Guests report app overload driven by increase in mobile ordering

As ever more hospitality operators turn to mobile ordering to solve hygiene issues associated with menus, guests are becoming frustrated by having to download multiple apps that serve the same purpose.

Research has found that half of 2,500 hospitality customers quizzed were annoyed at having to download different apps for hospitality businesses.

Some 42% of those surveyed by KAM Media and OrderPay said they would prefer an app that would provide functionality across a number of chains, with the desire for a single app strongest among those under 34 years of age.

Unsurprisingly, the research found that mobile phone ordering had become increasingly important to 41% of customers in the past six months.

But even before Covid hit, research from KAM Media had found that 43% of 18- to 34-year-olds had used an app to pay a bill in a hospitality setting, and 28% would have liked the ability to order and pay In advance using their device.

OrderPay chief marketing officer Joe Martin said: "We know that people only use a very limited number of apps – and three-quarters never use a newly downloaded app again three days after installing. The reality is that consumers will more likely download and value an app they'd use multiple times, at a range of different hospitality venues, if the right experience is available in the palm of their hand. So it's vital operators think hard about the ordering channels open to consumers and the ongoing benefits they provide to both the business and their customers."

Katy Moses, KAM Media managing director, added: "Most customers are open to technology which will help enhance their experience – why wouldn't they be? But the key is ensuring it is frictionless and painless for them. The hospitality industry has implemented some amazing technology within a matter of months, following the pressure of lockdown. Operators and technology providers now need to work together to evolve their solutions and ensure they are truly customer centred."

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