Being put on the waitlist at a restaurant is no fun. POS provider SpotOn is aiming to make that down time more productive for guests—and restaurants—by giving them the option to place an order while they wait.
The new tool, called Seat & Send, allows customers on the waitlist to pre-order food or drinks from their phone. The order will be fired to the kitchen as soon as they’re seated.
The idea is to improve the customer experience while also boosting check sizes and speeding table turns. SpotOn said the feature is the first of its kind.
When a customer has a reservation or is added to the waitlist, they’ll automatically get a digital ordering link that allows them to view the restaurant’s menu and place an order. They can continue to add to their order throughout their meal and also pay via the same link. If they want, they can even order their whole meal in advance.
Behind the scenes, SpotOn’s ordering, reservations and POS systems work together to tie the order to the table number and guest name, allowing operators to manage the process.
“As a parent to three young kids, I am particularly excited about how Seat & Send adds convenience and speed without sacrificing quality,” said SpotOn Chief Product Officer Bryan Solar in a statement. “As soon as I sit down, my order is fired to the kitchen, which means my kids are fed sooner, and the restaurant gets that table turned faster. It’s the type of win-win outcome that we strive to provide our restaurateurs and their guests.”
Seat & Send is available now. To use it, restaurants have to be enrolled in SpotOn’s Order, Reserve and Restaurant modules. There is no added cost for the new tool.
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