![]() Artificial intelligence is already proving its potential to help restaurants fine-tune their brands — largely by creating the kinds of experiences that specific guests crave. You may already be using AI algorithms to analyze guests’ order histories and preferences to provide targeted food recommendations, but the technology’s capabilities expand beyond that. Do you have guests who ask a lot of questions about your menu or otherwise need help landing on a dish? AI voice-enabled assistants can give guests information about a dish’s ingredients and nutritional value, as well as help guests select meals — easing the burden on staff and likely speeding ordering times. Upon a guest’s arrival at your restaurant, it can greet a repeat guest by name, remember their favorite table, and suggest menu items or specials they are apt to enjoy. Expect to see AI play a larger role in building the ambiance of restaurants too — by suggesting music and lighting based on your guest data, or offering immersive dining experiences through virtual or augmented reality. On the service side, an AI chatbot on your app or website can help you make your ordering more accurate and also respond to customer service enquiries at any hour of the day. When guests leave reviews, AI can screen their input and pull out key insights you can use to improve your experience. Some of AI’s benefits still feel futuristic, and the earliest adopters are bound to hit snags along the way, but it’s worth paying attention to how the technology is moving the needle on the experience and service a business provides. Consumer expectations are bound to shift as a result. ![]() At a time when technology improvements are happening quickly and so many restaurants are operating with skeleton crews, being able to delegate orders to a chatbot who can work 24 hours a day and try to upsell every single order is tempting. But the evolution of restaurant chatbots hasn’t been the smoothest, and while the technology will continue to improve, restaurant operators sitting on the fence about the technology may be okay waiting a bit longer for the kinks to be ironed out (or for consumers to simply get used to using it). Case in point: A recent report from the Wall Street Journal detailed the guest response to White Castle’s new “Julia” chatbot. While Julia is easing the burden on staff and enabling speedier service, some guests are chafing at her folksy language patterns and persistence in encouraging add-ons to orders every single time. When testing this kind of technology, it’s worth examining the nuances of guest interactions with it – the larger orders it generates may not tell the whole story. |
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