Why Restaurants Need Virtual Customer Service to Drive New Business

Technology – and worldwide health crises – are changing the way restaurants do business. The pandemic forced restaurants to rethink how they operate. Thanks to innovative tech tools, restauranters quickly pivoted and adopted new methodologies to continue to serve customers. With the success of that modernization, it’s time to look at the next big thing – outsourcing.

Shutterstock; Photo by Inside Creative House

What’s Driving Change?

The adoption of new tech solutions has transformed the restaurant industry forever. Not only has it allowed for cost savings, but it has also given owners access to higher profits and lower operating costs. Nine out of 10 restaurants in the US are small businesses with fewer than 50 employees, so they had to think creatively. Menus moved to QR codes for touchless ordering, while menu options decreased due to food shortages. Still battling a nationwide labor crisis, restaurants have been hit hard trying to find and retain qualified employees. They’ve turned to third-party vendors for things like online ordering, reservations, and delivery services. And with 54% of adults surveyed stating that purchasing takeout or delivery food is essential to the way they live, it’s here to stay.

Current Challenges

The biggest ongoing challenge for restaurant owners, as for most US employers, is finding and maintaining quality staff. It’s difficult to expand your customer base if you don’t have the support to do the basics well. Now the needle is moving toward outsourcing. It’s always been taxing to answer phones and take orders during busy meal services or to deal with customer issues. If you outsource that to a call center, the in-house team can focus on serving the customers who are in the restaurant.

Benefits of Outsourcing

Using a virtual outsourcer offers a multitude of benefits. Because using expertly trained customer service agents resolves some of the labor shortage issues, business owners can minimize some financial risk by decreasing overhead and labor expenses. There’s less pressure on the house staff and more flexibility to focus on other tasks. Virtual agents can answer menu questions via chat, take orders and payments, make reservations, or check on delivery times. With this evolution, restauranteurs have new opportunities to elevate the customer experience (CX).

How It Translates to Your Bottom Line

With an improved customer experience, reviews turn more favorable, both online and by word of mouth. That can bring in new customers, and it certainly can help retain current ones. Brand loyalty is hard to get and easy to lose, so why not set yourself up for the best possible scenario by trying outsourcing for your business?