How can technology support a more personalised guest experience against the backdrop of rising costs?

Food inflation hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October 2022, according to government figures. And although the latest BRC data has revealed that food inflation decelerated to 11.5% in August (it’s lowest since September 2022), experts are still predicting that consumers will remain cautious with discretionary spending as we head towards Christmas. Providing a more tailored and personalised guest experience is crucial for catering businesses if they are to stand out from the crowd this season. But with rising costs and increased consumer demand for better quality and service, this is proving a challenge for many. Add to that the burden of ongoing staff shortages, it is easy to see why reliance on the right technology is becoming a necessity for the industry. Elevating the guest experience relies on a happy, motivated and productive workforce. But as catering firms continue to face a barrage of pressure around rising costs and staff shortages, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. Effective cost management is fundamental for catering firms, but with increased pressure from consumers, it should never be to the detriment of product quality or guest experience. If staff are overworked and teams under-resourced, mistakes will be made, and morale will suffer long term as a result. So, it is becoming important for businesses to look at multiple ways to improve their working environment. If teams have a manageable workload, space to think, and time to use their creativity to boost customer service, the rest will follow. The industry remains competitive, and personalisation of guest experience remains one of the key areas that businesses can differentiate. Freeing up time for innovation Adopting the right catering management technology to streamline and automate the more mundane and admin heavy tasks, can help catering businesses to free up more time and resources for innovation and creativity. This in turn, will allow greater scope for personalising the guest experience, while simultaneously regaining control of costs. Technology is also helping more firms to source, order, and manage their suppliers and stock control more efficiently. Improving operational efficiencies will also help to reduce costs and allow teams to focus more widely on the more important aspects of their role - guest experience. Building robust supplier relationships also matters – and helps achieve the wider objective of improving customer service. Having access to a wide supplier network in a climate where costs are rising is vital, as is capitalising on procurement technology to ensure you are getting the best prices by considering the bigger picture. For instance, it might be the case that some higher volume items are available at a discount or are on a long-term price lock, or you may want to consider purchasing from smaller, more local businesses if there is financial benefit. Using technology to centralise your agreements with suppliers will help to increase transparency and help to continuously review against agreed terms, so firms can make more informed decisions and eliminate surprises around overspend and waste. Elevating guest experience By optimising inventory management, catering businesses can not only reduce waste, but they can also ensure that the right dishes are available at the right time for their customers. By automating the procurement process, businesses can more accurately forecast consumer demand (i.e., what dishes are popular or what options they regularly request) as well as keep on top of stock control and build a healthy supply chain. This means they will have the right stock available and are less likely to run out of ingredients. The benefit here is two-pronged, not only does this help reduce costs by eliminating the chances of over-ordering, but it also ensures that guests have access to the dishes that are in demand and where possible, these can be tailored to boost the individual experience. For instance, if guests regularly request a dairy-free option or an alternative to meat, the catering team can easily check their inventory levels and restock if necessary, avoiding any future disappointment. Analysing guest preferences has been useful for many businesses and technology has allowed many to capitalise on the customer data they hold. Information like this can be used to personalise guest experience, helping firms to meet the demands of individual guests. In summary, technology is at the heart of improving the guest experience, it offers a multitude of benefits to catering teams, particularly against the backdrop of rising costs. By embracing digital platforms, caterers will have access to a wider range of suppliers, will be able to monitor guest preferences, keep on top of their inventory management, and control costs more effectively in real time. Developing an improved guest experience will only succeed alongside a productive workforce that has time on their hands to focus on customer service. Therefore, embracing technology that frees up resources and saves money has to be a priority right now.