Over the last few years, self-order kiosks have shown a steady upswing in popularity at all types of restaurants, from fast-casual to full table service. But other industries can benefit from the advantages as well. In particular, theaters, playhouses and other entertainment venues can increase customer satisfaction and improve bottom lines by adopting self-service. Here’s why.
- Line-Busting, Especially at Intermissions
Theaters need to keep people moving through both ticketing and concessions lines, so people can make it to their seats before the show begins. If it looks like there will be a long wait to get their refreshments, they may well decide to skip it — and since the majority of a cinema’s profits comes not from ticket sales but from concessions, you can’t afford that scenario.
Similarly, arts and cultural performances — from ballets and operas to plays and stand-up comedy shows — have only brief intermission periods for patrons to take restroom breaks and purchase food and drink. Self-order kiosks keep the lines moving so you can serve as many patrons as possible during those breaks, and they won’t miss any of the performance. Orders can be placed and paid for more quickly, and staff members can focus on efficient fulfillment rather than order placement.
- Fast and Accurate Service
Self-order kiosks increase speed of service because employees are concentrating on order preparation instead of having to input the order and process the payment first. Cinemas can even combine ticket and concessions sales into a single transaction to save even more time. And self-service is also more accurate, since customers are entering their own specifications (so there’s no miscommunication, especially in a crowded, noisy lobby), and they can verify their orders before sending. Avoiding mix-ups reduces food waste and increases customer satisfaction — so they’re more likely to repeat the experience.
- Increased Concessions Revenue and Ticket Sizes
Perhaps the biggest way for self-order kiosks to provide a healthy return on investment is by increasing concessions revenue. Self-service encourages customers to order more food and drink with automatic upselling suggestions (“Would you like to make it a combo?”) and enticing visual images. Impulse buying and add-ons increase, thereby raising overall order sizes — and profits. The Washington Post reported in 2015 that at Cinemark movie theaters, self-service kiosks had helped per-person concession spending to increase for 32 straight quarters.
