Posted on August 15, 2024 / by Webmaster / in company news

The Growing Impacts of AI Waiters in Transforming Restaurants and Catering Services

The restaurant and catering industry has always been eager to embrace new technologies to give them more competitive advantages. This is indeed driven by several compelling factors.

We might have already known, sometimes it is not easy even to survive in the world of food service. Whether big or small, business owners are constantly facing challenges from new entrants. The only way to stay relevant or to catch up is to innovate. Competition is fierce all the way. And adding to this pressure is the discretionary nature of dining out. Unlike basic necessities, restaurant visits are often among the first expenses consumers cut during economic downturns. That said, the industry is particularly vulnerable to market fluctuations.

Besides the above external factors, the volatility of food costs and staff turnover are among other major issues that the industry players have to deal with. These persistent issues not only squeezing their profit margin but can also affect service quality and operational consistency.

Given these challenges, any technology that promises to reduce costs or increase efficiency and service level becomes incredibly valuable to restaurant and catering businesses.

The Rise of AI Waiters

Despite all the successes we have seen in POS, Revolving Sushi Bar, QR Code Menu, Online Ordering and Reservation system. Still not all innovative ideas have stood the test of time.

One notable example is the use of robot waiters. Despite the novelty selling point, these automated servers often struggled with navigation in crowded spaces, had limited interaction capabilities, and were prone to delay and malfunctions. Customers generally found the experience inefficient and reductant. Most of them would rather be picking up their order at a service counter.

However, while some of these experimental technologies may have fallen short, they paved the way for more successful innovations. They are demonstrating that the perfect blend of technology and human touch is key to success in the restaurant industry.

Now like every other business, eateries are undergoing another profound transformation driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI). Some restaurants and catering service companies are starting to use AI chatbots to provide assistance to their customers.

These AI Chatbots or AI Assistants are being deployed in number of different ways. They are used on websites, social media and popular messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger to answer common questions about menu items, allergens or caloric contents. Besides handling basic inquiries and providing recommendations, they can also help in taking reservations, delivery and dine-in orders. Some restaurants are advancing even further. They are experimenting with AI-powered voice assistants for drive-thru orders in the U.S.

Obviously it is not yet ubiquitous, but we can see the interests of bringing AI chatbots into restaurants and catering services is growing as businesses seek to enhance efficiency and personalize customer experience. Specifically they are more capable than just to take orders and answer a few common questions:

#1 The AI Waiter knows everything about the menu

The AI Waiter will possess encyclopedic knowledge of all of the menu items and their ingredients. Whether customers are seeking a full meal under $100, a specific dish or organizing a lavish party for 100 people, the bot will guide them to the perfect choice. It can also manage allergy information and dietary preferences with easy too. After all every meal is safe, enjoyable, and scrumptious, even for vegans.

#2 Upselling

We can train the bot to suggest more profitable combinations and upgrades. No restaurant owners would dislike the idea of increased average check sizes and higher customer satisfaction.

#3 Chatbot Personality

We can give your AI waiter a personality that will engage with customers using and conveying your brand’s voice. For example, if your brand is fun and playful, your bot’s personality will reflect that. On the other hand if your brand is more serious, it will be acting accordingly as per our instruction.

Key benefits of AI Waiter for restaurants and their customers

The integration of AI chatbots in the food service industry represents a significant leap forward in how restaurants and catering services operate in the new digital age. Nowadays chatbots are no longer just simple automated responders. They have evolved into intelligent systems capable of handling complex tasks with human-like understanding. This technological shift is not only simplifying operations but also creating new opportunities for businesses to connect with their clientele in more meaningful ways. Listed here below are some of the key benefits:

24/7 Availability: Customer service is significantly improved as chatbots can handle inquiries and bookings round the clock.
Efficiency: They can handle multiple interactions simultaneously, thus reducing wait times.
Consistency: Chatbots provide uniform responses to ensuring consistent service quality.
Cost-effectiveness: Over time, they can reduce operational costs associated with customer service.
Data Collection: They can gather valuable customer data for personalized marketing and service improvements.

Are AI Waiters going to succeed?

Given the potential that AI waiter is able to automate routine tasks, address multiple pain points and gain valuable insights into consumer preferences and behaviors, it becomes clear that they are not just a passing trend but a fundamental component of the future of dining and hospitality.

The potential for success and some useful guidelines for implementing an AI Waiter

However, success is not guaranteed and depends on how well the AI Waiter is implemented and maintained. Here below are some useful guidelines:

#1 Define Clear Objectives

As with employing a new staff, you need to identify the most imminent tasks that you want the chatbot to assist with. They could be menu recommendation, reservation management, FAQ handling, order taking or doing follow-up call with customers. Then give each of them a priority and roll out the chatbot by phase.

#2 Start Small and Scale

Begin with a pilot program, first focusing on one or two aspects as mentioned above. Gather feedback and refine before expanding and adding more tasks to the chatbot.

#3 System Integration

Select a chatbot platform that can be integrated with your existing system and customer database. It must be able to access and update information in your POS, Reservation Management or Membership system automatically. In this case it will not just make the whole operation more streamlined, but it will also avoid duplication of effort so that other staff’s time is used as effectively as possible.

#4 Maintain a Human Touch

Ensure the chatbot can seamlessly transfer complex or unresolved issues to human staff to handle. Use the chatbot to augment, not replace, human interaction in the hospitality experience. And make sure customers know about it when they are interacting with a chatbot and how they can reach human staff if needed.

#5 Train Your Staff

Educate your team on how to work alongside the chatbot and when to intervene.

#6 Personalize the Experience

After accumulating enough user data, you should utilize it in offering more personalized recommendations. You can feed this data into the bot, implement features like reordering previous meals or making suggestions based on preferences and dietary restrictions.

#7 Continuously Monitor and Improve

Sometimes there is not much difference between keeping your chatbot and human staff. Except that AI chatbots do not normally ask for a pay rise. What they have in common is you have to conduct appraisal and analyze their performance periodically. The difference with an AI waiter though, is you need to update and refine its responses based on customer feedback and changing needs.

Wrapping Up

AI is advancing at a very fast pace. Most operators are still trying to figure out how to use it effectively to boost productivity and elevate customer service. We mention repetitively that the golden rule is Start Small. It is not necessary to be too ambitious. We have seen a few early attempts at fully automated restaurants struggled to provide the warmth and personalized service that many diners value. With minimal or no staff, these concepts often felt too clinical and lacked the human touch essential to hospitality.

It may not be long before the AI-powered digital waiters and sales assistant are more capable than human staff of selling and recommending stuff to customers. By following the above implementation guidelines and maintaining a customer-centric approach, restaurants and catering services can almost guarantee their chance of successfully implementing AI waiters or AI sales assistants to enhancing both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Test play with our demo AI waiter

We have set up a herewith a demo AI waiter for our audiences to test play with. Go ahead and chat with the bot as you are visiting the restaurant. Whether you are asking for the restaurant’s address, a specific dish, or seeking a full meal under a certain amount, just tell the AI waiter your preferences, it will answer your questions and guide you to the perfect choice.

For more information or a detail demo on how Wavyos Technologies can take your businesses to a new height with our AI Chatbot solutions, contact us today. In case you are not aware of, restaurants and retail stores are eligible to apply for the Digital Transformation Support Pilot Program (DTSPP) for the implementation of their AI Chatbot project.

Email: sales@wavyos.com

WhatsApp: +852 6099 4407