From the Frontlines: A Conversation with Amanda Romano

In this series, Harri is highlighting members of our team who are up to big things and have big insights into the hospitality industry. This week we have Amanda Romano, Sales Development Representative at Harri. We discuss the importance of convenience for the hospitality industry and how tech plays a role in creating seamless experiences, especially as COVID-19 continues to change customer expectations. 

Thanks for chatting with us today, Amanda! So, what are some themes that you’re seeing as restaurants adapt to COVID-19?

A big theme we’re seeing is customer convenience and how that plays into safety. There are so many third-party platforms that restaurants can take advantage of to create a frictionless digital experience, making it much easier for customers to order from them. Think about it, everyone has an app.

It’s interesting because, before COVID-19, a lot of places were adopting the in-store kiosk module for the sake of convenience. Now it’s become difficult to maintain sanitary standards when so many people are interacting with one of those large kiosks. People touch them faster than the staff can clean them. Restaurants that once used kiosks have had to switch to an app-based service to recreate that feeling of convenience, especially now that more people are staying at home and prefer to order off-premise. It’s safer.

Would you say technology plays a significant role in the future of the industry?

Yes! The hospitality industry is all about the experience. With COVID-19 steering today’s world, we’re seeing a huge shift towards digital experiences. Restaurants that aren’t tech-forward will fall behind. There’s a lot of data showing that customer expectations are changing, and they’re rapidly moving towards those digital experiences. We want to bring that to their attention and help them get ahead of the curve before it’s too late.

How are brands starting to adapt in order to provide that high level of convenience? 

Restaurants and questioning their tech, like their POS and CRM systems, and are considering how they can move everything into one solution. When all of your data is in one space, day-to-day operations become so much easier.

That makes a lot of sense. Are there any benefits to restaurants that are still seeking to grow in-person experiences? 

It’s hard for fast-food workers to cultivate relationships with their customers, especially during the pandemic. A great thing about in-person ordering is that it can still be convenient while also offering personalized service. Brands that go the extra mile to build those relationships will see higher check values. Think: “I see you’re ordering this menu item, you might also want to add this item.” Another thing to consider is that, if customers get to know their Starbucks barista or their Wendy’s cashier, they’ll feel more comfortable ordering there. You get better results with that human-to-human connection.