A large problem for restaurants is the "walk away." This occurs when customers are waiting for a table, get frustrated by the long wait, and ultimately leave before their table is ready. BuzzTable has built an app to answer this riddle. BuzzTable is helping the way restaurants handle waiting customers, and how owners can evaluate the overall experience of their patrons.
BuzzTable is an app for the iPad, with a subsequent iPhone/Android app for customers. Its main feature is a wait list, which informs customers by text message when their table is available.
Since customers need to download an app (for free) in order to receive an alert, BuzzTable has taken advantage of their attention. During a customer's wait, they can view specials for the restaurant, upcoming promotions, and their progress on the wait list all on the app. It is a brilliant way to keep customers engaged, and reduces walk aways by 45%.
Not only does the app keep customers engaged, but it also builds customer profiles for restaurant owners. BuzzTable allows you to identify repeat customers, and to see their preferences on the menu. It even integrates with Facebook for login purposes.
BuzzTable includes several other features such as table management, CRM and analytics. It is fully customizable, and requires no more than five minutes of setup time. A challenge does lie in getting customers to actually download the app to their phones. However, the service is fit with a free trial for experimentation.
Once your trial is over, BuzzTable is divided into three product categories:
- Waitlist- Includes 200 tables per month for free.
- Waitlist + Guest App- Includes 500 tables per month, Facebook integration, feedback collection and analytics. The cost is $49 per month.
- Waitlist + Guest App Premium- Includes all above features, unlimited tables per month, birthday rewards, flash rewards, and data export. The cost is $99 per month.
Also included in every package: Custom text messages, 2-way messaging, multi-device sync, custom status colors, offline mode, and guest profiles.
We at Change believe this app is worth investigating. There are some minor hurdles in getting customers to use BuzzTable, but there is a great potential for beneficial results. The pricing is also approachable and scalable, so you can make it what you want and need.