Level Up Your Customer Experience: Why Ordering Kiosks Are a Must-Have?

| Updated on July 10, 2024

The current era is of technology. Machines are gradually replacing human staff for good. Speaking of giant fast-food chains and expensive restaurants, ordering kiosks are replacing staff at the counter. 

These kiosks are built with advanced mechanisms and touch sensors. Noticing its potential, fast food chains like McDonald’s, Burger King, etc. are all active in its adoption. Whereas, local restaurants with huge businesses are still hesitant to adapt to this tech. 

If focused on a long-term perspective, ordering kiosks is a one-time payment for non-current assets. They are going to save up a huge cost over time. Most importantly, kiosks replace humans at a minimal cost compared to the annual expense you spend on staff salaries.

With that note in mind, read the article till the end to learn why you should also get one for your business.

Why Are Ordering Kiosks in the Trend?

Well, to clear out the confusion, ordering kiosks have been in the trade for quite a few years. Thanks to the pandemic, companies started integrating kiosks to avoid human interaction as much as possible. With this revolution, the advanced mechanisms of kiosks proved their metal with increased and fast order completion. 

Citing an old resource from the Business Insider, various McDonald’s outlets introduced kiosks and experienced an average of 5-6% increase in sales

Noticing this blessing, other chains like Chili’s also joined the race and enjoyed a 20% hike in desert sales. But what Marvel does this tech-savvy machine do that results in hyped-up sales? The following points can help you get the answers: 

  • Better Customization Options: If you have ever ordered from an ordering kiosk, you would know how many customizing options it serves up to you. From drinks to fillings, everything is carried forward with your preference.
  • Quick Order Delivery: Since there is minimal human interaction and fewer delays, orders can be placed within a few seconds. If the consumer has made a clear choice, selecting stuff and placing an order is just a matter of a few clicks and taps. And since the order placing is consuming less time, more customers can add up in the queue and place their orders.
  • A Whole-New Experience: Tech-driven restaurants always attract customers by providing a unique experience. A significant portion of the audience comes to the restaurant out of the curiosity of ordering through the kiosk. According to a fact from open source, 30% of customers prefer self-ordering through a kiosk instead of a cashier or the staff.

Along with these major points, there are some passive advantages as well that can add value to your restaurant’s goodwill if you start using an ordering kiosk.

Why Does Using Ordering Kiosks in Your Restaurant Wins? — Advantages of Ordering Kiosks

The trend of ordering kiosks is certainly making changes in the industry. Moreover, this popularity is not a result in vain. The machine provides numerous advantages to the business that are listed below:

Better Check Sizes

If you are wondering what a check size means, it is the average amount a customer spends in a restaurant. Many outlets struggle to increase their check sizes. With that POV as well, ordering kiosks is for a win.

The basic principle of ordering kiosks works to promote high-margin items and expensive add-ons on the top. Instead of human interaction, somehow a machine promoting these items is more successful. Diving deeper into strategies, restaurants seek extra prices for additional toppings, premium eatery options, and combos. 

Lower Wait Times

As mentioned earlier, kiosks are fast, quick, and efficient. With just a few taps, customers can place orders and quickly move on to the next stage. Since there is minimal human interaction, it results in zero confusion. Also, the amount of each item is mentioned simultaneously, so that the customers can keep track of the bill amount in real-time. 

Tillster says that 75% of customers prefer going for a self-service kiosk if there is a queue of more than 5 people in front of the cashier. Even worse, if there are more than 10 people in the queue, 91% of people (almost all the customers) opt for a kiosk.

Better Order Placement

Since each item is listed in front of the customer, the orders are precise more than ever before. It’s a common issue that sometimes the waiter brings the wrong order due to miscommunication from either side. 

But how does precise order help business? Well, it proves to be a key helping hand for the restaurant’s review. Also, since all the orders are correctly received, there is no wastage of food. But here comes another big responsibility. Since there is almost no human interaction through the kiosk, the service must be top-notch to match their expectations. 

Save on Staff Salaries

An average barista or fast-food cashier in the USA demands an annual salary of around $29,000 p.a. According to Clover, the basic price of a self-ordering kiosk costs, around $3500 to $4000

Barista salary in USA

Moreover, it has been proven that machines are prone to almost zero human errors. Along with that, machines can work for longer times without taking breaks. Be it a day shift or a night shift, kiosks are always available for your service. 

Even if you install two to three devices in your restaurant, you will notice the change yourself.

With that note, these were the key advantages that are pretty visible and noticeable over a period of time. 

Final Words

If you are a restaurant owner or own a fast food franchise, having a self-ordering kiosk at the premises is a must. These machines single-handedly can serve up a large audience without taking any breaks. 

Moreover, it comes with numerous advantages along the way such as bigger check sizes, lower waiting times for customers, better and precise order placements, and many more. 

Ultimately, these kiosks are more than what you generally think of them. They may cost you more at the upfront cost, but in the long-term scenario, they can bring in more revenue than ever.





John M. Flood

John is a crypto enthusiast, Fintech writer, and stock trader. His writings provide guides to perform your best in the crypto world and stock planet. He is a B-Tech graduate from Stanford University and also holds a certification in creative writing. John also has 5 years of experience in exploring and understanding better about the FinTech industry. Over time, he gained experience and expertise by implementing his customized strategies to play in the crypto market.

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