COVID-19 business disruption inspires radical pivots in hospitality and retail

Contactless payments are exactly opposite of what several dine-in restaurants and stores promoted pre-pandemic. But COVID-19 lockdowns and ongoing consumer concerns about exposure catapulted contactless payments to highest priority for those restaurants, hotels, and retailers who resisted implementing touchless payment platforms in the past. The market's demand for touchless payment options drives contactless payment integration now.

Eating away at profits

For restaurants without an online platform or established take-out business, food delivery services allowed them to remain open. But since they take up to 30% of profits, restaurants were putting in a lot of effort for a small return—and barely making enough to keep the doors open. To allow restaurants to retain all their profits, TEZ created TEXT4TAKEOUT, app-free ordering platform for fast casual and quick service restaurants needing an online ordering and payment platform for takeout business. Call us if you want to keep all your profits and offer customers convenient takeout service.

No. That’s the right answer

With TEXT4TAKEOUT, there are no startup fees, no monthly fees, no eating away at the restaurant’s profits. Customers pay a small technology fee when they order so we can keep our lights on. The process is simple: customers text a code to access the menu, then pay and tip through the platform. No App. No cash. No contact. Yes, it’s that easy. Setup takes about two days.

Empty chairs are a good thing

To give customers added peace of mind, some managers use another TEZ platform, TEXT4SERVICE (for Dine-In) inside the restaurant. Their customers go inside but order online instead of at the counter. Then they pick up orders at a designated pick-up station, and either eat it at the restaurant or take it home. They can be greeted by staff, so the experience is personal but distant--in a good way.

Who likes options? Everybody

Customer service is enhanced by using TEXT4TAKEOUT and TEXT4SERVICE because it gives customers options. They can order from their cars or eat inside after ordering and paying online. By offering contactless order and payment, restaurants can meet the needs of all diners. No app means customers don’t have to do anything more than send a text to get an order going. It’s faster than standing at a counter or waiting for service in-house.

Valet attendants are porters now

Valet operators are motivated to leave paper processes behind and embrace contactless payment processing in a post-pandemic business landscape, but operators using SMS Valet can do more than valet service. They can pivot to bag checkers instantly using the TEXT4BAGS module. Now valet attendants can also check bags, often getting bags delivered before guests get to their rooms. No cash means tips are more consistent and higher, and if the valet provides that service, gives those operators a much needed alternate revenue stream.

Hands-free, not hands-on

Retailers resisted contactless payments the most, still hugging their legacy point-of-sale systems that performed well in the past. And there’s a real risk that the learning curve for customers and employees suddenly moving to contactless processes might wreak havoc on customer experience. But does anybody leave the house without a cell phone these days? Probably not.

Shop everywhere, touch nothing

Shoppers routinely comparison shop online while in a store, maybe even purchase online if a line at the register is too long. Hands Free shopping with TEZ means customers can buy items at a store, then text the valet to pick up the bags that are stored in a secure location until the shopper is ready to leave. The valet can bring the car to any valet station at a mall, allowing customers to retrieve cars (and their bags) without walking back through the mall. Limiting exposure post-pandemic is one of the reasons customers might avoid shopping in stores, so offering contactless in-store experiences along with increased protective measures makes in-store shopping a lot more compelling in a post-pandemic retail landscape.

Millennials and Gen Z prefer it anyway

Millennials and Gen Z overwhelmingly prefer contactless payments: A January report from Ingenico Group and Freedom Pay found that 75% of millennials and 70% of Gen Z shoppers said they were satisfied with contactless payments, with 65% of Gen Z consumers saying they are a “must have” option for merchants.

TEZ can help you go contactless, whether you’re a retailer looking for an elegant, user-friendly, non-App, a golf course wanting a text ordering option on the green, a restaurant needing profit-boosting takeout or dine-in options, or a valet needing another revenue stream by adding bag check. Tell us about your operation in a chat. We’ll call you right back so you can leverage a cashless, contactless TEZ ordering and payment platform quickly.