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The Benefits of Mobile Ordering for In-Room Dining

During lockdown, consumers grew even more confident with online/ app-based mobile ordering and delivery. So much so that orders placed online via third-party vendors such as Just Eat, or restaurant apps/ websites, grew from a modest 11% in February to a huge 46% by the end of April 2020. Hoteliers, don’t fret, this same ordering […]


During lockdown, consumers grew even more confident with online/ app-based mobile ordering and delivery. So much so that orders placed online via third-party vendors such as Just Eat, or restaurant apps/ websites, grew from a modest 11% in February to a huge 46% by the end of April 2020.

Hoteliers, don’t fret, this same ordering and delivery model can work in your hotel. Customised to your brand, mobile ordering platforms, like wi-Q, allow guests to take control of their own F&B experience and provide your hotel with an array of benefits.

 

1. A more efficient service

By allowing guests to bypass lengthy phone calls to the kitchen, where they ask questions about their order, potentially discuss nutritional content and arrange a way to pay for their meal, you create a far more streamlined and frictionless in-room service, with minimum impact on your kitchen staff resources.

Lauro Ferroni, JLL’s head of hotel research states that “Today, it’s about making use of the guest’s own smartphone, rather than installing separate and costly hardware in the room”. A fully customisable ordering platform can ensure that all types of transactions are quick and simple, before, during and post a guest’s stay.

With wi-q there is also no need to download an app. Simply connect to the hotel Wi-Fi or scan a QR code and have instant access to the in-room dining menu.

 

2. Increased revenue and upsell opportunities

Typically, guests spend 20% more when ordering via mobile than with wait staff, states Business Insider. A trend we saw before the pandemic and one we can only expect to grow with the increased use of mobile ordering. Hotel guests also tend to spend more time browsing a digital menu as it reduces the sense of being rushed, a feeling you may experience when placing an order via the phone. As a result, guests are more likely to order a dessert or an additional side, states Lodging Magazine. Knowing this is true, hotels can set recommendations for items to add-on to orders and prompt guests with special offers and upgrades, which can lead to an increase in revenue.

Wi-Q’s cloud-based software facilitates simple management of your menu offering by your staff and can be modified to include daily updates and departmental offers.

 

3. Smart decisions with guests’ data

You can gather so much useful data about guest behaviours and preferences by using a mobile ordering platform. For instance, you can discover how users interact with the platform, the most popular F&B items, how people like to pay and how they like to receive their order. Use this data to improve the guest experience for the next time they visit. For example, if a guest has ordered breakfast in bed multiple times, offer them a breakfast discount when they next stay.

Did you know, 70% of consumers say they’d rather order directly from a restaurant, preferring that their money goes straight to the restaurant and not a third party?

 

4. A Better Service

By allowing guests to place their order digitally, make service requests and add notes to their order to ensure food meets dietary restrictions; the chance of human error is dramatically reduced. Chefs in the kitchen will have a clear description of the exact order and servers can follow any potential delivery instructions – a feature that may help guests to feel safe and confident within the hotel as the threat of COVID continues to loom.

Wi-Q allows guests to browse F&B items, nutritional content, send notes to the kitchen and delivery staff and pay for their meal all at their fingertips.

 

Overall, in-room mobile ordering will enable your hotel to reshape the guest experience in a way that is safe, enjoyable and more convenient for the guest. Allowing your hotel to capitalise on in-room dining and heighten the guest experience at a time when you need it most.

To find our more about wi-Q’s mobile ordering for your hotel, contact us for a free demo at info@wi-q.com.

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