SevenRooms is rolling out its commission-free Online Ordering system in Australia, helping venues be more profitable, through better customer service and by meeting the changing expectations of consumers.
Research by the US-based SevenRooms’ found ongoing concerns in people around eating out, in the wake of the pandemic.
Ten per cent of people said they will only use takeaway or delivery services until the vaccine is rolled out, and a third (33pc) will dine out less than before the pandemic. Sixty-nine per cent had concerns about dining out generally.
A direct digital ordering solution for delivery and pickup orders helps operators increase revenue and loyalty by encouraging diners to order through the direct, free channel.
Operators own the customer relationships and can drive repeat business through personalized, automated marketing campaigns. Integration with over 30 POS systems allows the collection and leveraging of valuable data.
The Online Ordering system helps to streamline front-of-house operations, through centralized menu management, and aggregates direct feedback surveys and online reviews, to stay on top of diner sentiment.
Operators also reap financial benefits in deploying their own solution, as they do not rely on third-party platforms with high fees. The offering can start with takeaway, and expand to include delivery at a later stage; SevenRooms’ system provides integration with third-party delivery providers that can be utilised if venues don’t have their own delivery drivers.
The stand-alone Online Ordering comes with SevenRooms’ 7x marketing automation, which begins communicating with the customer from the first order. It can automatically re-market to people when they hit a certain threshold of orders, or inversely, if they have not ordered for 30, 60 or 90 days.
“The automated marketing is there to bring those guests back ordering directly through the pub,” offers Paul Hadida, GM of SevenRooms Australia.
Importantly, operators catch all sales data – on- and off-premise – in one system, to better understand guests and serve tailored marketing to them. “You last ordered three weeks ago. Here’s a voucher for 10% off if you order again this week.”
The SevenRooms research also found 28 per cent of respondents saying they are more likely to return to a venue if they receive personalised promotion, such as for a subsequent delivery order.
The Online Ordering system went live in other countries in November, with operators reporting significant revenue increases.
It functions by itself or in conjunction with SevenRooms’ comprehensive suite, potentially serving as a lead-in to the broader reservations and venue management platform, used in more than 250 cities globally, also incorporating waitlist and table management, contactless order and pay, review aggregation and marketing automation.
In a changed environment, with the continued spectre of snap-lockdowns as seen in Melbourne, Hadida says pubs need to be prepared to do what the customer wants.
“Operators need to have every avenue covered, whether it’s dine-in, takeaway or delivery.
“Those who can successfully build direct relationships with their customers across their owned channels can provide the seamless, personalised experiences that incentivise repeat business, increase brand loyalty and maximise profits.
“And that’s what we’re trying to do. In our sector we’re all about driving the customer experience.”
