The report highlighted that safety is no longer the main benefit of technology in hospitality for consumers. The top benefits included speed and convenience (31%), ease of ordering (29%) and tracking orders (17%).
Alison Vasey, group product director at Zonal, said: “Although many aspects of hospitality were gradually becoming more digitised even before the pandemic, the last 12 months have certainly accelerated this adoption.
“What this new research shows is that having accepted the technology, consumers now see how it improves their hospitality experiences. This is because technology not only removes pain points that have always existed, such as not being able to get the attention of a server or having to wait too long to settle the bill, but it also helps operators deliver more tailored and personalised experiences to their guests.
“Letting technology take some of the strain of service also frees up staff to concentrate on those elements that consumers rate so highly like greeting guests and swiftly answering queries.”
The research reveals the top three guest frustrations are: struggling to get the server’s attention (30% of respondents), items they want not being available (22%) and being rushed to place their order (18%), all of which can be solved through the adoption of technology.
Karl Chessell, CGA business unit director - hospitality operators and food, EMEA, added: “As they get back to eating and drinking out, consumers will be engaging with technology more deeply than ever before, and it is going to be a key battleground for market share in 2021 and beyond.
“Ensuring that all digital solutions provide a genuine benefit, and balancing them with the face-to-face elements of hospitality that people have missed so much, will be crucial. The businesses that can make best use of tech at both front and back of house could well be the quickest to recover in the months ahead.”