News Briefs

Salesforce, an AI CRM, announced an expanded relationship with IHG Hotels & Resorts, a global hotel company with more than 6,000 hotels across 19 global brands, to drive guest loyalty through its IHG One Rewards program and unlock efficiencies, deeper personalization, and faster innovation.

Customer expectations are changing, with 65% of consumers saying they will remain loyal to companies that offer more personalized experiences. To meet these expectations, IHG is standardizing its CRM on the Einstein 1 Platform, which brings CRM, AI, data, and trust on a single, unified platform to drive customer loyalty, more tailored guest experiences, and greater efficiencies.

“As we continue to enhance the IHG One Rewards loyalty program, one of our top priorities is ensuring our guests have a booking and stay experience that is customized to their individual travel needs," said Heather Balsley, Global Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer at IHG Hotels & Resorts. "Our collaboration with Salesforce will enable us to further enhance the technology, tools, teams, and solutions that power our loyalty program, allowing us to provide personalized content and offerings that ultimately drive a deeper connection to our most valued guests.”

“By bringing more data into Salesforce, IHG Hotels & Resorts is able to garner greater insights that will contribute to an unparalleled experience for guests and hotel owners,” said Jeff Amann, EVP & GM, Salesforce Industries. “With the Einstein 1 Platform, IHG is delivering joy for its guests today while setting itself up to leverage new technologies like AI that help optimize guest interactions in the future.”

How IHG Hotels & Resorts is innovating with the Einstein 1 Platform

IHG One Rewards members spend 20% more than nonmembers and are estimated to be nine times more likely to book directly with IHG’s global websites and the IHG One Rewards mobile app. 

With the Einstein 1 Platform and its adoption of Loyalty Management, IHG will be able to foster even stronger relationships with guests and grow its loyalty membership with predictive AI capabilities. In addition, IHG is leveraging Data Cloud and Service Cloud to accelerate innovation and create more tailored customer service. 

• Seamless brand experience for guests: Through the expanded use of Data Cloud, IHG Hotels & Resorts will create a single source of truth for millions of customer profiles, unifying data from multiple external systems, and creating seamless guest experiences across the company’s 19 global hotel brands. With Salesforce and other technology partners, IHG is laying the foundation to use generative AI to help guests manage their stays more effectively. 

• Customer engagement and marketing: When a potential guest visits an IHG Hotels & Resorts booking page but doesn’t complete a booking, a segment is created in Data Cloud and sent to Marketing Cloud for activation to encourage the member to come back and complete the transaction. 

• Transforming the approach to guest loyalty: With Service Cloud, IHG Hotels & Resorts will be able to tap into a 360-degree view of their guests, offering more tailored customer service and delivering more accurate, faster resolutions to guest inquiries. Marketing Cloud also helps IHG Hotels & Resorts more effectively reach customers through channels they prefer, whether email, SMS, or push notifications. 

As rising costs continue to cut into profit margins, restaurants and retailers are implementing automation technology to grow their business. Software Advice’s 2024 Automated Customer Experience Survey of over 2,000 global consumers, found that consumers rate automation most acceptable for self-checkout and help locating products in stores, but do have concerns when it comes to food preparation, cleaning, and security.

A majority (72%) of consumers are already loyal users of automated technologies such as self-checkout, curbside pickup, and contactless payment. Yet fewer than half have experienced the most cutting-edge retail technologies such as AI-enabled cashierless checkout and augmented reality try-on tools. Consumers believe automated tech has brought speed and convenience to in-store shopping and restaurant ordering, and many are ready for more to be introduced.

Software Advice’s survey identifies three consumer automation trends to help businesses with implementation strategies:

Trend #1: Consumers want more speed and efficiency

Today’s consumers are in a rush when they shop in-store. Nearly a quarter (73%) of global consumers want to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible, and 52% say the same of other retail stores.

To that end, most consumers use technology that speeds up transactions. For example, most consumers prefer self-checkout to staffed checkout when they have under 20 items, need to make a purchase quickly, or want to avoid a time-consuming conversation. However, this tech isn’t a cure-all for customers in a time crunch—the overall experience rating with self-checkout declines significantly with an increase in age, suggesting that stores can’t eliminate human assistance if they want to be inclusive. Close to a third (29%) of users experienced an issue or delay the last time they used the technology.

At restaurants, nearly half (49%) of diners say they’re likely to order food through an artificial intelligence tool, such as a chatbot or drive-thru, both of which have the potential to reduce time taken to order by serving customers personalized recommendations based on preferences and past orders.

