Yes or no to the kiosk? Or, perhaps more to the point: in the age of smartphones, why deal with the hassle and cost of installing kiosks?
That’s a question that many restaurateurs are grappling with, knowing that kiosks can increase sales. But when done wrong, they can cause problems.
Any way to maintain a digital engagement with customers is a good thing, says Erik Thoresen, director of Technomic. “There is always a benefit to being technologically advanced”says Thoresen, who sees kiosks as just that.
The first numbers at the kiosks are attractive. A recent report in Harvard Business Review notes that, in the first experimentation of McDonald’s With kiosks, long before they were distributed to thousands of stores, the company found that the average purchase was about a dollar higher (representing a 30% increase at the time).
At the same time, 20% of customers who did not initially order a drink would buy one when it was offered, according to the report. Panera Bread announced in the middle of last year that it has achieved more than $ 1 billion in sales from its digital platforms, which include kiosks.
More recently, Subway It also started experimenting with kiosks, though ultimately it plans to add them to only a limited number of stores, says Trevor Haynes, the chain’s director of business development.
Right now, Subway has 40 kiosks in new or remodeled stores across the United States.
Subway’s kiosks are doing particularly well around college campuses and hospitals, but some of its less crowded locations are seeing limited kiosk use, Haynes says. In general, however, Subway is realizing that customers are interacting with the brand differently.
Subway customers are used to asking an employee and walking the line while their sandwich is made to their specifications. It takes a major adjustment to order from a kiosk, Haynes says. “A lot of people like to go through the line and talk to the one who makes their sandwich.”says Haynes. “So it’s hard for them to commit to technology.“.
Not only do customers have to get used to using the kiosks, but employees also need to be trained on how to use and respond to them, Haynes says. Store managers have noticed that some customers, especially younger ones, like to “play” with the kiosks for a while and then order directly from the sandwich maker.
“They start to order, but they don’t finish”says Haynes. “It’s like they just want the experience.”
But Colleen Wagner, co-owner of Lea French Street Food in Oak Park, Illinois, he’s had a very different experience with kiosks. Wagner and her husband designed their own kiosk concept. “We wanted customers to feel empowered to order what they want,” says Wagner. “Without the kiosks, our menu would not have as many options.”
She says the two kiosks are helping to reduce labor costs by nearly two employees and increasing verification averages – orders placed at the kiosks bill nearly 50% more than orders placed at the cash register. A big reason for this are the higher-cost sandwich add-ons: avocado ($ 1.90), bacon ($ 2.00), and chicken ($ 2.50), all of which are added more frequently by kiosk users.
Still, the kiosks at Lea French Street Food aren’t perfect. First, they are for orders only; customers still have to pay an employee. The reason is that food orders are processed faster and therefore reach the customer faster.
However, due to the two-step process, some customers find them cumbersome for smaller orders, such as a cup of coffee. And depending on the size of the orders, an influx of kiosks can flood the kitchen.