Today QR menus in food establishments won’t surprise anyone and almost everyone knows how to use them. A sudden jump in popularity of QR codes has forced all major manufacturers of cell phones to embed a tool for reading them into the stock camera application.
Perhaps you, as a restaurant owner, have already implemented such a menu. But it is possible that you are not using other benefits of QR codes for your business. We’ll talk about them below (and about QR menus in general, if you’re still not using them).
6 examples of using QR codes in restaurants
1. Familiarizing visitors with the menu
The first and the most widespread application of QR codes is in replacing the traditional paper menu with a neat code. You can place it on brochures, booklets, or stickers directly on the tables. The feature of the dynamic QR codes to change the content without changing the image of the code will help you to save money on printing. Moreover, the code can be configured to automatically display offers depending on the time.
If you stick to the aesthetics of classic menus, QR codes can successfully complement them as well. For example, a code next to an image of a dish can show the scanning person a small gallery of other images or a short description of it. This will make the menu more informative without inflating its size and reduce the time for Waiters’ inquiries.
2. Speed up ordering
More advanced is the version of the menu with an ordering option. In this case, the customer, who does not need the help of a waiter in choosing dishes, can order independently. It will be transmitted directly to the kitchen without having to wait. In addition, this option of ordering eliminates the responsibility of the restaurant for a mistake in the visitor’s order.
3. Provide a payment method
QR code may well act as a way of payment, which is not inferior to its counterparts in the level of security. We don’t urge you to refuse other methods, but the alternative is likely to be perceived positively by your guests. It’s a good idea to put such codes at the end of receipts.
4. Gather feedback
Collecting feedback is useful for improving your customer experience, but at the same time not always convenient. Instead of verbal surveys, you can place a QR code on your receipt asking for a rating or review. You can also place such a code at the exit of the establishment to make it more visible.
5. Promote social media and collect customer information
When the order is already made and the customer is waiting for the dish, it makes sense to keep him occupied with something related to your establishment. For example, get them interested in joining your social networks, loyalty program, or filling out a form for future mailings. This is easiest to do by placing a prominent offer of a discount in exchange for one of the above actions and the corresponding QR code.
6. Attract guests anytime
Even when you’re closed, give people passing by a chance to learn more about you (work schedule, contact information, menu), or even reserve a table in advance. And, of course, this information is best provided in the form of a QR code to a person in a hurry about his business. It will allow him not to waste time looking through the Internet and increase the chance of interest in your institution.
QR codes in the advertising printed editions will save you money on the volume of ads while giving the amount of information you want to put into them.
To summarize the benefits
So, it follows from the told above that QR codes have the following features useful for restaurants:
- Contactlessness. After the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a significantly greater number of customers began to take this into account.
- Low cost. You significantly save on printing, which does not need to be updated each time the information changes.
- Improving customer experience. Процесс заказа происходит быстрее, и шанс на ошибку в заказе уменьшается.
- Ease of creation and customization. A good QR code generator will allow you to easily create and customize the appearance of the code in accordance with your wishes or the style of the institution (colors, shapes of elements, logo). And all without any coding knowledge.
- Tracking. It is possible to collect detailed statistics of dynamic QR codes for an immediate evaluation of the effectiveness of their content.
Today you have learned about the ways of using QR codes in restaurants not only for the menu. The sphere of service in general and the restaurant sector, in particular, are constantly developing and have to adapt to new conditions. And we think that the use of QR codes is not something fashionable and quickly passing – they will stay for a long time. And if you don’t use them yet, it’s time to start!