Improving Bodean’s waitlist management

ENDORSEMENT FROM BODEANS HQ:

“Qudini has proved to be a wonderful tool in streamlining our waitlist and keeping our guests happy. The SMS system has been more efficient and time saving.

We recommend Qudini to any busy restaurant.”

- Operations Manager, Bodean’s BBQ

BACKGROUND:

Bodean’s is a very popular UK based American style “BBQ Smoke house” restaurant chain.

Their very busy sites operate a no-bookings policy in the evenings. So previously the restaurants’ hosts were fixed to the front desk where they would build-up a paper waitlist of guest names to dial from a fixed phone-line when they had a table available.

Bodean’s struggled with this method’s inefficiencies, and so they deployed the Qudini waitlist application to their 4 sites.

HOW IT WORKS:

• A guest’s details are taken by the host on an iPad.

• The customer is sent a confirmation text message with a weblink offering a visual countdown of their position in the waitlist.

• Whilst they wait, the customer may text the host to update their details or cancel their position.

• Staff have an intuitive view of their waitlist, party size breakdown and how long each party has

been waiting against how long they were initially quoted.

• At the click of a button staff may text their customer telling them to return for their table.

Benefits experienced since implementing the Qudini application….

SAVING STAFF TIME:

• Staff now save an average of 5 minutes per customer, now that they can simply call customer back at the click of a button.

• Compared to their clipboard and pen method that’s about 2.5 hours saved per night, and 75 hours saved over the month

FASTER TABLE TURNOVER:

The restaurants turn tables faster because:

• The hosts have more time and mobility, so they help-out on the restaurant floor to seat customers faster.

• The ability for customers cancel their table by texting the app to means that tables are not left open for no-show customers. Previously they had no way of knowing when customers wished to cancel without calling them multiple times.

• Customers track their waitlist position while they wait so they are ready to return as soon as they’re called.

• By displaying how long each customer has been seated the app allows the staff to manage upcoming availability and fulfill their 2 hour seating policy.

OFFERING A BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE:

The Qudini app allows the restaurants to offer their customers a better Bodean’s experience now that:

• The hosts are less anxious and can use their extra time to form stronger relationships with customers in the restaurant.

• The tablet app makes them appear more professional, modern and “cool” to customers.

• The increased transparency to customers has led to a significant reduction in customer complaints about the wait-times.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT:

• Through saving the restaurants’ staff time, increasing table turnover speed and increasing customer likelihood of returning to Bodeans’ restaurants.

• Qudini allows our client to generate an 800% return on their monthly investment in our service.

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK:

• 52% of Bodean’s customers say that the Qudini waitlist experience would cause them to chose Bodean’s over other restaurants in the future.

TESTIMONIALS FROM THE HOSTS:

“It’s much better because customers can text back to cancel, so we no longer spend a lot of time tying to call them back or holding the table open when they’re not planning on returning. This enables us to seat the next party much faster”

- Hostess at Bodean’s Tower hill

“I would never want to go back to the old system. The qudini app is perfect for me as the hostess, it is quick and easy to use and it saves me a lot of time”

- Hostess at Bodean’s Soho

“Most importantly to our restaurant it saves us time, whilst it also allows our customers to have a better time”

- Hostess at Bodean’s Fulham

THANK YOU

Imogen WetheredCEO – Qudini

imogen@qudini.com07766113002