Reopen safely with smart PoS and mobile ordering

Sponsored article: The Covid-19 pandemic has proven just how resilient hospitality businesses can be, with many having turned to technology adoption to ensure continued running of businesses and, ultimately, survival throughout lockdown.

In fact, this adoption has been so vast that a recent survey by McKinsey found that Covid-19 has accelerated technology uptake by seven years. This level of investment has allowed organisations to completely rethink the way they operate.

Customer satisfaction is at the heart and soul of the hospitality industry and, as such, restaurants, bars and venues have shifted their focus towards finding the safest and most convenient ways to serve customers. Leveraging PoS systems will be a crucial first step, when the time comes, in creating seamless contactless transactions through a range of solutions, with this seemingly simple act of digital transformation and automation opening up a plethora of opportunities for hospitality businesses.

Speeding up service has always been a priority for hospitality businesses for convenience’s sake, but in today’s lockdown era, this also addresses safety concerns to allow for more effective social distancing. This can seem a difficult feat to achieve during rush hour when demand is high, but it doesn’t have to be. Easy-to-use and intuitive mobile ordering platforms have been adopted by venues on an international scale to create safer and more convenient ways to order food and process payments by minimising touchpoints between customers and staff alike.

Solutions provided by Goodtill by SumUp, an industry-leading PoS provider, include Goodeats, a mobile ordering platform that also accepts table ordering to cater to more diverse crowds in more diverse ways and, most importantly, safer ways. While its click and collect function will negate many challenges posed by lockdown restrictions, the table ordering feature will no doubt find its spotlight once hospitality businesses are ready to welcome their customers back inside their venues. This is in addition to unlocking pick-up, delivery and drop-off to promote a smoother and safer checkout experience.

When lockdown is lifted and it is once again safe to have consumers fill the streets, it is anticipated that contactless payments and online ordering will become a government requirement. Those businesses that have developed a reliable click and collect service will be in a strong position to continue to expand operations. With the vaccine rollout gaining ground, it seems that we are now on the road to real recovery for the hospitality sector. Those that have been utilising click and collect technology will be able to quickly pivot from short-term business continuity applications to long-term growth enablement.