Hospitality operators hesitant to adopt AI powered solutions often cite eroding the customer experience as their primary concern. But consumer data tells a different story, with 74% of diners stating that they are comfortable using AI powered tools to manage reservations and confirmations. 

Does voice AI erode or enhance the customer experience?

AI cannot replace the emotional engagement that excellent hospitality service is built on. 

What it can do however, is act as a highly effective sidekick, empowering staff to be the heroes, and enabling them to focus on meaningful, face-to-face interactions. This is especially true in the case of voice AI for restaurants. 

During busy service periods, 43% of phone calls go unanswered, resulting in lost revenue and potentially damaging the venue’s brand. Industry data shows restaurants lose approximately $76,000 annually from unanswered calls alone. 

When calls are answered, it’s typically by front of house staff, who are then pulled away from face-to-face interactions with patrons. Every time those calls are answered, staff are under pressure, with tables waiting, bar lines lengthening, and dockets piling up, all of which erodes the experience for patrons in-venue. 

AI voice solutions for restaurants, such as Sadie, both enable staff to focus 100% on present patrons, and ensure that all incoming calls are answered. Venues using Sadie report an average of ~$7,000 in additional monthly revenue from calls that would otherwise have gone unanswered. 

For the patrons in the venue, the use of voice AI solutions preserves the level of service being provided. According to Torrens University, those customer experiences and emotional engagements significantly influence how patrons remember their experience. 

These positive experiences have compounding benefits for venues, making patrons more likely to not just return, but recommend the venue to others. When voice AI solutions allow staff to deliver exceptional customer service, the venue gains loyal customers, who spend, on average, 67% more than new customers per engagement. 

But what about the potential patrons speaking with the voice AI? 

Voice AI has become a huge part of the everyday lives of consumers, and as such, most people are reasonably comfortable engaging with voice AI solutions. In fact, research from PwC indicates that the vast majority of consumers see voice AI as a faster, easier way to perform everyday tasks, like making or moving reservations. 

In busy venues, voice AI solutions are the only solution for calls that would otherwise go unanswered. Speaking with an articulate AI who provides patrons with quick and accurate answers to questions can create a better customer experience than speaking with staff whose attention is pulled in all directions. 

For patrons calling a venue to make or move a booking, the expectation is achieving the desired result, rather than meaningful human connection. Voice AI solutions in restaurants make sure this happens every time, rather than risking leaving patrons frustrated and feeling ignored. 

To learn more about Sadie, and how voice AI can help to improve the customer experience in your venue, book a free demo today. Or call Sadie directly on 02 5135 1720 to hear Sadie in action for yourself.