TALES FROM THE TOP

Enhancing the customer experience through data SevenRooms, a data-driven guest experience platform for hospitality operators, has launched into the Australian market – and it couldn’t have picked a better time to help venues win back and retain customers. IT’S UNDOUBTEDLY been a

Having launched in

Contactless options for practices

tough trading environment

September, the Australian

like ordering and payment have been a

for pubs in 2020, but as

hospitality market is already

godsend during the pandemic, but many

restrictions begin to ease,

crying out for this type

publicans worry that by automating

operators need all the

of CRM-driven holistic

too many processes, they will lose that

help they can get in luring

platform, with businesses

human connection which is a crucial part

patrons back to their venue,

such as Momento Hospitality,

of the pub experience. Hadida suggests

SkyCity Entertainment

that instead, it helps to enhance that

Group and Matteo Sydney,

human connection by assisting venue

all jumping on board with

staff in personalising an experience for

and giving them the kind of experience that will keep them coming back for more.

Paul Hadida, GM Australia, SevenRooms

For Paul Hadida, general manager-

the SevenRooms tech. Like a lot of other

Australia of SevenRooms, capturing and

operational POS tech, the platform

utilising customer data is key in creating

offers reservation, waitlist and table

for hospitality, that doesn’t mean that

that tailored experience.

management, online ordering, contactless

technology can’t be used to provide a

order and pay, but goes a step further

high-touch experience. In fact, capturing

of businesses innovating to continue

to include reputation management and

data across the guest journey can enhance

providing services to their customers

marketing automation, and collates data

a venue’s ability to provide those personal

in the short-term, but the pandemic

on patron behaviour.

touches, not negate them, with an operator

“We’ve seen so many inspiring stories

will have long-term impacts too. It has

“Using our end-to-end guest experience

their guests. “Despite us entering a ‘contactless’ era

using the data collected through platforms

accelerated the need for hospitality

platform, operators can build a single,

like SevenRooms to deliver a personalised

businesses to embrace technology and use

unified profile on each of their customers

experience to their guests.

it as the foundation on which they build

to understand how they interact with the

their medium- to long-term recovery.

business – whether that includes online

favourite food and drink, whether they have

“Data, and the insights it provides, has

“This could include finding out a guest’s

ordering from home or on-site dining

any allergies, their preferred table or even

gone from ‘nice-to-have’ to essential.

experiences. Our platform helps operators

when their birthday is so they can provide

Every engagement matters, and with

to increase revenue and alleviate the

a favourite entree or bottle of wine on the

technology, savvier operators can serve

impact of the pandemic by leveraging

house to make that guest feel special.”

up the experiences required across both

data to build direct relationships, deliver

on- and off-premise to turn one-off

exceptional experiences and increase

that keep patrons coming back to the

visitors into regulars.”

repeat bookings and orders.”

one venue.

26 | Australian Hotelier

And it’s those human, personal touches