Digital signage is a proven tool for enhancing restaurant customer experiences. It’s a familiar solution for menu boards in quick service and fast casual restaurants, but the value of these solutions became even more apparent as businesses explored ways to create touchless experiences during the pandemic, for example, with digital rather than printed menus.
Furthermore, digital signage and an easy-to-use content management system give you the agility to provide up-to-date health safety and regulatory information to your customers. Resonate’s Pandemic-Era Consumer Sentiment report from July 2021 states that most consumers are still at least “moderately concerned” about the health effects of COVID-19 and expect merchants to have protective measures in place. Whether masks and social distancing are required, mandates are lifted – or reestablished – you can give your customers the assurance that your restaurant is following the most recent guidance and letting them know how they can comply.
Digital Signage is an Investment with Long-Term Value
You’re bound to ask whether your investment will continue to deliver ROI in the future if you deploy digital signage to address some of the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic. The answer is yes – and your team’s creativity only limits you.
Beyond the menu board and communicating health safety information during the pandemic, some other ways restaurants use digital signage include:
- Engaging guests waiting for tables: Wait times seem shorter when guests are entertained. Digital signage allows you to engage your customers while they wait with dynamic content, including video and games.
- Improving accuracy at the drive-thru: Static outdoor menu boards don’t reflect menu items that are 86ed, and they don’t provide much flexibility to let people know they can modify an order or create a combo. Digital signage allows you to enhance the information you provide customers in the drive-thru. It can even display the order and total for the customer, so there aren’t any errors to correct at the pickup window.
- Upselling: Digital signage can show customers great pairings and complements to their dining experiences. Visuals can spark cravings much more effectively than a verbal suggestion – and digital signage doesn’t get distracted or run out of time when a customer engages. It upsells consistently every time.
- Creating interactive promotions: Do you want to enroll more people in your loyalty program or opt-in to receive deals or discounts? Digital signage can display colorful, eye-catching marketing messages with QR codes that take your guests to a sign-up page.
- Displaying social media posts: An effective way to increase your social media presence and grow your following is by showing posts on digital signage in your restaurant. Diners can share their experience and see their posts in real time. In addition, you can display feeds from multiple sites and curate what you show based on hashtags or mentions.
Added Benefits
In addition to digital signage’s features and capabilities, digital signage offers other benefits. For example, if you are working toward sustainability goals, energy-efficient digital signage will allow you to reduce the amount of paper that you use with minimal power requirements.
Digital signage can also make life easier for your staff. With information readily available in a self-service fashion, your team won’t have to stop to answer as many questions. That can mean faster service for all customers, more table turns, and greater operational efficiency.
The Time is Now
Your restaurant most likely faces fierce competition from other eateries vying for your customers’ business based on their fare and customer experience. Digital signage can help you stay ahead of the competition, enhancing CX, addressing some of the challenges created by the pandemic, and helping your business operate more efficiently.
Consider – or reconsider – how digital signage can benefit your business.
