This morning, I ran into my local coffee shop in a bit of a tizzy. I was running a bit late, and I hadn’t yet had my morning coffee or managed to eat anything for breakfast. The site that befell me upon entering the restaurant was a bit disconcerting, as there was a line of about 17 people ahead of me that had the same idea I did. As I willed away the minutes waiting for my turn to place an order, I was wishing that my preferred restaurant had an IVR system in place to collect and process my order, remember my preferences, and submit my payment information. Restaurants worldwide could utilize Plum Voice Survey or QuickFuse to build applications that process and store customer data exactly in this manner. These applications wouldn’t take away from employee time, as each system could be set up with data integration capabilities. The system would receive an order, process it, and even allow the consumer to make a payment telephonically. Restaurants could cut wait times by having the order ready upon the customer’s arrival, minimizing line lengths and moving traffic through more quickly. It would be an ideal situation on both ends of the spectrum, as the IVR would minimize customer wait time, and allow restaurant employees to process orders and payments more quickly, allowing for a larger volume of satisfied customers overall. Additionally, the system could be used to make reservations at restaurants, inform and store customer data and preferences, and even give diners the opportunity to submit restaurant reviews. This is just another way Interactive Voice Response and VoiceXML are improving eating habits and streamlining customer dining experiences!
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