This piece has been contributed by Coates Chief Technology Officer, Tim Knoblanche.
The most significant shift we are helping to enable for leading QSR brands goes beyond just improving speed of service—it's about rethinking how customers spend their time in the restaurant. By mapping every customer interaction, and creating connection between each one, our goal is to maximise positive experience time (value time—engaging with brand content) and minimise necessary experience time (void time—waiting in line). Digital menu boards play a part in helping to achieve this by transforming wait time into a more valuable and engaging part of the visit—enhancing the in-store experience and adding value to each interaction.
This distinction between "value time" and "void time" represents a powerful framework which guides our innovation as we partner with the world's largest QSR brands.
Multi-Tasking Menu Boards
The evolution of digital touchpoints has been remarkable. Before digital menu boards existed, static menu boards were essentially information sharing tools. The first iteration of digital boards optimised this process, but we're now seeing a shift where ordering takes place away from the restaurant through mobile apps.
Since customers are interacting with the brand before arrival, we must consider this in the customers experience that occurs upon arrival. This creates opportunities to bring mobile digital engagement to life in the physical restaurant in an omnichannel experience. With some decisions already made before arrival, the focus should shift to elevating the customer experience and creating a deeper brand engagement through a seamless and connected journey.
That’s exactly where we aim to add value. We support global QSR leaders in addressing these opportunities, and partner in helping to enhance and enable them to create better customer experiences across digital and physical in-restaurant ecosystems.
Preserving the In-Restaurant Experiences
This shift isn’t just convenient for the customer; it also allows restaurants to fulfill their core purpose: being places for people to connect. At the end of the day, these restaurants aren't just functional places for collecting meals. They are convenient, yes, but they are also places where people can connect, share moments, and create meaningful experiences.
So, how can tailored solutions and technology help create a space for genuine connections? They support brands to make the most of customer time by personalising the experience with smart data-driven displays, making ordering easier and faster and simplifying operations to give staff more time to focus on making people feel welcome.
From Ordering Aids to Powerful Experiential Marketing Tools
Our digital touchpoints are becoming powerful tools for creating better customers experiences and support marketing efforts, all while keeping the complexity behind the scenes.
At Coates, we're ultimately putting ourselves in the shoes of our customers' customers and thinking about the experience we want them to have. How do we facilitate and enhance those experiences? By shifting the focus from necessary experience time to positive experience time, we're playing a part in helping QSR brands do what they do best: bring people together around good food in welcoming spaces with rapid convenience.
Tim Knoblanche is the Chief Technology Officer at Coates, where he leads technology strategy and innovation for global QSR brands. Tim uses his expertise to help restaurant brands maximise positive customer experiences through innovative technology solutions that enhance experience density and time value enhancement.
