Contactless technology is making our lives easier. Take contactless payments, for example. They account for two-thirds of financial transactions made across the UK. And once the pandemic ends, the number is expected to rise.
So what makes them so popular? Convenience, speed, and safety – both for our health during the pandemic and for our bank accounts – are good reasons enough.
But while instant payments are a normal part of our lives, other forms of contactless technology are available that are proving to be transformational. Plus, when many of them are helping to reduce the risk to health, save businesses time and money, and improve efficiencies, it makes sense to explore the opportunities that are out there. And that’s why we’ll take a closer look at how contactless technology will improve your business.
How is contactless technology making businesses better?
Revolutionary robot firm Starship has rolled out the first delivery robots in Milton Keynes. Serving up to 180,000 people, their robot delivery service offers no-human-contact in takeaway services. They’re also going a long way in reducing the level of carbon emissions from deliveries.
This year, to adapt to the pandemic, Deliveroo and UberEATS introduced no-contact, drop-off services. Aiming to keep their drivers and customers safe, their apps are giving customers the option of leaving a note for their delivery driver on the level of contact they’re comfortable having.
Owner of a chain of fish and chip shops located across Devon and Cornwall, Sarah Lock has saved £25k per year after installing a single self-checkout payment kiosk into one of the branches.
How contactless can improve your hospitality business
1. Faster processing
Self-ordering technology allows dine-in customers to order from their tables or through self-checkout kiosks. And this contactless ordering is speeding up order processing times. For businesses, this means faster processing of orders. And for customers, it means less time in the queues and more time enjoying their experience.
2. Increased sales
With more orders arriving in a shorter space of time, contactless technology means your business can serve customers quicker. So, rather than heading back and forth to tables, your staff can meet more orders and keep more customers coming through the doors.
3. Safer transactions
Your customers want to dine safely. And that means they’ll need to be practicing social distancing – from other customers but also your staff. By letting them order from tables using a QR code reader, or through self-serve terminals, you reduce the risks to your staff and your reputation.
4. Reduced costs
Self-checkouts can help you reduce operational costs. For example, moving from cashless to contactless payments can reduce the need to handle a cash float. Plus, the risks to health from handling cash may be stopping your customers from carrying much of it around.
5. Better upselling
Extra fries with that? A large-sized glass? How about a side salad too? Whether it’s online, with a QR code, or through self-checkout payment kiosks, contactless ordering systems can do the upselling so that you don’t have to. Self-service checkouts have been shown to increase the percentage of drink orders by 20%. And not only is this good for business, but it can lift the experience for your customers.
6. Increased productivity
Contactless technology can improve efficiencies for the hospitality industry in many ways. For example, during the order process, human error, oversight, or misunderstandings are minimized. And this can keep staff happier, more freed up to support customers, and potentially redistributed to areas of the business where they’re needed.
7. Happier customers
With so much exciting technology helping customers to enjoy their experience, your business has an opportunity to elevate its brand and boost customer loyalty. When three-quarters of millennials say that technology impresses them enough to improve their dining experience, installing contactless technology could be a truly transformative experience.
With a range of flexible contactless ordering solutions, Grafterr can help transform your business by speeding up delivery and ordering times.
From online and mobile ordering to self-checkout and contactless technology, our technology is keeping customers and staff safe while driving business growth.
