Enabling restaurant patrons to charge their mobile devices while dining will ensure a more pleasant mobile experience, including tableside ordering and paying from the customers’ own mobile device
[Jericho, NY——August 30, 2017] — The recent 2017 Customer Engagement Technology Study is revealing some exciting mobile trends for 2018, namely that the customer experience will be hyper mobile and personalized across the hospitality industry, especially for restaurants. According to the 6th annual report, 87% of restaurants plan to implement a comprehensive mobile experience for its customers next year, up from 41% in 2017. In addition, 78% of restaurants will be adding technologies that send personalized offers to diners’ mobile devices, and 45% plan to add tableside ordering via guests’ own mobile devices. While it’s critical that restaurateurs do what’s needed to enhance the dining experience, it’s equally important to note that as customers use their smartphones in restaurants to order tableside and pay via mobile device, the more quickly their batteries will drain.
Kube Systems, a company that designs, manufactures and markets unique mobile-device charging solutions for the hospitality industry, has designed a portable charging system that is ideal for the restaurant environment; when a low-battery scenario arises, a portable charging Kube can simply be brought to the diners’ table. The Kube 5 Portable is a mobile device charging system consisting of one docking station housing five portable charging Kubes. Each Kube can power up to 6 mobile devices and features three built-in connectors, two USB ports and comes with Qi wireless charging that enables guests to rest their mobile devices on top of the Qi charging pad located on the top of each Kube. All smartphones and tablets can be powered with the Kube 5.
“It’s becoming more common for diners to order their meals from a personal smartphone, split the bill, assign a tip, and enable different people at the table to use different payment methods stored on their smartphones to pay their portion of the bill,” said Dave Weinstein, Kube Systems vice president. “But what happens if a customer is in mid-order and his or her smartphone dies? Of course, he or she can give the order verbally to a waiter or waitress, but if the diners are Millennials, for example, and prefer to do everything by phone, or if one of the diners received a digital coupon on their phone to come in and try the mobile ordering service, then the restaurant gets a bad review and the dining experience is already off to a bad start. Also consider the embarrassment of a diner whose turn it is to pay his portion of the bill and his phone dies before the payment can be tendered. Although a low battery is not the restaurant’s fault, imagine the outstanding customer service review if a charging Kube is immediately brought to the guest and he can pay just like everyone else.
“It’s time that restaurants become proactive in meeting their patrons mobile charging needs,” he said. “When a server asks a group of diners if they would like to use the brand’s mobile ordering service, and one or two guests voice concern over a low battery, the server immediately brings a Kube to the table. Regardless of the types of phones each diner has, there is a charging option for all. Now, everyone can engage with the restaurant’s digital touchpoints and enjoy the empowered dining experience.”
Consider these 2017 CET Study findings:
- 62% of diners surveyed said they want to receive and redeem coupons and deals via their mobile device while at a restaurant
- 51% said they want to order their food and beverage via mobile device
- 51% want to be able to purchase and redeem gift cards from their mobile device while at the restaurant
- 51% want to track their order status from the table
- 50% are willing to take a satisfaction survey on their phones
- 49% want to be able to pay their bill from their mobile device
Mobile customer engagement also influences consumers dining decisions. The 2017 CET survey shows that when picking one restaurant over another, today’s mobile-dependent consumers will opt for the restaurant that enables:
- Order tracking (51%)
- Paying via Mobile Device (46%)
- Tableside Ordering (41%)
“Restaurants are focusing heavily on mobile solutions to engage with their customers, from displaying mobile menus and encouraging mobile ordering to redeeming gift cards from a mobile device and accepting payments via mobile wallet,” Weinstein said. “If customers’ mobile devices are dead, these transactions can’t take place — period. The Kube 5 is an investment in customer satisfaction and a supplement to a restaurant’s mobile customer engagement experience strategy. Better yet, the Kube 5 hardware is fully upgradable to accommodate dynamic charging standards – ensuring a future proof investment.”
For details on the Kube 5 Portable, visit www.kubesystems.com.
