Safety is a major concern for customers nowadays as the pandemic has taken a turn lately. Dining in is still a valid option. However, customers don't rely on it due to health concerns. Sad to say that there is no easy way out of the situation, but you can always take measures to help offer a safe dining experience, like implementing a QR Menu ordering system to reduce both human interaction and surface exposure.
A few extra side benefits of implementing a QR Menu is that you can offer an interactive menu to your customers using their own mobile phone
What is a QR menu?
A QR menu is nothing but a digital version of your menu that customers can view using their smartphone by scanning a uniquely generated and printed code. Using the FineDine QR Menu, customers not only can view the menu but can also place orders and pay straight from their smartphone, which ensures a complete contactless ordering and dining experience.
When it comes to the food business, customer satisfaction is key, and to ensure that customer service has to be top-notch, the trick is to deliver quick and quality service coupled with great dishes. However, this level of service can't be achieved, especially when there are more customers to handle. However, by allowing customers to order through QR Digital Menus using their smartphones, you can ensure fast and quality service and focus on the taste of your dishes.
Why do I have to implement a QR Menu Ordering System?
With the spread of the original coronavirus (COVID-19) and its faster-spreading new variants, some mandatory measures have been placed on the Dining industry. Since coronavirus can live on surfaces for extended periods and contact is a common issue when ordering food with traditional menus, to lower the risk of contamination, its urged to reduce human and direct hand contact, along with providing hand sanitizers and disinfecting tables.
A great way to reduce the risk of contamination and minimize face-to-face contact is by utilizing a QR menu and Digitizing your order and payment processing experience, removing both unnecessary contact and human interaction.
Moreover, we’re seeing restaurants and bars implementing QR Menus, whether it may be printed on a sticker and stuck on the table or in the form of a coaster. QR Menus are rapidly replacing the regular old printed menus for immediate health reasons at hand.
For more on reasons, restaurants should switch to digital menus. Check out our article.
Benefits of implementing a QR menu for restaurants
Promotes hygienic environment
The topmost priority of every nation in the current situation is maintaining a hygienic environment. Paper menus aren’t considered the most hygienic thing to run across in a restaurant. It may contain over 185,000 infectious agents per square centimeter and is considered as dirty as a public toilet! However, by implementing a digital restaurant menu, this issue can be solved rather easily, and on the plus side, there are side benefits to a digital menu.
Carbon neutral
Covid-19 has acquired the attention of the public, whereas other life-threatening issues have flown under the radar for a while. Deforestation is a big issue let’s break down how ecologically and economically costly it is to run paper menus. There are over 700000 restaurants in the US alone, and if each restaurant had to renew 25 single-page menus just once a year, this practice alone would require 86 tons of paper, the number of trees to cut down, and the cost that has alone is a lot of valuable resources that are wasted. Surely, recycled paper is an option, but why not completely opt out of paper usage By implementing a Digital QR Menu Ordering System and eliminating all waste?
Budget-friendly
Have you ever imagined how much you can save economically by cutting down your cost on paper menus?! Say no to reprinting paper menus by implementing a digital menu system. Rather than spending money on printing, you can invest in high-quality QR cardstock. These are not ordinary cards as they can be long-lasting and help you save on years of reprinting costs.
Better customer engagement
Digital Dine-In Menus requires quality content to perform at its best as it is one of its unique advantages compared to traditional paper menus. Your QR Menu can have content such as videos and high-quality images of your food. Most restaurants do not add food images on their paper menu to cut down costs, missing the power of visuals.
However, with the help of a digital restaurant menu, you can upload mouth-watering photos of your dishes or quickly update your menu to remove unavailable items to prevent an unpleasant dining experience.
Limit direct interaction to keep both your customers and staff safe and secure
One of the precautions taken by restaurants is for staff to follow basic health guidelines and, by doing so, limiting direct interaction with customers. By implementing a Digital Dine-In Menu system, your staff members no longer would have to come into contact with customers to collect orders or explain dishes unless they specifically are asked to do so.
Customize menu
One of the key benefits of implementing a digital menu is that you can customize your menu anytime you want without spending a single dime to do so. You can instantly add new dishes or test new wording imagery or menu designs almost instantaneously without having to re-print your orders. Also, order data tracked by QR Menus is a valuable asset to leverage allowing you to tailor your menu to the demands of your customers
Update on the fly
Isn't it a bit embarrassing to say no to customers for sold-out or unavailable dishes? you can easily avoid such experiences, as updating a digital menu has no time or financial costs. Utilize your Qr Menu, and never ever have to apologize for unavailable dishes and instead serve the best you’ve got to offer.
What are the benefits of QR menus for customers?
Easy to Use
It is almost effortless to order food using QR Menus as it utilizes a contactless ordering system. Today almost all smartphones have an inherited QR scanner. It’s a huge convenience and a step up for the whole dining experience to be able to use the comfort of smartphones rather than waiting to be served a menu or to be able to just order without having to wait for service personnel.
Faster
It’s common to wait for a waiter to come and take your order and then convey that to the kitchen in a clear and concise way. However, that might not always be the case, and delays might start to settle into your whole ordering experience, causing frustration. However, implementing a QR menu system drastically shortens the wait times and order delivery times as it allows instant viewing and ordering capabilities.
Things to look out for while switching to a digital menu system
Menu composition
In order to compose a digital menu, you’ll have to list all the items you want to include in the menu beforehand. Set sections, images that you’d like to highlight, and the wording you’d like to use are all critical aspects that directly affect the performance of your new digital menu.
Polished videos and images
Most smartphones have wide and high-quality displays. Using a QR Menu will definitely leverage those screens in your favor. You’ll want to create high-quality photos of your dishes and if you’d like to add videos that should be prepared beforehand as well. Visual appeal is a key to success and you’ll have to prepare beforehand to be able to fully utilize the capabilities of a QR Menu System.
Constant optimization
One major advantage of using a digital menu and ordering system is access to critical customer data is simply non-existent with paper menus; you can easily identify best sellers' worst performers or even get more data on how your customers perceive your menu, and with this comes constant optimization.
Final Verdict
QR Menu technology or digital ordering systems, in general, are currently providing the vital fast, safe, and contactless ordering and dining experience both customers and restaurants need as we’re still navigating our way through a global pandemic. It goes without saying that such technology provides vast value to both restaurants and customers, enabling them to enjoy a nice dinner or lunch outside of their homes, and providing much-needed socialization. Digital menu and ordering systems utilizing QR Menu apps such as FineDine Digital Menu promote a Covid-friendly environment, with fewer wait times, order mishaps, and a more personalized experience.
