How tech will improve diner experience in 2024

The hospitality sector has undergone a digital revolution that has brought technology closer to the centre of all businesses, whether they’re big or small, part of a group or chain, or an independent venue. But as ResDiary found, the hunger for greater tech adoption shows no signs of slowing, as 57% of operators within the industry expect to increase their use of software solutions in 2024.

Our latest survey found that booking systems, EPOS, and table management systems were among the most important to running a successful venue. Business operators, already well established with these systems, are also keen to use other tools to help them attract diners and provide them with a unique and enriched customer experience.

This should be what it boils down to after all, especially as venues strive to squeeze more value from every table booking and build long-lasting relationships with their customers. The good news is that almost two-thirds of diners we surveyed (60%) said technology will impact the dining experience more in the future, and the outcome will be positive.

With that in mind, we can explore how technology can have a positive impact on diner experience in 2024. We’ll reveal what customers really want, how venues can benefit from listening, and of course, how technology can help.

#1: Freeing up staff to focus on delighting their diners

Perhaps, one of the earliest reasons many restaurants and bars adopted hospitality technology was to help streamline operations and support their staff - take switching from pen and paper reservation management to digital solutions for example. This appears to still be the case, as the requirements of staff were most important in driving our survey respondents to research new solutions for their venues.

When you think about it, the key role of your front of house team, especially, is to provide an amazing experience to customers that come into your venue for a good time. But the many duties they serve can soon stack up, whether that’s managing bookings, chasing deposits, handling complaints and reviews, social media posting, and rota planning to name just a few. These all distract their attention away from their customers.

The more technology can support those tasks or remove the burden completely, the more bandwidth your team will have to be attentive and provide an outstanding experience. One of the major concerns our diner respondents had about technology was that it would replace human interaction - 64% agreed with this statement. But as you can see, it will actually allow your team to do what they do best and create an even more personal experience!

#2: Making it easier to book

Most diners (93%) booked online in the last 12 months and 81% said it was easier in our latest report. Also, 9 in 10 prefer to book directly on a restaurant‘s website. This suggests we’ve reached the point where offering online bookings is essential to every venue.

Most online booking solutions also provide reminders sent to customers via email or SMS and make it easy for them to provide payment details if a deposit is required.

Deposits can still be a sticking point for some venues, because it might feel awkward and be tricky to manage. But our report shows a change in opinion from customers who are now more open to providing card details to secure a table, with the proviso that the safety of their data is treated with the utmost care.

With support from a trustworthy booking provider, deposits and reminders could all be sewn into a seamless booking experience for your customers.

Lastly on bookings, customers also want to book wherever they discover restaurants and bars online, as almost two-thirds (65%) use third party platforms like Google and Dish Cult to do so. With that in mind, you can enhance your booking experience simply by being available on these platforms.

#3: Making it easier to cancel

We can hear the cries from restaurant owners reading this article; ‘Why would we want to make it easy for people to cancel?', especially when no-shows are costing the industry billions of pounds each year.

But cancellations are inevitable and customers are ready to play by the rules, provided it is easy to do so and managed fairly. As mentioned above, almost two-thirds (62%) of consumer respondents said they are happy to provide their details to secure a table booking. The majority of customers (33%) also believe that up to 24 hours is a fair window for cancelling without losing a deposit.

The benefit from this is that even if a customer cancels, you’ll likely have time to resell their table. Plus, they’re more likely to re-book in the future if they feel they’ve been treated fairly.

#4: Leaning into loyalty

Loyalty and reward schemes have been around for a long time, yet still so many venues could be missing a key component from their customer experience. We found that three-quarters of diners (73%) said they‘d like to be able to earn loyalty points when they’re dining out. Yet, less than half of venues agree they need some sort of loyalty scheme to succeed.

If you can launch the right kind of loyalty scheme, you could leap ahead of your competitors who don’t see their value, and of course, create a stronger bond with your existing customers.

#5: Providing takeaway options

It may seem strange to talk about takeaway options when so many venues appear to have forgotten about online orders since the end of the pandemic – 66% don’t see them as important. But they appear to have stuck around in diners’ minds, as that same percentage of diners want just that. In fact, 85% of diners in the 25-34 age group said it was something they were on the lookout for.

Is it time to turn online orders back on and tap into a revenue stream that many of your competitors may have forgotten about?

However you use technology in your business, it could be time to conduct an audit of your current set-up to ensure you have the right solutions. This is especially important where the customer experience is concerned. As we’ve seen from our report, diners are driving toward a more personalised experience, especially online. Try mapping out the customer journey from booking to welcoming them back, and identify any gaps between what people expect and what you’re currently providing.

Don’t forget, your staff needs are also important, and there may be opportunities to streamline certain activities to enable them to spend more time on what’s most valuable, delivering an amazing experience to your customers.

Don’t stop here, get all the latest trends and advice on growing your business with technology today. Download the full report on tech trends for 2024!