According to a recent poll of 2,000 British diners by restaurant booking platform Bookatable.co.uk, over a third of respondents thought that the ability to pay via mobile, known as Pay-At-Table technology, instead of waiting for staff to prepare the bill, would enhance their customer experience. From the establishment’s perspective Pay-At-Table increases the table turn-over rate and frees up staff to concentrate on providing faster and improved service, making customers more likely to return. Interestingly, a quarter of poll respondents also admitted that they would be more inclined to tip waiting staff more if they were able to pay for their meal via their mobile device.

Improving diner experience using mobile devices isn’t restricted to Pay-At-Table though, as the innovative queue-busting solution from wi-Q demonstrates. wi-Q is hailed as the future for easy ordering and payment, and can display nutritional information alongside individual dishes on the menu. This information alongside the facility to include menu sub-lists e.g. children’s meals, gluten-free meals, healthy eating options, make it easier for those on special diets, including food allergies to order. wi-Q features include network agnostic Wi-Fi, app integration, multiple customer payment options, pre-load payment cards, EPOS integration or standalone ordering, pre-order, take-away and favourites.

wi-Q’s Graham Cornhill explains: “wi-Q is different because it is an end-to-end solution that is integrated with Wi-Fi, so, unlike an app, it can be used on a wide range of devices including laptops, tablets, e-readers and smartphones with no need to register or log in. The customer can order their food and drinks, and pay for them without queuing, which obviously improves their customer experience. The benefits for the establishment include improved sales, quicker customer turnaround and greater staff efficiency. Controlled from a central portal that can either be integrated with the restaurant’s EPOS or offered as a standalone solution, wi-Q can easily be tailored to the individual restaurateur’s needs, and has the scope to evolve alongside their business.”

As more establishments embrace the mobile technology that enhances the dining out experience from, literally, both sides of the table, the benefits will be reaped by customers and restaurateurs alike.