Pizza Today - March 2020 - 32

other roles that help with improving the experience of patrons," says
Tim Powell, managing principal of
Foodservice IP. "Staff is able to walk
around and strike up conversations
with guests to make sure they are
satisfied."
Kiosks can also offer customers
information that staff members can't
as well as deliver operators vital data
that can help their restaurant grow.
"Kiosk software also offers
important features such as customer
analytics, sales reporting across multiple locations and immediate menu
updates with transparency around
ingredients and nutritional information," according to Saleem S. Khatri,
CEO of Lavu, a restaurant management platform.
Brown adds that kiosk software
can offer operators an easy way to
present loyalty programs to their
customers. The upsell opportunity is
greater with the kiosk, too, thanks to
clear imagery and immediate pricing.
Powell agrees, "Another benefit
is that customers actually tend to
spend more - with the added
ability to display bundling and final
pricing. Seems to be paradoxical to
the hospitality dogma, however."
Drawbacks of self-ordering
kiosks
Operators hesitant to lose face
time with their customers for even
one second, might also be swayed
from installing a self-ordering kiosk
in their restaurant due to cost.
"Cost is a barrier to entry especially since there's a variety of costs
depending on where you want to be,"
Brown says.
According to Jovan Milenkovic,
co-founder of KommandoTech,
costs can range from $200 to several
thousand dollars depending on the
kiosk you choose - a tablet or a
full-blown wall-mounted device.
"Industry estimates put the typical
cost per kiosk (which includes the
display, scanner, credit card reader
and receipt printer) at about $5,000,
$10,000 depending on functions,"
according to Powell.
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Then there's the software itself.
You need the kiosk to be as versatile, complete and programmable as
possible for every item on your menu
and every customer preference. You'll
want a complex system that allows
for customization, advises Brown.
"And it's not just about creating a menu. It's about offering the
customizations to the items that
customers have become accustomed to. I need to be able to order
a Caesar salad with no capers. I need
to order my pizza with pepperoni
on only half... All of these things
need to be accounted for when you
design the kiosk interface," according to Shayne Sherman, CEO of
TechLoris.
Customer perspective on
self-ordering kiosks
Efficiency, upsell opportunities, nutritional data and analytics,
although valuable to operators and
important to some customers, might
not be interesting to everyone who
walks through your door eager for a
slice of pizza or your famous calzone.
"There is also the possibility that
people just won't like having to rely
on technology to order and pay for
their meal. Our data shows that
more than three-quarters of consumers still prefer to order in-person
at a restaurant - so there is work to
do," according to Powell.
Of course, customer perspective
and opinions are ever-changing.
"Shockingly, people were not
thrilled with the concept of the
self-ordering kiosks when they first
started popping up. In 2018, 78
percent of people said they wouldn't
go to a restaurant that offered a selfordering kiosk. In 2019, conversely,
65 percent of those surveyed said
they'd visit more often if a restaurant
offered them. And, 30 percent of
those said they'd prefer the kiosk
to an actual cashier," according to
Sherman.
Front of house prep for selfordering kiosks
If your restaurant already offers

online ordering and/or an app or
you're ready to implement a digital
interface because your customers
have indicated they prefer a tech option when ordering, a self-ordering
kiosk in store can serve your customers well and help with so much more
than just customer orders in your
operation.
"For operators looking at the
future of their front of house operations, they can now streamline operations with one integrated system.
This means a restaurant can have its
point of sale, self-ordering kiosk and
back of house software synced up
to ensure accurate communication
and comprehensive data analytics,"
according to Khatri.
But, don't forget to factor into
your operational budget upkeep costs
in your tech investment.
"I think it's important to remember that there are maintenance and
replacement costs with every technology you invest in. So the bigger
and more complex the infrastructure
and devices in your establishment,
the more it will cost to keep them
running over the years," according to
Milenkovic. "However, I still think
that the overall increase in profits
and savings from installing selfserving kiosks outweigh the yearly
maintenance costs, not to mention
intangible benefits such as an
improved customer journey. "
A self-ordering kiosk offers customers more control over their order
and as long as you provide a comprehensive platform, you'll benefit not
only from a more efficient ordering
process but also upsell opportunities
leading to larger orders. In order for
customers to embrace the functionality of a self-ordering kiosk, make
sure your staff takes special attention to engage with your customers
throughout every facet of their visit,
including ordering, especially if they
are new to the kiosk. Q
DEANN OWENS is a freelance journalist
living in Dayton, Ohio. She specializes
in features and human-interest stories.

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Pizza Today - March 2020

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