Today, we are looking beyond our borders to what kind of technology restaurant operators in foreign countries are using to improve customer service and cater to new customers. True, the following services may not be available us now, but we expect to see them popping up in the US soon.
Voice-recognition ordering kiosks at KFC Hong Kong
Self-ordering kiosks in Hong Kong were not working. Customers took way too much time searching for the items they wanted instead of ordering, paying and eating. This poor user experience lead to longer waiting times and higher customer frustration. So how do fix this problem? Enter in KFC. They created the first-ever voice-recognition ordering machine. The food-ordering machine is ‘smarter’ than a self-order kiosks, as it does not need the customers to search for the food themselves, but places orders automatically when customers simply ask the machine for their desired items, with an 80% success rate. The system was built for the Cantonese-speaking customers, even though the products are easier to recognize in English.
The machine is also equipped with big data analysis that can personalize its services to KFC members. But it can also learn about what is being ordered more and at what times. It can help operators anticipate and manage activity spikes.
To support the new food-ordering system, there is only one cashier counter and more space was created for the pick-up counter. It is important to note that no employees are replaced by the machine, and cashiers were re-allocated to support the pick-up counter.
Never pause your video game with Burger King Spain
The social acceptance and popularity of playing video games as a sport (Esports) is now a reality. Burger King in Spain has found a way to reach the gamer market without them ever having to stop play. Its called Burger Clan and is currently only available in the PS4 gaming community. Here is how it works: the clan characters, controlled by professional gamers, enter into multiplayer games to help gamers with whatever game/mission/objective. While in-game, the Burger Clan characters will be able to take real-time Burger King orders, which will show up at the patron’s door via the chain’s deliver service. While all this happening, the flow of the game is never broken.
The Burger Clan is expected to expand in other markets beyond Spain over time.
Now that you know these capabilities are on the horizon, what will you do to take advantage of these trend-setting practices?