Trend #2: Today’s customer values autonomy and privacy

Consumers now rely on technology to get information they would have had to seek out from human store associates in the recent past. Today, most consumers rarely seek out interaction with retail employees and often have already researched online what they want to purchase prior to leaving their houses. When shopping in physical stores, 62% of global consumers pull out their smartphones to compare online prices to what they see on shelves and browse product reviews.

Consumers believe technology makes their in-store shopping experiences more efficient and safer but are concerned about how that technology may use and protect their personal data.

With the recent expansion of AI-equipped security cameras at self-checkout kiosks, many customers are aware that their purchases, and their likenesses, are never truly private, even when they scan and bag their own items.

Trend #3: Humans are irreplaceable for personalization, empathy and safety

Only 33% of global consumers think it’s acceptable for businesses to exclusively use automated tech to deliver personalized recommendations. Fewer still think it's okay for businesses to fully automate store security. Only a slightly higher figure, 35% say it's okay for businesses to fully automate returns, exchanges, and refunds. Customers don’t find it acceptable for stores to rely on robots and software to handle complex problem-solving tasks, or tasks that keep people and spaces clean and safe.

Most consumers (67%) say human-centered customer service at restaurants is very important, while 31% say the same of retail and grocery stores. Over half (55%) of global consumers say automated food preparation is unacceptable for both quick service and table service restaurants. Some diners are more open to robot servers at quick service restaurants (30%) and table service (10%) but are still in the minority.

The full report offers additional findings, expert analysis, and recommendations to help automate functions without alienating customers.

Biscuitville,  the 80+ location family-owned regional fast-food restaurant chain, signs on with Lunchbox to launch the brand's first native online ordering platform. The announcement comes at a time when the enterprise brand is eyeing an expected 7-8 corporate stores opening annually and doubling down on investments in guest-engagement solutions.

"We are excited to partner with Lunchbox to launch Biscuitville's first online ordering website. Lunchbox has a great track record and functionality that we anticipate will transform our customer experience. This venture with Lunchbox and our POS system (CBS NorthStar) highlights our commitment to meeting the demands of today's digital-savvy consumers," said Biscuitville's Chief Information Officer, Jeff Archer. "It also positions Biscuitville for long-term success in the rapidly evolving digital ordering marketplace."

Biscuitville will leverage the Lunchbox Web Ordering platform with a fully branded custom user interface (UI) and POS-integrated system that enables a seamless operational flow for its front and back-of-house staff.

The announcement follows the emergence of a preferred partnership between Lunchbox and CBS NorthStar — an enterprise restaurant POS software provider in hospitality management solutions. Integrating seamlessly into the CBS NorthStar point-of-sale system, the partnership opens the door for all CBS customers to enroll in the full Lunchbox suite of order management solutions, including App and Web Ordering, Catering, Loyalty, Marketing CRM, and more.

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

"We are thrilled to partner with Lunchbox, leveraging their solutions to enhance our comprehensive POS solution. This collaboration is more than a technological upgrade; it's a transformative endeavor that promises to streamline operations, amplify customer engagement, and drive growth across all our partnered brands. By integrating Lunchbox's capabilities into CBS NorthStar, we are setting a new standard for innovation and service in the hospitality industry.", commented CTO Anthony Presley of CBS NorthStar.

"Partnering with Biscuitville marks a significant milestone for both, Lunchbox and CBS," said Nabeel Alamgir, CEO and Co-Founder of Lunchbox. "It's an important piece to their future expansion, tapping into best-in-class customer engagement to scale their market reach. We look forward to helping Biscuitville propel towards achieving its ambitious growth targets and transforming how its customers interact with their brand."

A whalloping 89% of diners are bothered by inconsistent experiences making more than half (57%) of them less likely to go back, according to Tillster's 2024 Phygital Index Report.

Consistency is key for delivering on the demands for a phygital restaurant experience, according to the second annual report from the global provider of unified commerce solutions for restaurant brands. Tillster’s sixth annual consumer index uncovers what consumers are seeking from their dining experiences when it comes to digital ordering, self-service kiosks, delivery, pickup, coupons, loyalty programs, and more.

