Technology Adds Speed Plus Service
Einstein Noah Restaurant Group's "line buster" remote order-taking device speeds service without sacrificing customer-staff interaction.
By Lisa Bertagnoli, Contributing Editor -- Chain Leader, 7/1/2009
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| Einstein's "line buster" remote order-taking device speeds service without sacrificing customer-staff interaction. |
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During lunch rushes, the restaurants send employees to the back half of the queue with a "line buster," a remote, hand-held ordering device. The device, which runs off the restaurant's WiFi system, routes orders directly to the kitchen; orders are ready by the time patrons reach the cashier. An order-first, pay-last approach gives customers a final chance to add on a drink or dessert.
The line busters speed service and take pressure off of customers, who might feel harried with a dozen or so other customers waiting behind them, says Paul Carolan, senior vice president of franchising and licensing for the bagel chain, composed of 80 Noah's and 330 Einstein Bros. locations.
"There's a little bit of order pressure," Carolan says. "We felt if we can get into the line, we can help customers make the right decisions." The system, he adds, is a good alternative to having three order stations, which might be at full use only a couple of days a week.
The main benefits to the line busters are speed of service, order accuracy and customer retention: Those last in line don't get frustrated and leave, Carolan says. "It says to the customer, 'You're important to us,' and they really appreciate that." The only drawback? "The battery runs out," Carolan jokes.
The devices can be tricky technologically-they have to be set at the right bandwidth and not on the same channel as customer-used WiFi. Carolan says the overall investment is "minimal" compared to a full-blown POS station. "You don't have to do an ROI to figure it out," he says.
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