profit”, Peter concludes.

Vagabond Wines, a group of differentiated, award-winning and tech- enabled wine bars, uses a similar self-pour technology that allows guests to discover a large array of wines during their visit. Guests simply tap with a contactless payment method to select a wine to sample, as a taster or by the glass, and once their favourite is found, customers can then purchase a whole bottle to enjoy.

Sophie Evans, Head of Marketing at Vagabond Wines, explains: “Vagabond’s mission is to make good wine accessible and discoverable to all – with onehundred wines by the sample or glass via our bespoke self-serve wine dispensing machines, we make it fun and easy to discover new wines. Our proprietary ‘beer wall’ provides a similar discovery experience for craft beer.”

Focusing less on efficiency, and more on the unique, customer experience, Vagabond Wines uses technology to create a USP, which sets them apart from competitors, and positively impacts the customer during their visit.

“The machines give a smooth journey for our guests wanting to explore different wines without committing to the whole glass before they have tried it”, Sophie adds.

As well as this, the self-pour technology provides the venue with useful information on customer preferences and demands: “The biggest benefit of this tech is that it enables us to understand our guests’ preferences on their choice of drinks and then communicate with them effectively, as well as ensuring we are reacting to behavioural changes and delivering the products our guests want.”

Using technology as a USP is an alternative method of how your venue can improve the customer experience and enable you to stand out from competitors, which can then, in turn, increase overall revenue and growth.

Inamo is the world’s first interactive restaurant ordering and entertainment system, where guests can order their meal, play games, even draw on their table surfaces.

Noel Hunwick, Marketing Director and Co-Founder of Inamo Restaurants, explains: “Guests can order what they want, when they want, request the bill when they’re ready to leave, and have a great time playing games, decorating their table surfaces and much more, to entertain themselves whilst they wait for their food.”

“The guest-facing experience at Inamo is technology led and this is a core part of our USP”, Noel adds.

While this technology is a great way to get guests through the door, Noel also explains how the technology can further elevate the guest experience: “We have always said that incorporating technology, such as our interactive tables, actually frees our waiters to be more engaging and interactive with our guests, without having to worry about tasks like entering items onto the POS system or sorting out bills.”

Commenting on the balance between technology and human interaction, Noel explains: “I think it is vital that a balance is maintained between technology and traditional elements of hospitality, such as an engaging guest service, as charming your guests is a key part of the very definition of hospitality.”

But how important is the balance between technology in bars and human interaction, especially to consumers? After all, the hospitality industry is defined by person-to-person engagement. Furthermore, it can be argued that good customer experience comes down to good customer service provided by staff, not by digital apps or machines.

The latest GO Technology report from leading hospitality tech provider Zonal, and insight firm CGA by NIQ, reveals that “the majority of consumers, 55%, think that striking a balance between human interaction and technology provides the best experience in venues.”

The report also revealed that “some 71% of people now prefer to use technology either exclusively or in tandem with human interaction.”

Olivia Fitzgerald, Chief Sales and

Marketing Officer at Zonal, says: “The role of technology in hospitality is clearly growing rapidly in a post-pandemic market, but this doesn’t mean that we all want hospitality that’s all about robots and automated processes.

“In fact, it’s more important than ever not to underestimate the importance of human connection; the research makes it clear that, for consumers, the best hospitality experiences are those that offer the right balance of technology and traditional face-to-face service.”

Further, Karl Chessell, Director –Hospitality Operators and Food, EMEA, CGA by NIQ, adds: “This research emphasises the enduring appeal of the personal experiences that hospitality delivers so well. But while many consumers still enjoy human interaction from the start to finish of their journey through a restaurant or pub, it is clear that many people now want the option to use digital solutions at every step — and that number will only grow.”

It is clear that striking this balance is crucial for your venue to maintain guest satisfaction – especially when the technology used is front-of-house and customer-facing. But what about tech that isn’t directly used by the customer that can elevate your business processes?

Glenn Tait, Product Director at Zonal, recognises the importance of using tech in the background of your venue: “We know that people want human interaction, so tech needs to be working hard behind the scenes with staff to make their lives easier, allowing them to focus on delivering exceptional customer service, and further enhancing the customer experience by removing common frustrations.”

Stock management software and digital inventories can hugely benefit a bar by streamlining replenishment processes and reducing the risk which comes with low-stock levels. Glenn explains: “An understocked bar can also cause customer frustration and, therefore, negatively impact sales. Technology can help remove the risk of this happening before it has even occurred.”

Glenn continues: “With the right integrated tech in place, sales can be automatically updated in the stocks system, allowing staff to see in real time the availability of products to only offer customers what they have available. This live availability can also be displayed on the POS, whether that’s at a till or on a handheld ordering device, so staff are always kept ‘in the know’ with regards to what’s out of stock. Operators can also look at the reports that the stock system generates to help them easily identify stock levels and make better decisions on how much stock needs to be ordered, removing guesswork, and reducing holdings and overordering.”

While streamlining your business, such technology can provide long-term profitability to your venue, as Sebastien Sepierre, Managing Director EMEA at Fourth, explains: “It’s crucial that business owners across the sector invest in solutions that will help to streamline their processes, such as smart stock management, where operators can use one interface to view all suppliers and monitor real time inventory levels. Technology such as this - which is focused on boosting efficiency - enables operators to control costs and improve productivity, therefore helping to boost profitability across the board.”

Such technology makes staff’s lives easier and provides more opportunity for them to focus on the customer experience – so it can be said that taking care of your staff by making their job easier will take care of your business in terms of increased customer satisfaction and greater sales.

Conor Shaw, CEO of Bizimply, urges venues to: “Remember that every sale is delivered by a team member, so invest in technology that helps them to thrive.”

Lastly but not least importantly, implementing technology back of house which can increase staff morale and wellbeing is crucial to achieve business success.

Conor continues: “With labour shortages across the hospitality sector, it’s more important than ever for bar operators to value their teams: treat them well and they will enjoy their work, deliver excellent customer service, and stay with you. While remuneration is part of the package, it’s not everything; staff also want a rewarding job with good conditions and an employer that respects their work-life balance.”

“By automating staff scheduling with Bizimply, operators can give their team members plenty of notice of shifts, so they can plan childcare or other commitments”, Conor adds.

Echoing Conor’s words is Sebastien at Fourth, who explains the importance of staff well-being, and how tech can aid this: “Staff well-being is key to ensuring a positive guest experience, as a happy and motivated team leads to higher productivity and enables employees to provide better customer service. For example, data-forecasting and labour- scheduling technology plays a pivotal role in allowing managers to not only work out who they need and when, but also deploy more creative and efficient scheduling. This tech can calculate labour demand across every department and location within a business, leaving no shift over or understaffed. It protects the guest experience whilst safeguarding against staff burnout, empowering employees to be more flexible and tailor their working week to better suit their needs.”

Ultimately, the role of technology is becoming increasingly important to hospitality venues in improving customer experience and achieving higher profitability – and if implemented effectively, the right technology can undoubtedly help a bar excel. However, as tech’s role in bars increases, so does consumers’ demand for balance between technology and human interaction. Make sure you are thoughtful in your venue’s approach to technology and invest in tech which will elevate staff efforts to provide the best possible service to your guests.