By now, we get it – mobile technology is huge and here to stay. Various studies and analysts say that 1 billion consumers will be using smartphones by 2016. There are 4 billion mobile phones in the world, 3 billion of which are SMS-enabled. Forrester estimates mobile spending will reach $1.3 trillion by 2016.
And yet, despite all that enthusiasm for mobile devices, our behavior still has some old-school characteristics. We’re a bit guarded about what databases – what businesses – get our smartphone numbers. And, believe it or not, some people don’t carry their phones everywhere they go.
Enhancing Guest Experience: The Power of Hybrid Restaurant Paging Systems
Hybrid restaurant paging systems offer the flexibility to use both SMS-based restaurant text paging systems and traditional restaurant pager apps. While mobile apps can improve guest management efficiency, a complete solution needs to accommodate all guests’ preferences. By integrating a restaurant pager app with mobile and text paging options, restaurants can deliver a superior customer experience while increasing table turnover and staff productivity.
That’s why, although restaurants and other hospitality companies should be moving toward restaurant paging systems that incorporate mobile apps and SMS texting, they also should pause before going exclusively with a mobile approach. Many businesses are finding that, even with apps, they continue to need traditional pagers in some circumstances and for some guests.
According to a reader-response survey conducted by the Food & Beverage website, nearly half of restaurants (48 percent) said they had no paging system and simply call guests’ names when their tables are ready. Nearly 30 percent use handheld pagers. About 5 percent uses a paging system that sends a text message to guests’ phones.
Hybrid restaurant paging systems offer the flexibility to use both SMS-based restaurant text paging systems and traditional restaurant pager apps. While mobile apps can improve guest management efficiency, a complete solution needs to accommodate all guests’ preferences. By integrating a restaurant pager app with mobile and text paging options, restaurants can deliver a superior customer experience while increasing table turnover and staff productivity
What’s needed is a hybrid approach that incorporates both mobile apps and traditional restaurant pagers, providing the flexibility to assure guests the best possible experience.
Research: Many Don’t Like Giving Out Cell Numbers
For some customers, sharing their cell phone numbers for restaurant text paging systems isn’t comfortable, given privacy concerns. A restaurant pager app or traditional pagers provide alternative options, ensuring that every guest feels secure. This hybrid approach enhances the customer experience by offering flexibility and convenience without compromising privacy, meeting the varied needs of restaurant management systems.
A survey by Pitney Bowes last year indicated that only 38 percent of residents in the United Kingdom were willing to share their cell phone number. The University of California-Berkeley issued research showing the wariness of Americans when it comes to their mobile phones. Some highlights:
- 78 percent consider data on our mobile phones as “about as private” or “more private” than the data on our home computers.
- Despite assumptions that younger people are more comfortable with technology and thus less private about their data, they are actually significantly more concerned.
- 74 percent think a store “should not call” our mobile phones.
- 75 percent would “definitely not allow” a coupons app to collect information from a contact list.
So, yes, we love our mobile devices, but research indicates we see them as a final fortress of privacy to be guarded carefully.
Benefits of Using the Best Restaurant Paging System
Investing in the best restaurant paging system can be a game-changer for your establishment. With a comprehensive restaurant pager app and text paging system, restaurants can:
- Improve customer service by promptly notifying guests when their table is ready, reducing wait times.
- Enhance staff efficiency and productivity by minimizing congestion at the host stand.
- Integrate with restaurant POS systems and inventory management software to streamline operations.
- Provide secure and private paging options for guests who may not want to share their mobile numbers.
This hybrid approach helps you balance traditional pager use with advanced mobile paging, ensuring guests receive timely updates in their preferred way.
Not Everyone Carries a Mobile Device
Not long after the iPhone first hit the market in the summer of 2007, people had already turned the great advantages of mobile technology into an addiction with its own name. “No mobile phobia,” or nomophobia, was coined by British researchers in 2008 to describe how people feared losing connectivity.
A study of 1,000 people last year indicated two-thirds of respondents fear losing or being without their mobile phone. Forty-one percent of people have two phones or more.
We’ve reached a near-saturation point with mobile technology. Now comes the inevitable backlash as people become annoyed that they can’t grab a bite or enjoy a movie without the ringtones and phone conversations of obnoxious fellow patrons destroying their peace. Some restaurants across the country are even asking customers to turn off phones or leave them at home.
In Chicago recently, phones were banned for the 5,000 to 6,000 people who visit Cook County criminal courts every day. And everywhere, people are taking pledges to withdraw from hyper-connectivity for a weekly “Sabbath” from mobile devices and “unwind, unplug, relax, reflect, get outdoors and connect with loved ones.” There’s even a National Day of Unplugging planned for next March.
The point here being that you can’t assume that every guest will be carrying a device you can use to manage their visit via SMS.
Can’t Leave Traditional Pagers Behind
While restaurant text paging systems and mobile restaurant pager apps are valuable, it’s essential to retain traditional pagers for guests who prefer them. This dual approach aligns with the goal of providing the best restaurant paging system by combining the convenience of SMS paging with physical pagers. Not every guest will want to share their phone number, and traditional pagers can help keep the guest experience comfortable and private.
However, it’s important to remember that you’re in the business of ensuring that every guest has the best possible experience, and that some of those guests will want the option of a physical pager over giving you their phone number. A hybrid paging solution is your best bet.
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