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:
• 55% enjoy receiving notifications with personalised offers from restaurants close to their location
• 45% like prompts with personalised order suggestions based on their purchase history
• 46% would love to manage their dietary preferences with their favourite establishments
• 56% wish for visibility and control over who has access to the personal data they share with restaurants and delivery companies
Sustainability and Healthy Eating Options Come to the Fore
As the social conscience of customers grows, a brand’s approach to sustainability, environmental and corporate governance (ESG) initiatives have an increasing influence on CX success. In line with this trend, healthy eating options are also on the rise:
• 61% of millennials believe that efforts to lower food waste – such as donations to food banks – are vital and influential to their choice of restaurant
• 45% claim that clear labelling regarding the source of food and ingredients is vital to their loyalty
• 58% of consumers state that having healthy options on this menu is “important”, with families rating this the highest at 74%, followed by millennials at 71%
Ordering Preference is Clash Across Different Demographics
New trends in mobile order continue to emerge. However, in some settings, consumers still prefer human interactions:
• 65% prefer to order directly from a server when dining in, while 18% like to order from their smartphone
• When ordering take-out, 33% enjoy ordering directly from the restaurant on their mobile device. Alternatively, 18% prefer to go through a third party like UberEats
• 38% prefer to order directly from a server when ordering drive-thru. Equally, 38% favour a smartphone
Payment Options Grow and Grow
Of course, many customers still choose to pay with cash. Nevertheless, changing consumer expectations are increasing the adoption rates of new forms of payments:
• 60% of consumers like to pay with a credit card
• 25% prefer to utilise contactless payment methods, such as Apple or Google Pay
• 7% embrace alternative payments such as cryptocurrency
These statistics come courtesy of Oracle’s “Restaurant Trends for 2022” report.
