New research has found that three in 10 UK adults are eating out on a weekly basis, pushing restaurants to respond with technology which encourages greater speed and convenience. The survey from Barclaycard found that quick service is the priority for diners when ordering takeaways (37 per cent), ahead of menu choice (33 per cent) and value (21 per cent). Furthermore, consumers cited slow service as the most frustrating part of the dining experience, with six in 10 losing patience when their food takes too long to arrive. Almost half of consumers who dine in restaurants also claimed to become impatient when left to wait too long to pay at the end of their meal. The study suggests that pressure is mounting on restaurants to offer a range of solutions to speed up the payment process, with consumers more likely to choose venues which offer contactless payments (15 per cent), the option to pre-order and pay via an app for both delivery and eating in a restaurant (15 per cent) or payment via mobile device at the table (14 per cent). Customers are also calling for more bill-splitting apps or tools for large groups and automatic payment services, as 85 per cent of survey respondents admitted that they often end up frustrating when eating out with friends or family due to unfairly split bills. Sharon Manikon, customer solutions director at Barclaycard, said: “Eating out and ordering food in are increasingly becoming the norm, with consumers turning to restaurants and delivery services to provide quick and easy meal-time options, whether it’s a bite to eat after work or a mid-week takeaway ordered from a mobile device on the move. “By introducing a personal touch, such as apps which allow diners to pre-order and pay for meals in advance, or tools that enable bills to be split per head, restaurateurs can ensure they keep customers’ appetites for enjoyable food and high quality service well and truly satisfied.”
Three in 10 UK adults are eating out mid-week, spurring restaurants to provide technology that boosts speed and convenience. Quick service is a priority when ordering takeaways for 37% of customers, according to a survey by Barclaycard. Other findings suggest six out of 10 diners lose patience when food takes too long to arrive, while almost half of those surveyed say they become impatient when it takes too long to pay after a meal. Respondents also said they would be more likely to choose venues offering contactless payments, pre-ordering and payment via apps.