COVID-19 has caused us all to seek out and expect contactless service in virtually all aspects of consumerism, and OneDine has been there to help make it happen in the dining/hospitality industry.
When restaurants were first forced to shut down at the beginning of the pandemic, OneDine provided their contactless solution to all restaurants for free to help them weather reduced revenues during the restrictions resulting from the pandemic (and that offer is extended through September 1).
OneDine’s technology eliminates the need for hand-held menus and the passing of credit cards, receipt holders, pens, etc. by turning your parking lot into a touch-free takeout zone. Now that some restaurants are being allowed to reopen to varying extents, OneDine can also help make the tableside experience more convenient and contact-free for both customers and staff.
Here’s how it works:
Check-in
For in-person, contactless dining, a table sensor or QR code allows the customer to find their own table and start their own order without a team member present.
Your customer taps the sensor to check in, which notifies a team member through a tablet or watch that they need assistance. Orders can be taken by the server using the tablet, or submitted by the customer on their own mobile devices. The tablet can also be left at the table and switched into self-service kiosk mode. Customers can then add, modify, and pay for their order independently.
Tap the sensor to order allows guests to go to a table that has a sensor, tap it with their mobile device, and order from their device on the restaurant’s customized menu. Customers can add or modify their order through the platform. But that’s not all. The table sensor can also allow customers to see your restaurant’s PDF flyer menus, call a server, or view, browse, and build a favorites list from the online menu.
Menu
The OneDine system offers a choice of menu types for guests to peruse. There’s the browsable menu for a more traditional dining selection experience. This menu is ideal for guests who have a general idea of what they may want to eat. Guests can use the menu as a visual cue to explain to the server, much as they might with a physical menu. Guests can also “favorite” the items they’re deciding between, and go back to their favorites to make their final selection.
The orderable menu is tailored for increased efficiency. It’s designed for customers who know exactly what they want to order, and is geared to find and select items quickly. This menu feels more like the app experience with quick movements and simplicity.
Guests can toggle between these two menus, and in each menu you can choose to display a wealth of information, including:
- Nutritional data
- Descriptions and disclaimers
- Tags for certain items that allow customers to filter, such as “Gluten free,” “Vegan,” “Spicy”
- Larger pictures
- Ability to favorite specific items to mimic the behavior of pulling up the portion of the menu you’re interested in to ask a server their opinion.
- Categories at the top, a search bar, and the ability to modify the order or increase quantities
Payment
With the OneDine system, guests can experience safe, contact-free payment with a variety of options and in a variety of situations. Curbside, drive up, and delivery options include:
- SMS messages with a link to an online payment portal
- A QR code that can be scanned in order to pay
- Ordering online via custom mobile browsing/ordering website with payment at checkout (or upon arrival via SMS or QR code)
- Or, depending upon contactless preferences, guests may walk inside to pay
For payments inside the dining room, diners can tap the table sensor to pay the check that’s in the POS.
Tips
The restaurant can also decide if they want to allow for tipping, how tips are suggested, how tips are calculated, etc. If the restaurant enables this option, customers can easily tip as they please from the payment screen.
Flexible solutions
These are increasingly uncertain times, with many localities returning to shut-down mode while others continue to reopen. Whatever your local situation, though, OneDine solutions can help make service more convenient for customers and safer for everyone involved.
Visit the OneDine website for detailed updates on local guidelines and shutdown information, regardless of your location. Whether it’s drive-thru, curbside pickup, delivery, or dining room service, kitchens will continue to remain open, and customers will continue to support their favorite restaurants until the battle against COVID-19 is won.
