The hospitality industry should look to seize the opportunity to evolve its customer experience and meet the expectations of modern consumers, according to research from Adyen, the payments platform of choice for many of the world’s leading companies.
Technology advances have taught us to expect speed and convenience at every turn. Arguably expectations are even higher when we’re enjoying precious leisure time and spending our hard-earned money to do so. After all, hospitality is all about the experience.
But things are moving quickly, customer expectations are evolving, and hospitality businesses have a unique opportunity to embrace innovation and boost customer experience. However, research commissioned by Adyen and conducted by 451 Research, revealed that just one in four companies are implementing a formal digital transformation strategy.
For example, only 35% of hospitality businesses globally accept contactless payments and just 28% offer one-click purchasing on mobile devices.
The research reveals many areas where technology can enhance the customer experience. One example is reducing queue times, which 77% of hospitality businesses feel is important. This could be achieved through offering self-service kiosks that allow customers to check-in and out, make reservations or place food orders.
In addition, leveraging data across all points of payment would help businesses to make the process faster for both customers and store staff. This would help further reduce wait times and increase the efficiency of customer service.
Some companies are cutting waiting times with purpose-built apps that allow customers to order food and pay their bill from their phone. For example, Pizza Express’ customer app, was the second-most popular free download during the week of its release, and the roll out of Wetherspoons’ app led to an ‘exceptional surge’ in sales.
Myles Dawson, UK Managing Director of Adyen said: “As consumers we expect a quick and convenient service when spending our money. This doesn’t change when we’re checking into a hotel or enjoying a meal in a restaurant. With half of Brits eating out at least once a week, hospitality is an industry with many opportunities for innovation.
“Bridging the customer experience gap by making it easier for people to order and pay in the way that works best for them will help create a better overall experience. This will encourage repeat visits from customers and higher spend per transaction.”
