We all love a full dining hall. The sight of a person in every seat is as satisfying as the freshly baked hoppers or the sizzling prawns at your action stations. This is why you got into the restaurant business in the first place - to serve good food to as many customers as possible. When guest numbers hit capacity on a regular basis, you know you’re doing something right.
While filling up dining rooms is every restaurateur's dream, overcrowded spaces and long queues can be an absolute nightmare. Picture a buffet with a variety of delectable dishes, each one cooked to perfection. Now imagine people rushing to enjoy this buffet. This is what you were hoping for - that the amazing food you serve up will attract many guests. But wait… suddenly you realise that, actually, there are way too many people in your restaurant. There are lengthy queues on either side of each table and you can sense the tension building. Diners are getting frustrated and are starting to wonder if this is actually worth it. Things are not looking as positive as you thought they were and you begin to wonder: how did things get so out of hand? The answer to that is pretty simple: you’ve not been using a buffet reservation platform.
The problem with long queues
Nobody likes to wait - end of story. This is the ‘instant’ era and, when it comes to service-oriented industries like restauranteering, speed, efficiency and convenience are paramount. Even at sit-down dinners, guests want their food served to them without delay. Imagine how much greater this requirement is for a buffet.
When diners have to stand in line, they are bound to get irritated - one of the reasons they’ve come for a buffet is to be able to get their food fast. Aggravating this will be the tantalizing aromas that will be wafting through your dining room. Ordinarily, this would be a blessing - the fragrances of the various dishes stimulate hunger, which means your guests will eat heartily. However, when customers have to wait in a queue, this kind of stimulation can make a guest frustrated or, worse yet, hangry.
You already know what the result of this is. Customers who have yet to serve themselves, may get up and leave, looking for a place they can get their food faster. Others who have begun their meal, will most likely not return. Then, of course, there is the dreaded online review. All these possibilities are deadly for business and will ultimately ruin your revenue.
It’s not just guests who will face problems when there are long queues at your buffet. Your staff too will struggle. They will no doubt have to listen to a barrage of complaints and field difficult questions from irate customers. They will be swept off their feet, rushing to keep the dishes full and finding seating for new arrivals. Service quality will drop, compromising the dining experience and the reputation of your restaurant.
Buffet reservation platforms to the rescue
If you want to keep the crowds coming in while ensuring that they all have a great dining experience, what you need to do is to register your restaurant on an online buffet booking site. This is the VIP backstage pass of buffets - instead of waiting in endless queues like general admission, reservation holders get fast-tracked to the feast. Just like exclusive guests at a concert, they skip the hassle and head straight to the main event: the food. Without the annoyance of long queues, guests are bound to enjoy themselves. This means that not only will they come back, they will also tell others about your restaurant.
With an online booking platform, you get a clear picture of demand. In this way you will be able to plan more accurately and be better prepared for each meal. You will also be able to clear bottlenecks and still cater to large numbers by spreading out the reservations.
Online booking software generates loads of data that is both insightful and actionable. This information will give you both an overview as well as details, enabling you to understand peak times, customer demand and booking trends. You can sort out staffing, figure out food quantities, run promotions during quieter hours and, overall, manage your restaurant so much more efficiently.
Keep your buffet thriving with appiGo Rush
Eliminate wait time and elevate your customers’ dining experience with appiGo RUSH. We know what you’re thinking - you don’t have the technical knowhow to manage an online system. Well, this is perhaps the friendliest buffet reservation platform. It’s so straightforward and intuitive that you don’t need technical expertise. Your customers too will find it super simple - all they need is a few clicks and they can make a booking. Tell you what, why don’t you give it a try? We are certain you’ll be very happy that you jumped on board!
