New Oracle research reveals that consumers enjoy new, tech-driven options for ordering and retrieving food. However, on the flipside, such choice is increasing customer impatience.
In fact, the report highlights that 64% of consumers do not want to wait more than five minutes to order at the counter or drive-thru window. Meanwhile, 71% of in-house diners are upset when they wait for more than ten minutes.
Of course, online and mobile ordering innovations offered a lifeline to restaurants shut down during the height of the pandemic. Yet, the pace of CX transformation appears to be moving a little too fast as restaurants struggle to adjust to the new reality.
Making this argument, Simon de Montfort Walker, senior vice president and general manager at Oracle Food and Beverage, states:
As already short-staffed restaurants reopen, they are grappling with how to manage both in-person diners and deliveries while meeting growing expectations on speed and service.
Indeed, there is a balance to strike between making deliveries and serving customers in person. The study stresses this in revealing that almost half of participants (47%) feel like all the delivery and take-out orders result in longer waiting times when they order in person. Also, 29% report that they believe restaurants endanger the atmosphere of dining-in by allowing delivery drivers to pick up food.
Reimagining processes and harnessing supportive technologies seems to be the way forwards. As de Montfort Walker adds: "Technology that helps kitchens manage and time orders from multiple channels will be key to keeping pace and ensuring diners stay happy and loyal."
Nonetheless, the report offers many more insights into the current state of customer service. With the responses of 5,700 global consumers across 11 geographies, it delves deep to discover an assortment of worldwide trends. Here are some of the most interesting.
Fast is Not Fast Enough
Restaurants have an increasingly short window to deliver on customer orders before customers become exacerbated by their wait time:
• 54% of in-house diners dislike waiting more than ten minutes for their order. 76% are impatient after 15 minutes • For those ordering at the counter, 45% become angry if they wait more than five minutes • 19% dislike waiting for more than two minutes to get their food at the drive-thru. The figure increases to 55% after five minutes of waiting
Curbside Pick-Up Drives Loyalty
Otherwise known as click-and-collect, curbside pick-up continues to grow in popularity. Having this option enables many restaurants to increase loyalty: • 58% love this method and are more likely to choose an apt establishment that offers it • 43% believe it makes them more loyal to the eatery • 54% say they would spend more because of this service option. For millennials, that number jumps to 80%
Personal Communication is Not Creepy, Consumers Expect It
Consumers have grown accustomed to proactive recommendations from their favourite restaurants and often appreciate these alerts. However, access to data remains a barrier: