Diners Look for Online Experience

Seven in 10 restaurant customers expect apps to be more personal, while QSR customers expect to spend 20% more when leveraging digital opportunities.

September 08, 2016

NEW YORK – A new Deloitte study suggests that 40% of frequent restaurant visitors prefer to order online; and they spend 26% more per online order at quick service restaurants (QSRs) and 13% more in casual and fast casual establishments. 

The report, "The restaurant of the future: Creating the next-generation customer experience," cites the options that restaurant customers say they want most, such as online ordering, payment flexibility and customization, and how these increase dining frequency, check size, customer conversion and loyalty.

"People have come to expect certain conveniences when they shop, travel and handle their finances, such as mobile access, personalization, loyalty tracking and no-touch transactions," said Andrew Feinberg, principal at Deloitte Consulting LLP and restaurant and foodservice leader. "The true restaurants of the future will likely be the ones that engage people in a personalized way, even as interactions become more omni-channel."

The restaurant menu is still the most important factor when choosing a restaurant for the first time, and 85% of survey respondents said they will view the menu on the restaurant's website when making that decision. If a QSR location allows them to use technology, customers will come back 6% more often, and spend 20% more each time. Also, when they order, the most important element of the menu is the ability to customize the options.

Many guests on-the-go also want the option to pay by phone: Nearly half of drive-thru (48%) and takeout (46%) guests want to pay by phone, compared with 31% of dine-in customers. Among those who want to pay by phone, half (50%) prefer to use the restaurant’s app.

While technology facilitates guest interactions, people still want to be recognized. In the survey, 70% of respondents said they look for apps that deliver personalized offers and convey the sense that a restaurant “knows them.” Additionally, 84% of respondents said that they will return if a restaurant responds directly to their feedback. And while many use their devices to collect and curate information on their own, 80% want to hear about discounts and special deals, with email (64%) as the most-preferred channel.

Feinberg added, "Restaurants should recognize the distinct preferences that align with each customer touch point and its purpose, from research to ordering to payment and feedback. In some instances, the individual prefers to take the initiative; in others, the brand has to push a message out. The mix tends to work better together, as part of a plan that integrates virtual and physical restaurant spaces, rather than focusing on a single channel or [a] one-off tactic."

Deloitte surveyed 3,000 millennials and 1,500 general population high-frequency guests (two or more visits per week) who visited quick-service restaurants, fast casuals and casual dining locations. 

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