Trends in hospitality are continually shifting. Ten years ago, most reservations were made by phone, EPOS were standalone systems, and customer feedback was done via paper cards with the bill. But all this is changing in favour of a more tech-first approach by both consumers and restaurants.
Table reservation system, ResDiary, has reported the average online reservations processed by their restaurant partners has risen by 130% in the last five years. 66.5% of their website bookings are now made on mobile. Venues now link their bookings to their social media, their EPOS to their booking system, and allow diners to provide feedback electronically.
To stay ahead of the game in an increasingly connected world, venues need to ensure they’re providing excellent service by utilising the tech at their disposal. And the best way to do this is by creating a great in-house experience, making it easy for diners to book, and even easier to find them online. And the best place for finding what you need is on Google Search.
According to global statistics site, StatCounter, Google now processes 92.5% of all online searches. That means, if someone is looking for restaurants or any other service, they’re likely doing it on Google. And it’s no longer just a search engine. You can check and book flights, grab a hotel, and even get a hair appointment. After all, why go to multiple sites to compare times and prices when you can do everything on the front page of the internet?
Now, Google has extended this booking functionality to include restaurants, by linking with existing restaurant booking systems. Diners search Google, see available tables, and book directly from Search or Maps. According to Keywords Everywhere, a search volume tracker, over 20 million people a month search “restaurants near me”. That’s a huge market for venues to tap into.
For operators who use commission-based providers, this service has cover charges of around £2, which can really add up when bookings start coming in. However, if your restaurant uses ResDiary, this feature has launched completely free as part of the standard flat-fee packages. And because ResDiary’s integration with Reserve with Google is linked to live diaries, availability is always up-to-the-minute, taking into account rules and limitations.
Hari Farzin, Head of Digital and Marketing at ResDiary comments: “Ease of reservation is a continuing trend in bookings, with mobile-first coming a close second.
"People aged 18-34 eat out more than any other demographic and are the most likely to demand the maximum from technology. To attract these diners, venues need to make themselves available on the platforms this age group use, and ensure it’s as easy as possible to make a reservation.
"And that’s what they can do with ResDiary’s free partnership with Google.”
ResDiary restaurants get access to a whole new customer base of tourists, locals, and business people, while market-leading table management powers the bookings. It’s completely controlled by ResDiary’s smart Channel Management tools, allowing operators complete overview on the number of reservations they take, and when they take them.
Then venues have the option to link ResDiary to sophisticated EPOS systems like Tevalis, Micros, Bepoz, and many more, to ensure a great customer experience when the diner reaches their venue. Hotels can connect ResDiary to their PMS too, further enhancing the customer journey. Less time spent processing manual reservations and entering diner notes across multiple systems, means more time with guests in-house, ensuring they have the best time possible in their restaurant, and keep coming back.
Get in touch with the ResDiary team now to get connected and enjoy free bookings through Reserve with Google. Click here to talk to the ResDiary team.