HOSPA Masterclass - 24th February 2022

Hotel F&B technology: Why should I change?

 

This 30-minute masterclass explores the different types of innovation being seen in hotel F&B technology. Join Jane Pendlebury, HOSPA CEO and Dominic Child, Bizzon’s VP of Sales as they discuss the ways in which technology can support a hotel’s operations as well as the many ways tech can aid the industry’s recovery.

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ATTENDEES

• (JP) Jane Pendlebury - CEO, HOSPA

• (DC) Dominic Child - Bizzon, VP Of Sales

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Agenda

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00:01 - Jane Pendlebury, CEO of HOSPA: Webinar - F&B Technology - Why Should I Change?

 

DC: Bizzon is a restaurant management platform. It’s a mobile Point of Sale solution. The back end is our own connected payment system gateway. The front end is digital, ie click & collect, order & pay, & room service. It’s an integrated inventory in the same solution. 

 

JP: Changing is often time-consuming, expensive and involves training all the staff -

 

DC: Opportunities for changing post-COVID - supply chain/labour issues - the industry is looking at those. Cloud/software is the way forward.

 

Hoteliers need to ask ‘what’s my room service strategy?’ - No digitalisation means guests having to phone down - separate payments etc. 

 

JP: Fixed point of sale terminals altogether -

 

DC: Tablets - easy to implement, sleek, modern. It only takes 1-2 weeks to implement. We support all customers remotely, so no waiting for someone to come in to service/repair.

 

JP: What do the waiting staff carry around?

 

DC: Bizzon hardware us tablets/mobile phones. People are used to pens and paper, we replace these with a phone. There’s still human contact, but the message is sent digitally - it offers ultimate flexibility. 

 

JP: How does the room service work?

 

DC: ‘The best tech is in the customer’s pocket’ - their mobile phone - how amazing they are. Bizzon allows customers to scan a QR code/click a web link - this opens a webpage for them to place their orders.

 

There are different versions of order & pay - some see it as a downloaded app where they have to input their data, sign up/create an account - we’re highlighting different ways With Bizzon you can open the digital menu and place an order - easy.

 

Payments: different hotels might charge to the room, others might capture the spend upfront (Apple/Google pay. We support both. 

 

Many people dislike order & pay - if they’re ordering a 3-course meal, plus drinks, they potentially have to pay 5 times in one sitting - we operate an open tab option. 

 

So, why change? For busy places, it’s easier to have a QR code to order food from the room & collect from the bar. 

 

Bizzon makes it as easy as possible to make customers buy from you - capturing all that revenue. 

 

JP: The pandemic accelerated digitalisation. The open tab option sets Bizzon apart.

 

This can help hotels recover from the pandemic faster…

 

DC: With self-service, you’re losing the human touch, Restaurant management platforms may use elements but not all. 

 

For example, 5* premises may use technology for the rooms, but not for the restaurant as they don’t want customers looking at their phones. 

 

But, some percentage of customers might enjoy it, and it helps if you’re short-staffed. 

 

Integrating Bizzon can help with expenses; having receipts/invoices sent digitally is easier. Thinking from a guest point of view, paper is old-fashioned and QR codes replacing paper starts the journey for linking. 

 

JP: Sustainability is gathering pace; it’s top of the agenda for many hotels. 

 

Global suffering of staff shortages. In the UK exacerbated by Brexit, then globally the pandemic. This solution doesn’t reduce staff; it makes them more efficient, and they have more time for customer interaction.

 

DC: The solution can reduce the time staff spend walking by 50%. Rather than taking an order and walking to the till to place the order and then walking to the next table, they can order at the table and send it digitally.

 

Also, there’s the added benefit of customers wanting to order themselves. Many outdoor spaces can make communications less efficient; hoteliers can make their outdoor spaces 100% self-service - either on an open tab or pay as you go.  

 

Restaurants can work out a business model that’s right for them - Bizzon solutions help to open up those possibilities.

Customers at a beach club may not want to take cash, but will almost certainly have their phones.

 

Same sales as 2015, but with 50% less staff. One hotel has 60 staff - now runs with 25 staff thanks to Bizzon. 

 

JP: It’s all about choice across the board. Some 5* hotels’ USP is ordering in person.

 

Do waiters use their own phones, or are these provided?

 

DC: We do hardware which is available on the high street. It’s cost-effect, easily accessible, easy to replace, and cheaper than solutions that have call out charges (as we do it remotely.)

 

PDQ’s will be obsolete within 3 years. When you remove that, how do you take payments? Cash is now less than 50% - this accelerated after the pandemic. 

 

JP: Do staff prefer to use their own devices?

 

DC: Mobility is more enhanced if you give devices to all F&B staff. The same member of staff can check a guest in, and take their drinks order. The more staff that have the ability to do that, the more sales you’ll get. 

 

It’s a balancing act - the less reliance on hardware, the more customers place their own order OR make it accessible for all staff.

 

JP: What are some innovative ways customers are using Bizzons ordering tech?

 

DC: Just using digital ordering for paying - ie, leaving a QR code for guests to pay at the end of a meal so they can do so when they’re ready. 

 

Also, sending out a weblink before guests arrive, It’s a £500 investment, but some companies saw an £8-10,000 sales increase immediately - purely from people ordering champagne, cakes, rose petals etc before their visit on Valentine’s Day.

 

The click & collect model can increase the F&B revenue just by having a QR code in the room. 

 

Self-service has seen an average of a 38% increase in sales when ordering. This could be due to upsells/more time to think/less pressure/less conscious when ordering. But it’s a proven sales uplift.

 

JP: It works across the board. From 5* environments to pubs or budget places - the whole process is more efficient. It’s a good solution.