Great Expectations

The survey of more than 1,000 U.S.-based quick-service and fast-casual diners uncovers consumers' expectations for digital ordering in the restaurant and off-premise. Demand for customizable and personalized experiences continues to grow, and this year diners continue to set a high bar for expectations when it comes to consistency across the digital and physical experience. 89% of diners say inconsistent experiences across locations of the same QSR chain bothers them, and these inconsistent experiences make 57% of diners less likely to go back. Nearly half of QSR customers have experienced digital tools not working together the way they should be which leaves the vast majority of them (93%) frustrated. However, this creates an opportunity for restaurant brands to close the gap and benefit from improved consistency in the experience provided across physical and digital engagements with customers which can ultimately drive higher frequency, deeper loyalty and larger check size.

To help brands create more seamless, personalized and customizable phygital experiences, the Phygital Index Report uncovers a range of pain points and solutions, including:

• Self-service kiosk adoption is growing, helping operators navigate labor and cost challenges. 57% of those who use kiosks wish restaurants had more self-service kiosks available, compared to 36% of diners who said the same last year. Kiosks are gaining traction for the convenience they offer customers and for the way they can help offset labor costs for operators.
• The third-party bubble burst. Diners have favored third-party platforms for the variety of choices, but the advantage is waning. Today, 17% of diners expect to reduce their use of third-party websites/apps in favor of restaurant-specific websites/apps in the coming year. There’s an opportunity to shift focus to mobile apps and websites, where 47% of diners are eager to see more exclusive offers and discounts. With the shift, operators gain the opportunity to engage and retain customers in new ways with first-party data and direct connections.
• Pickup picks up, but parking is a problem. 89% of diners who have used curbside pickup say they would be more likely to visit a QSR that offers curbside pickup in the coming year (up from 69% last year). While diners demand more curbside, logistical challenges are a pain point. Over half of customers (55%) who ordered pickup in the last three months have had issues with parking when collecting their order, presenting a clear focus area for operators.
• Personalization has become the expectation. More than half (58%) of diners are likely to recommend a QSR based on a positive personalized ordering experience. In fact, 33% of diners have even decided not to order from a QSR because the ordering experience was not personalized to their preferences — up from 21% who said so in 2023. There's an opportunity for restaurant operators to uplevel personalization in the ordering process.

“As restaurants continue to adjust their digital transformation strategies, it’s never been more important to build synergy between the digital and physical tools and components of the QSR dining experience,” said Perse Faily, CEO of Tillster. “It’s clear from our Phygital Index Report for 2024 that today’s diners want interconnected, yet tailored and personalized experiences. We initiated this report to uncover consumer preferences to help brands and operators deepen their understanding of the tools and how they can create more seamless, meaningful and valuable experiences for customers and boost profitability.”

View the complete Tillster’s Phygital Index report here..

Patrick Kirk – previously Vice President of Bar and Beverage for Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar  – has joined Fuzzy’s Taco Shop's leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer. In his new role, Kirk will continue to define the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop experience as he develops and delivers strategic direction across all aspects of marketing including advertising, digital marketing, and culinary and beverage innovation.

“Over the past eight years, Patrick has disrupted the casual dining industry through stand out marketing campaigns at Applebee’s,” says Paul Damico, President of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “His ability to create strategic platforms and forge strong brand and franchisee partnerships with a focus on creating buzzworthy and fun guest experiences is undeniable. I look forward to the new expertise and creative thinking he’ll bring to our talented team.”

With more than 23 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Kirk was responsible for creating industry-leading beverage programs and building trusted relationships at national brands, including Applebee’s, Tony Roma’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. In his previous role, Kirk led the vision and strategy for Applebee’s bar and beverage experience across restaurants nationwide, growing his marketing department into a substantial revenue driver for the business.

“I love Fuzzy’s badass attitude and strong values,” says Patrick Kirk, Chief Marketing Officer of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “After Dine Brands acquired Fuzzy’s in 2022, I’ve had the chance to get to know the team and have been impressed by the way the brand brings its Baja vibe to life and connects with guests. I can’t wait to dive in further with the team to unlock the brand’s marketing potential.”

Kirk currently is a member of Millennium Advisory Board, a collection of industry leaders helping shape the future of on-premise beverage. He has also served on other industry councils including the VIBE Conference and the Bar & Nightclub Expo. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois.

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

• Unprecedented efficiency in database migration with time savings of up to 50-60% 
• Flexibility to adapt and integrate a variety of systems with ease 
• Significant cost savings through reduced IT resource dependence 
• Enhanced competitive advantage through quick adaptability to market changes 
• Minimized risk of data loss or errors, safeguarding operational stability 
• Scalable solutions to match the growth trajectory of business
• Empowerment of digital transformation initiatives across sectors