Do you want the ability to streamline your operations and increase your customer satisfaction? Although this sounds like you may need to invest in costly, complicated systems, the solution may be simpler than you think–investing in restaurant pagers. Since the 1980s pagers were ubiquitous in everyday life.
As the world soon progressed to cell phones and smartphones, restaurants still use pagers to this day because of the variety of benefits they bring. Read on to learn all about the benefits of restaurant pagers and to learn whether they're a good fit for your restaurant.
What Are Restaurant Pagers?
Restaurant pagers are what some restaurants will hand to you while you're waiting for an empty table for your party. Instead of adding your name to a list and waiting for the host to call you, the pager will buzz or make a sound as soon as a table is ready.
Typically shaped like a hockey puck, these pagers work through radio antennas that are able to pick up signals from the master transmitter. Each of these pagers has a unique Channel Access Protocol (CAP) code, and when it picks up its code it alerts the user through vibration, beep, or other notification.
Benefits of Restaurant Pagers
Now that you know how a restaurant pager works and the way it's used, here are a few benefits you can enjoy. It's important to consider how this equipment will be viewed from your customers' perspectives.
- Serving Customers Efficiently
When it comes to seating and serving customers, time wasted adds up. Consider the fact that it may take a few minutes or more to call a customer's name and find them within or outside the restaurant. With a restaurant pager, seating customers becomes a more streamlined process.
All your host has to do is to hand each party a pager and inform them to head back once they receive an alert. When a table is open, the pager will beep or buzz, and the customer will know to head up to the front on their own.
- Increase Customer Satisfaction
The simple investment in restaurant pagers can help boost customer satisfaction. Instead of sitting in a crowded, noisy waiting area and straining their ears to hear their name be called, customers can relax outside on the patio or in the bar area while they wait. They have the ability to order drinks without worrying about whether they missed their name being called.
Moreover, customers know that they'll be alerted as soon as a table opens. This allows them to have greater patience with your staff, especially when they're more relaxed.
- Increased Revenue
Greater customer satisfaction leads to repeat visits, and your restaurant will receive a boost in revenue. Unfortunately, new customers form opinions about restaurants quickly. In a recent survey compiled by Toast, 73 percent of customers said that technology improved their experience of restaurants.
Satisfied customers like to come back to restaurants they're familiar with, and they'll also recommend your restaurant to colleagues, friends, and family. Moreover, customers that are comfortable in your restaurant tend to stay longer and order more appetizers, drinks, and desserts.
Types of Restaurant Pagers
There are many different types of table pagers for restaurants. It's important that you understand what each type is capable of doing so that you can make the most informed decision when purchasing.
- Beeper
These are the most basic kinds of restaurant pagers. They're also the most affordable and the most commonly used today. Once they receive their unique signal from the master transmitter, they'll alert customers. This can be a beep, vibration, flashing light, or a combination of alerts.
If you simply want customers to know that a table is ready and to return the pager to the host, this may be the best choice for you.
- Voice/Tone
This pager has the ability to alert customers through your preferred method, but it also gives you the ability to record a short voice message that the customer can play once they're alerted. This small touch makes it easier to communicate short delays with guests, especially if you have an outdoor seating area and don't want them to walk back and forth.
- Alphanumeric
Instead of a voice message, alphanumeric pagers give you the ability to text a short message to patrons. This can be more beneficial than a voice message if you own a crowded bar or restaurant that has high noise levels. You can also use the texting ability to advertise your specials for that day or discounts.
- Two-Way
Two-way pagers are the most complex, as they give customers the ability to text you back. This can be especially helpful if your restaurant is frequently crowded with customers waiting both inside and outside the establishment.
During these times, it can be hard for customers to push through crowds in order to ask the host or server a question. The ability to text cuts down on the foot traffic and simplifies communication.
Increase Your Customers' Satisfaction with Pagers
Restaurant pagers are simple pieces of technology that provide numerous benefits. Not only will staff appreciate the more streamlined process of seating and serving customers, but your customers will also feel more comfortable and satisfied. They'll know that they'll be seated as soon as possible because of the technology.
Waiting also becomes far more comfortable because customers don't have to linger inside the crowded waiting area. They can enjoy drinks or simply the fresh air on your restaurant's patio, leading to greater patience if there are delays.
Ready to invest in a reliable guest paging system? Take a look at our selection today!