Did you know? Whether you want to offer your customers a pleasant experience, improve their overall satisfaction or make your restaurant more efficient, managing the flow of customers in your restaurant is a key factor!
This guide takes you through the steps involved in managing your customer flow, with a particular focus on using digital technology to make the process easier. You'll also discover how these practices can increase customer satisfaction and make your service more efficient! Find out more in this comprehensive article.
1. Optimize your space layout
The layout of your restaurant plays a crucial role in improving customer flow by creating an efficient, user-friendly environment that facilitates the flow of customers through the various stages of the process, from ordering to tasting.
Create an optimal layout
Design the space so that it's easy for customers to move from the queue to the checkout, then to the food collection area and finally to the tasting zones. A fluid, intuitive layout reduces congestion and waiting times.
Make separate zones
Create well-defined zones for each stage of the process, such as ordering, payment, food preparation and tasting. This avoids confusion and mixing of customer flows. And use clear visual signage to guide customers along their journey, indicating the different zones and steps to follow.
Place your equipment strategically
Place preparation and cooking equipment strategically to minimize staff movements and speed up meal preparation.
Create comfortable spaces
If your restaurant offers an on-site tasting area, create a comfortable space with seating and tables, while ensuring that customers can easily move between tables and service areas.
Perfect your order path
To help you manage large flows, you can place order terminals and QR codes at the entrance to your restaurant to make your customers 100% autonomous when taking orders. These digital solutions ensure a seamless experience for customers as soon as they arrive, and reduce their waiting time.
Use display screens to show menus, estimated waiting times and promotions. This enables customers to make decisions more quickly and reduces the need for human interaction for basic information.
"During rushes, I can limit the choices on my kiosks to get certain sandwiches out quickly." Faizal, founder of Chicken Village
👉 Find out more: How Chicken Village serves 200 customers an hour without error
Design a modular layout
Having a layout that can be adjusted to meet changing needs, such as adding temporary seating during peak hours, is a must.
2. Recruit efficient staff
Having enough staff on duty at peak times to process orders quickly is essential, but it's not enough. Here are the key points to ensure that operations run smoothly, thereby reducing waiting times, improving the customer experience and contributing to a smoother flow in your establishment.
Ensure proper training
Make sure your staff are trained in operating procedures, service standards and the use of specific equipment. This will minimize errors and unnecessary waiting times. They must also understand the importance of flow management and know how to handle congestion situations, directing customers to the appropriate areas.
Choose according to qualities
Efficient staff know how to process orders quickly, avoiding errors and ensuring that meals are prepared correctly and on time. They must be able to quickly resolve any problems that arise, such as incorrect orders or customer dissatisfaction, thus minimizing disruption to the flow.
Maintain an efficient rotation
Manage staff rotas so that your employees are distributed to the most strategic locations according to need, such as checkouts, preparation areas and service areas. Assign specific roles to each member of staff according to their skills and strengths. This will optimize everyone's performance.
👉 Going further: 9 tips for finding restaurant staff
3. Transmitting orders: to the right place at the right time
To revolutionize your kitchen preparation, opt for a KDS (Kitchen Display System). This production screen automatically displays orders placed at the cash register, on kiosks or online.
Automate communication
By automating communication between your tills, kiosks, online ordering and KDS, you can save your waiters from having to go back and forth to the kitchen. This saves you time in welcoming, advising and preparing more dishes.
Reduce waiting time
By streamlining your kitchen operations with KDS, it's now easier to manage your accumulating purchase orders without having to sort them by hand. In fact, they can be used to prioritize orders: a real time-saver! And Innovorder production screens display orders with color codes, audible and visual alerts, and timers.
👉 Further information: Restaurant order forms: paper or digital?
"Thanks to my KDS, I can serve my customers in less than 7 minutes, even during rush hours." Damien, BCHEF franchisee in Vannes
Impact on staff: productivity, service and restaurant image
Getting your customer flow right can have far more positive impact on your restaurant than you think!
Increased productivity
First and foremost, efficient customer flow management optimizes your staff's productivity. By using order management software, you can avoid operational errors, enabling your team to work more efficiently.
Improved service
Good customer flow management facilitates coordination between kitchen and wait staff. This synchronization ensures fast, efficient service, which translates into satisfied customers who enjoy their meal without waiting too long.
👉 Going further: 7 tips for collecting good customer reviews
The restaurant's image
The way you manage the flow of customers has a direct impact on the image of your establishment. And for good reason: happy customers are more likely to come back and recommend your establishment to their friends and family!
👉 To find out more: 5 tips for building customer loyalty in the restaurant business!
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Did you like these tips? Don't hesitate to consult our other articles on our blog to help you develop your business!
Innovorder is the leader in digital solutions for commercial and institutional foodservice. Our team supports restaurateurs in their digital transformation with a complete ecosystem (kiosk, KDS, online ordering, checkout).
