Hurting Or Helping? – Restaurant QR Code

2020 ushered in QR codes back into our lives in a big way no one really saw coming. While they have aided in keeping people safe by eliminating multiple touchpoints, often the experiences have been subpar and proven to be a headache when not done correctly. However, with proper planning and execution, a restaurant QR code can provide a seamless and convenient experience for both customers and staff.

We know the benefits: providing a contactless experience and giving the guest control to use their own device to look at a menu, maybe order and pay. But it’s important to understand some of issues you may face and how to combat them.

• Card Not Present Transaction Fees

• You may not realize it, but when guests use a QR code to pay, credit card processors categorize that transaction as a riskier option and assign higher fees.  Understand how much money those fees will really add up to or you may be caught with hundreds of dollars a month of fees you didn’t anticipate.
• Menu Not Optimized for Mobile

• Does your QR code just link to the menu on your website?  If all you want is for guests to be able to look at the menu, that may be fine, but make sure it is a good experience on the phone.  Is it easy to navigate?  Is the font large enough and readable?
• Integrated to the POS

• Some ordering systems aren’t actually linked to the POS.  They just route a guest’s order to a printer, then a server has to re-enter it all into the POS for it to fire to the kitchen.  What a waste of labor!  Make sure your solution is integrated to your POS to provide the best and most efficient experience.
• Less Functionality

• Are there hidden tradeoffs you might not be thinking about? Does your QR code solution provide for split check?  Guests are going to request that and you need to offer it. Look and see if there is functionality you might be losing.

When Ziosk Virtual launched, we had seen some of the QR code experiences in the early days of the pandemic and wanted to make a superior product.  That’s why Ziosk Virtual allows for a fully mobile optimized browse, order and pay experience (or any combination above), complete with split check, post dining survey and more.

As you evaluate solutions, think about these issues to help navigate how to implement QR codes in your restaurant now and in the future.

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