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From eliminating wait times to interactive tables and improved ordering accuracy, NEC explains that digital video is revolutionizing the restaurant experience.
There's more to the restaurant experience than the food. Digital video is revolutionizing how people dine out.
The restaurant industry, which happens to be projected to be worth $799 billion in 2017, is being significantly impacted by digital video, according to a whitepaper by NEC Display Solutions of America. The impact is positive for the restaurant experience and the opportunity is huge for integration firms that serve restaurant customers.
It’s easy to see how digital video impacts quick-serve restaurants, for instance, with digital menu boards and self-serve kiosks.
In its whitepaper, NEC explains that the impact extends from fast food all the way to fine-dining establishments.
Here are three examples of how digital video is changing the restaurant experience. NEC offers more context and several more examples in its whitepaper.
Ensuring Order Accuracy
Kiosks and menu displays can be operated by the customers themselves, cutting down on the possibility of employee errors and allowing patrons to call out special requests, such as food allergies or request food substitutions. Investing in a digital display kiosk will simplify the ordering process and allow consumers to enjoy a lower-cost, hassle-free restaurant experience.
Interactive Tables
Customers can use interactive tables, which include an embedded keyboard and touchpad, to place orders, charge a phone (using an induction charging station for mobile devices), or act as a fully developed workstation that includes an LCD display. This cloud-based workstation allows customers broad use of the internet, so that they have the ability to connect to various personal applications such as Google docs, email, and so forth.
Improving Word of Mouth
Interactive tabletops could also be used to access social media accounts. If a restaurant wants to build up their online community, they could offer incentives to post status updates, check-ins, or to hashtag menu items or promotions. This could boost a restaurant’s digital profile and get people talking.
Live social media feeds could also be displayed on screens throughout a restaurant.
One restaurant chain reported a 200 percent increase in Instagram interactions when they began using screens in their venues to display live posts that used their designated hashtag. Promotions like this can be set up with a filter that will automatically eliminate profane language and negative comments.
Loyalty programs — such as promotions, contests, or giveaways — could also work to keep people chatting and to help positively promote the restaurant, both in and out of house. In-house, there could even be an added bonus of connecting customers who are in the restaurant at the same time.