An exodus of international workers and experienced staff leaving the industry during the Covid-19 pandemic has left the UK’s world-renowned hospitality industry with thousands of vacant positions for wait staff, chefs and venue managers.
The crisis is industry-wide, with only 1 in 5 UK pub, restaurant and bar businesses surveyed in September 2021 confident they would be able to recruit and retain the staff needed to run their businesses*.
But venues that are adapting new ways of working, for example by implementing mobile order and pay technology into their sequence of operations, are thriving despite these challenging circumstances.
With Mr Yum, patrons scan a QR code at their table to order and pay for their meals and drinks, leaving staff free to focus on providing a superior customer experience. This technology doesn’t replace the humanity of hospitality, but increases the level of service staff can provide, as Mr Yum takes care of administrative tasks, such as taking orders and organising payment.
More orders can be taken
Specialty coffee group Wayland’s Yard has been able to maintain regular trading while recruiting for staff due to implementing Mr Yum in its venues.
Wayland’s Yard chief operating officer Joe Phillips says Mr Yum’s mobile menu and ordering enables more orders to be taken and delivered as it frees staff from the administrative tasks of service.
“With the current staff shortages, we have to look after our team and Mr Yum helps us to do this by making their lives easier and performing the rote tasks such as taking orders and processing payments,” he said. “This allows our staff to do more of what they do best, which is looking after people. Mr Yum is a tool that enhances our hospitality, not replaces it.”
Mr Yum CEO and co-founder Kim Teo says pubs and other hospitality venues are turning to tech to solve staff shortages.
“Venues are transforming operations and focusing on incorporating tech into their service models for the long term. These venues will lead the way as the industry evolves,” she said.
“Mr Yum invests heavily in our product and supports our hospitality partners so when they try using our technology in-venue, they don’t look back.”
QR codes drive revenue
Mr Yum UK lead Alex Dyer says QR code mobile ordering helps hospitality venues drive revenue and allows venues to continue operating effectively even when facing gaps in the weekly rota.
“What differentiates our platform is that there’s no app required for customers to use. They simply scan, order and pay and they’re away," Dyer said. “Customers love it because they get to spend more time with their mates and not in a queue waiting for drinks, and operators love it because they see average order size increase by between 20% and 40%. It’s a win-win!”
With an industry-leading growth toolkit for pubs, including payments, loyalty, marketing and customer insights, Mr Yum proves not all mobile ordering menus are created equal.
Adaptable for any use case, including table ordering, pickup at counter and room service in hotels, Mr Yum is trusted by thousands of venues and integrates with the UK’s leading POS providers, including Square, Epos Now, Lightspeed, Deliverect and many more.
Busy publicans and venue managers are in need of a long-term solution to issues the industry faces.
Embracing technology that enhances the overall hospitality experience of their customers will help to ensure those venues that do so not only survive, but thrive, into the future.
Learn more and apply at mryum.com
*https://cgastrategy.com/business-confidence-survey-q4-2020/
