Singaporeans are known to be practical and love to save time, which is why they increasingly choose contactless payments in stores. Fast-paced Singapore society is often described as a “rat race”. Because of this lack of time, leaders in the food and beverage (F&B) industry believe that contactless ordering will likely be popular with consumers. Locals are quick to adopt this new technology and understand how it works. This stems from the common trait of being “kiasu” – a Hokkien word which translates to being “afraid to lose”, or a “fear of missing out” (FOMO), which drives locals to eagerly watch out for the latest technology that makes their lives easier.
What is Contactless Ordering?
Contactless ordering makes the process of taking orders quicker and easier. Restaurants raise their customer service standards and operational capacity. Diners find it easy to navigate a light and responsive online menu, providing opportunities for the restaurant to upsell products without intruding too much on the diners’ choices.
Singaporeans simply want to relax and tuck into their delicious meals after a long day of work. They hold the title of 3rd most sleep-deprived and 2nd most overworked country in the world. This explains why the efficiency of service and making quick choices are the two most important things on their minds.
Customisable Menus
Satisfying these desires may not sound easy, but it really is! Singaporeans want the freedom of choice, and choice they shall receive. Regular customers will be enticed to keep coming back for more if a restaurant’s menu is refreshed from time to time. This helps restaurants keep up with the locals’ changing tastes and preferences.
This is where contactless ordering comes in and provides a solution: online menus are highly customisable, giving restaurateurs the option of inserting rich images and informative descriptions that draw diners in. Menu items with images have a 6.5% increase in orders as compared to similar items without images, according to research. Restaurant owners may find it tiring to update their physical menus each time a clearer image of their dishes is taken, and digital menus solve this problem. Thus, this clearly shows that online systems beat physical processes in this area.
No Miscommunication
Many restaurant and F&B company owners often comment that both their customers and staff complain about each other. This is mostly due to issues in communication. With contactless ordering, instances of miscommunication are reduced to nearly zero. Customers are given full control over their own orders. More than 50% of Singaporean children are reported to be picky eaters, and 5.4% of young Singaporeans have some form of food allergy. For instance, less chili? More spring onions? No mushrooms? With contactless ordering, any special food requests can be keyed in by the customer. Staff do not need to worry about forgetting customers’ preferences anymore. Customers complain less and are more satisfied.
Better Reporting
Checkout theft and accounting fraud can be a thorn in the side of restaurant managers. Managers get major headaches when they have to add up sums at the end of each working day. According to research, about 75% of employees have admitted to stealing from their workplace at least once. It is clear as day that this is a common issue. All orders and payments are logged online and add a layer of security when using contactless ordering. Restaurants save a lot of money every day with huge reductions in employee theft. Using digital systems also makes it easy and convenient for restaurant managers to look over their sales and analyse statistics and trends at any point in time.
Conclusion: Contactless Ordering is Gaining Popularity in Singapore
Restaurants and F&B companies are realising the benefits that come with adopting such systems. Also, local customers are happier and more satisfied than ever with this original technology. Features such as customisability, communication, and reporting are clearly valuable to owners of F&B companies and can result in real increases in profit. Ready to boost your business? Adopt contactless ordering today!