QuoteBoss "turns turn-aways into takeaways".
More and more restaurants these days are offering takeaways. In hard times it’s a handy way to boost turnover and profit. Customers like it too – it offers a chance to enjoy top restaurant food at home, saving money in the process.
But distinguishing the takeaway order from the table order – and ensuring each is ready at the right time – can be a real headache for chefs and restaurant managers. In particular, customers who aren’t eating in won’t want to be kept waiting, nor will they appreciate their order being prepared too early and gradually getting colder. And usually it’s not the delay that puts off customers, but the uncertainty of when an order will be ready.
Call-Systems Technology (CST) has now introduced QuoteBoss®, a new extension for the QSR ConnectSmart® system, which makes it much easier for restaurants to offer a high-quality takeaway service and maximise business.
The QuoteBoss extension uses the information already in the ConnectSmart system – together with known cooking times for each menu item and the current workload of the kitchen – to predict how long the chef will take to prepare food ‘to go’. The information is displayed on a screen so that reception staff can give callers precise times for when the food will be ready to collect. Even in a busy kitchen it is remarkably accurate.
QuoteBoss allows restaurant staff to give takeaway customers an optimum time for collection, so that their food is ready and in perfect condition when they arrive. It streamlines ordering so that neither table diners nor takeaway customers need suffer delays, and makes it much easier to cater for both phone-in orders and walk-in customers.
"When takeaway orders are prepared more efficiently it expands a restaurant’s potential business," says Ashley Sheppard of CST. "You can increase turnover without needing extra tables or waiting staff. And if all the tables are full, walk-in guests could turn from ‘turn-aways’ into ‘takeaways’."
QuoteBoss runs on any Windows computer, including EPOS terminals, and is now being included free for all users of the ConnectSmart Kitchen (CSK) system.
The full ConnectSmart suite is the new guest management software and hardware system from (CST) that links front of house to the kitchen, giving everyone the information they need for maximum efficiency. It works discreetly and effectively, telling the chefs which meals to prepare next.
ConnectSmart can tell front of house staff how long before tables will be free for waiting customers. And it keeps management informed of what is happening, in every department – so they can tell instantly if any area of the operation requires help. In addition to QuoteBoss, further modules extend the system to include reservation and full Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions – even over the Internet.
For details freephone Call-Systems Technology on 0800 389 5642, email the company at sales@call-systems.com or visit the CST website www.call-systems.com
Call-Systems Technology (CST) supplies an award-winning range of specialist communications and software products for the UK hospitality industry. The company has introduced many technology innovations which have enhanced service and improved efficiency, helping UK caterers to satisfy their customers and increase their profitability.
The CST portfolio ranges from simple pager systems through restaurant management software to sophisticated packages for improved facilities management. New arrivals include the ConnectSmart portfolio of restaurant automation products, developed and proven in the USA by QSR Automations.
CST provides solutions in every sector of the market, including hotels, conference centres, stadia, bars, restaurants, schools and hospitals.