Whether you run a beloved local diner or a thriving multi-location restaurant brand, a top-tier restaurant phone system is not just a luxury—it's a necessity. Investing in a professional phone system can dramatically save you time and money while significantly enhancing your customer service and operational efficiency.
As carryout and delivery orders continue to soar, the ability for customers to reach your restaurant is paramount. If they encounter busy signals, unanswered calls, or an unwelcoming greeting, they will likely turn to your competitors. Studies reveal that a staggering 34% of callers who hang up will not call back.
Imagine a potential customer trying to reach you, only to be met with frustration. What are the odds they will ever choose to visit your restaurant after such an experience? Don’t let missed calls cost you valuable business—invest in a professional phone system today and ensure every customer feels welcomed and valued from the very first call.
What makes a professional phone system different?
Although your phone may not seem like a pivotal piece of technology, a top-notch phone system – one that is expertly set up and managed – can transform the way you interact with customers. It can swiftly answer inquiries, cultivate trust, and significantly reduce the time your employees spend on calls. This not only enhances customer satisfaction but also drives your business growth.
It might sound ambitious, but the right phone system can achieve all of this and even more. When it’s exceptional, like Callicity®, it delivers these powerful benefits while saving you money. Don’t underestimate the impact of a great phone system on your business’s success!
Here’s how a great phone system can help fuel your growth:
Guide People to Their Answer
- An auto-attendant serves as a valuable tool that empowers your customers to independently explore and navigate through various options to find the answers they seek. This system provides immediate responses to common inquiries and ensures they can easily connect with the right person when they require more personalized assistance.
- While some restaurants view auto-attendants as barriers, the truth is that implementing a structured approach to connect customers with the appropriate person or information fosters trust and positive relationships.
No More Unanswered Calls or Busy Signals
- Have you ever noticed that a busy signal feels like a company saying, “I’m too busy to talk to you right now?” When guests arrive at your restaurant during peak hours, they’re placed on a waitlist, and a host informs them of their expected wait time. So why not implement a similar system for your phone lines?
- During times of high call volume, systems like Callicity® can provide callers with their estimated wait times and queue status, allowing them to choose a callback option instead of waiting on hold. To improve the experience while customers are in line, soothing music or informative on-hold messages can be played.
- How often do your employees find themselves on a call taking an order, only to request the caller to hold while they answer another incoming line? How many times has the original caller given up and hung up while waiting? Moreover, how frequently has a customer been unintentionally disconnected by an employee hitting the wrong button? This results in not just losing that first order but possibly losing that customer for good. With Callicity®, our call queue system guarantees that calls are answered in the sequence they are received, without interrupting ongoing conversations, putting callers on hold, or risking the omission of items from a customer's order due to call juggling.
- When signing up for telephone services, a common topic of conversation is the number of “lines” required. However, with Callicity®, the idea of “lines” is no longer a concern – your business can receive an unlimited number of incoming calls without ever encountering a busy signal.
- Still skeptical about the importance of keeping your customers engaged while on hold? A survey conducted by USA Business Telephone with 30,000 participants found that implementing a music and messaging on hold system can decrease the rate of call abandonment from over 50% to under 2%.
Streamline Waitlisting and Reservations
- Text messaging is a valuable tool for businesses that often goes unnoticed – until you start using it. It's common knowledge that sending a text is quicker than making a phone call when you need to convey a brief message. So, why not allow your customers to text you their name and the number of people in their party to join your waitlist? Your host can add them directly to the list, send a quick acknowledgment, and move on to helping another guest. It’s that easy and efficient, and texting can be shared on multiple devices of all platforms (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android.)
- Want to inform your customers that their order is ready for pickup? With a professional phone system from Callicity®, your team can easily send SMS messages directly from your POS, keeping them in the loop.
Engage
- As social media becomes an essential tool for customer engagement, many businesses are shifting their focus from traditional websites to social media pages. You might have chosen to enhance your online presence through these platforms. Callicity’s state-of-the-art phone system integrates your website with Facebook Messenger, enabling your employees to handle inquiries about hours, promotions, and other details without needing to access Facebook directly!
Enable People to Reach You on a Mobile Device
- Don’t be concerned; this doesn’t mean that anyone can reach you whenever they want. If you’re like many restaurateurs, you’re often away from your desk. A mobile extension allows you to forgo your office phone and have all the necessary features at your fingertips, no matter where you are. You won’t miss calls from suppliers anymore. Plus, you can customize your settings to ensure that calls to your personal phone are only allowed during the hours and days you specify.
- This option is ideal for those who run catering services. Numerous restaurants send catering calls to voicemail, which can lead to potential customers not leaving messages or seeking out competitors for quicker answers. Just think about the convenience of receiving catering orders instantly, no matter where your catering staff happens to be.
Reduce Unnecessary Calls
- Spam calls are more than just an annoyance; they are a serious drain on your business resources. Each call not only wastes your employees' time, but also blocks potential customers from reaching you, ultimately costing you money. By taking proactive steps to reduce these interruptions, you can protect your bottom line and ensure that your focus remains on serving your valued clients. Why not act now to safeguard your business from these disruptive calls?
- We have the ability to drastically minimize spam calls in real-time by redirecting them straight to voicemail, labeling the caller ID with [SPAM], or our top choice – simply disconnecting the call immediately.
Reduce Spend
- Our clients experience savings of 15–40% when switching from their previous traditional phone systems to our services.
- VoIP services from various providers typically enable unlimited local and long-distance calling across the US and Canada, with additional international calling options available if required. While each carrier has its specific calling terms, Callicity® includes all the United States and Canada in every service plan. This ensures you won't face unexpected charges, and your billing will remain as clear and predictable as you expect.
- A suitable phone system will naturally integrate into your everyday workflow and eliminate frustrations for your customers. Callicity® can be customized to fit your requirements perfectly. Think it could work for your restaurant? Contact us to schedule a meeting and explore your options together.