In the digital era, and the wake of the Federal budget incentivising technology, research into the hospitality sector finds nearly half of venues are still using pen and paper booking systems.
The Federal Budget news at the end of March brought inclusion of tax deductions of 120 per cent on investment in eligible technology, recognising the meteoric adoption of contactless and online systems by the general public throughout the pandemic.
Many service-oriented and hospitality-based businesses have found a greater-than-ever need to move toward implementing new, scalable systems to continue to be competitive amongst tech-savvy consumers.
Hospitality, as a human oriented industry, has not traditionally been an early adopter of new technology, which might be seen as compromising the personable nature of service.
This has at times led to haphazard efforts, with no online functionality, including the humble pen and paper booking system still in use by 43 per cent of operators.
The independent research was carried out by online bookings system ResDiary, which suggests venues that aren’t in touch with the online convenience sought by customers will “be leaving money on the table” going forward.
From the research, comes ResDiary’s top recommendations for venues looking to upgrade to a digital system.
- Integration: the new technology should integrate with the venue’s POS and website management systems, as well as its marketing systems for personalised communication
- Implementation and training: does the provider offer enough support and training – particularly necessary if things go wrong?
- Human influence: how does the system impact the human element of the business? Will it free up time for staff to spend with customers, or could it discourage a valued ‘personal’ interaction that is part of the service experience?
- Health and safety: does the new technology reduce the possibility of COVID-19 transfer between staff or customers
