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Silverware POS Unveils Contactless Phone-to-Table Guest Dining Experiences
On July 21, 2020, Markham, Ontario-based Silverware POS unveiled a new, customizable, mobile tableside ordering and payment “In-Seat Contactless Platform” to customers. Restaurant patrons can scan a QR code to access an outlet-specific digital menu, order meals, split the check, add a tip, and pay via their personal mobile devices or post charges directly to a hotel room folio.
The “In-Seat Contactless Platform” is comprised of three components: Digital Menu, In-Seat Guest Ordering & In-Seat Guest Payments.
- Menu Browser/Digital Menu: Upon scanning an outlet-specific QR code, the guest can view the restaurant menu on their own mobile device. The key advantage is that it’s integrated with the Silver POS to pull and activate the menu specific to the outlet for multi-revenue facilities such as a hotel with multiple outlets, cost centers/revenue centers, and so on.
Figure 1 Source: Silverware
- In-Seat Guest Ordering: Silverware has not just replicated the typical experience; rather, it seems to take a different approach to its in-seat guest ordering platform from the perspective of the seated guest (versus the server’s perspective of course, seat position, etc.). Through full integration with the Silverware POS, menu items and prices are seamlessly synced from the POS to the guest's mobile device. The phone-to-table guest ordering component allows restaurant patrons to place their order in-restaurant, in-room, pool/patio-side, or golf-side from their own phone. In addition to increased guest and employee safety, key advantages are the potential savings in labor costs based on adoption rate. By removing the intermediary (waiter/waitress) from the ordering process, those employees are freed up to greet customers, help them navigate the technology, and generally spend more time helping the customer, which leads to a better customer experience.
Another key benefit is the potential increased guest spend. When guests are placing the order themselves, average check values are proven to increase (see 5%-6% at McDonalds and 20% at Taco Bell as selected examples). Lastly, an elevated guest experience is possible through reduced waiting and improved service times (i.e. no more searching for a server), server’s ability to name the guest versus auctioning off the food, and order accuracy by placing the experience (i.e. item coursing, food allergies, and so on) in the guest’s hand.
Figure 2 Source: Silverware
- In-Seat Guest Payments: At the conclusion of the meal, diners can add a tip and pay their bills using Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other digital form of payment such as credit card or post charges to the folio upon room number verification. Guests can view bills, split, and pay from their personal mobile devices allowing restauranteurs to turn tables faster by eliminating the guest friction of needing to find the server and pay … which also enhances the guest dining experience. Guests can pay when and how they want and leave. When paid, the server will be notified of table/amount and so on.
Figure 3 Source: Silverware
Our Take
With the “In-Seat Contactless Platform” release, Silverware POS introduces key digital enhancements to the restaurant value stream and guest experience that will assist COVID-19 “new normal” restaurants to decrease the desire-to-friction ratio, increase table turns in social distanced capacity-constrained dining rooms, and increase margins by deploying mobile-first, phone-to-table contactless features that were once a convenience but are now features of necessity.
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Silverware Contactless In-Seat Guest Ordering & Payments