Customer Interaction Manager for Restaurant POS Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
During peak periods, waitstaff in businesses like restaurants become overloaded, leading to a diminished customer experience due to unmet customer needs and missed opportunities for up-selling, as customers have limited interaction with employees during wait times.
Innovation Solution
A system that connects customer mobile smart devices to an Internet server computer, allowing customers to initiate interactions through a customer interaction manager, which communicates with point of sale systems, enabling requests and updates on transactions, and providing access to information and services without relying solely on employee interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If waitstaff interact with customers during peak periods, then customer needs can be monitored and fulfilled, but waitstaff become overloaded and cannot identify and fulfill all customer needs
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables customers to initiate interactions with the business through mobile devices during wait times. Customers can request information, track order status, and communicate needs independently without requiring waitstaff attention, thus resolving the contradiction by shifting service initiation from staff-dependent to customer-self-service while maintaining service quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces a mobile device-based intermediary channel between customers and waitstaff. This intermediary allows asynchronous communication where customers can submit requests that waitstaff can address at their own pace, reducing immediate pressure on waitstaff while ensuring customer needs are fulfilled
2Productivity
If waitstaff focus on serving newly arrived customers and making payments, then transaction efficiency is maintained, but existing customers have little or no contact with employees during wait time
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device system serves as an intermediary communication channel that remains active during wait times. While waitstaff process transactions with new customers, existing customers can use their mobile devices to communicate requests, receive updates, and access information without interrupting the transaction flow, thus maintaining both productivity and communication
3Ease of operation
If waitstaff continuously monitor and fulfill customer needs, then customer experience is enhanced, but opportunities for up-selling are missed due to staff overload
Solution Approach 1:
The system includes self-service capabilities where customers can browse menus, place additional orders, and access promotional information through their mobile devices during wait times. This allows customers to initiate up-selling opportunities independently without requiring waitstaff intervention, resolving the contradiction by enabling revenue generation through customer self-action while maintaining enhanced customer experience
Data Source
AI summary
An approach is provided for indirectly connecting a customer's mobile smart device to a point of sale computer located at a business when the customer is making a purchase at the business. The customer's mobile smart device and the POS computer communicate over the Internet with a customer interaction manager executing on an Internet server. This provides an easy to use interface for the customer and allows the customer to receive information and send requests to the business without having to wait for personnel working at the business to be available.