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Pre-order apps build customer loyalty to restaurants

Whether in rush or not, customers have begun to value their time more and more. It is particularly true in cafeterias and restaurants where people are not willing to wait in long queues anymore. In fact, they don’t have to. Thanks to a special app they are able to pre-book their meal so that it is already waiting for them when they visit the restaurant. Ewa Tkaczyk, Gemius' business advisor, presents this recent trend in the U.S.A.

On the other hand restaurant owners might not be willing to create their own app of this kind, or may simply have to deal with an insufficient budget. Smaller players could use applications that aggregate offers and enable orders to be made at various places. This is an alternative way to reach and attract customers who do not like standing in queues and would eagerly use their smartphones to order things.

What else needs to be analysed?

Apart from the commission, the restaurant owners would have to take into account new challenges, investment and operational changes. A new ordering tool requires the involvement of additional staff, implementing new processes for meal ordering and preparation and also employee training. Undoubtedly the possibility of attracting new customers who would make orders by means of mobile apps is tempting, but all restaurants should assess their potential (place, staff, infrastructure) individually.

Loyalty card replaced by smartphones

Pre-order has already been incorporated into the latest trend in mobile applications that support loyalty programs. This is a natural outcome of changing an analogue system for a more convenient one offered by smartphones. Another benefit to a customer who belongs to many loyalty programs is the possibility of registering all accumulated points in just the one application. According to statistics, customers are still happy to join such rewarding programs. They collect points, stickers, stamps, stars and simply enjoy being rewarded. However, in the near future, loyalty cards will gradually disappear from our wallets that are already overloaded with redundant plastic.

About the research

The data comes from gemiusAudience, an international research project conducted by Gemius in around 30 countries in Europe, Middle East and North Africa. It aims to determine the number and demographic profile of internet users and to learn about the ways in which they use the net: websites, audio and video material, or applications. The research is carried out in compliance with the international code of conduct ICC/ESOMAR.