How to use self-service in bakeries

Freshly baked bread, delicious pastries and cakes are all things that we associate with bakeries, and it is what every baker wants to be known for. Unfortunately, for the customers of many bakeries, their bakery experience is spoiled by long queues, poor customer service and the inability to order their baked goods their own way. Adding self-service kiosks into a bakery has the potential to transform it by reducing or eliminating queues, improving customer service and empowering customers to effortlessly order their favourite baked goods with a self-ordering kiosk.

While self-service technology is advanced and introduces powerful capabilities to your business, adopting self-service in bakeries does not have to be difficult. In this article, we explore how to successfully use self-service in bakeries to enhance your customer experience and increase sales.

CREATE A PRE-ORDERING POINT WITH A SELF-ORDERING KIOSK

Some customers that visit your bakery will know exactly what they want to order and many more will be ready to place an order once they have browsed your bakery's menu. These customers are best served by a fast and easy-to-use pre-ordering point in your bakery, which can be easily delivered by an interactive self-ordering kiosk. The self-ordering kiosk becomes a stylish and interactive pre-order point that presents an interactive menu to every customer, with all your baked goods and drinks showcased in an accessible digital format. Whether they are looking for a sausage roll, a fresh loaf of bread, a vegan pie or a coffee, all the menu options will be right at their fingertips. Your customers simply select the baked goods and drinks that they want to order, add them to the checkout and pay for their order using their preferred payment method.

Meanwhile, any baked goods or drinks that require preparation, such as heating up in the case of a sausage roll or brewing in the case of a coffee, are immediately sent from the self-ordering kiosk to your bakery staff so they can start preparing the customer's order instantly. This transforms the customer experience by reducing their waiting time and increasing customer flow, as once their order is placed, the self-service kiosk is ready to serve your next customer. This makes a queue-free bakery experience a welcome reality.

EMPOWER CUSTOMERS TO ORDER AND PAY IN THEIR OWN WAY WITH A SELF-SERVICE KIOSK

Pre-ordering does not always seem possible as some bakeries may only sell goods that are pre-prepared, and sometimes customers may not want to place a pre-order. However, this does not mean that your bakery has to miss out on the power of self-service. By adopting a self-service kiosk, you can create an enticing and easy-to-use digital touchpoint for your customers to order and pay their way. Delivering a great customer experience that will delight your bakery's customers and increase sales could not be easier. The self-service kiosk will showcase all your baked goods and products in an attractive digital format and help your customers place an order. In your interactive menu, you can helpfully display nutritional information and any relevant allergy warnings to your customers to help each and every customer make the right choice. During the food ordering process, you can highlight your latest bakery offers and deals to customers to help them save money while also generating value up-selling and cross-selling opportunities. Research has shown that customers spend up to 30% more when self-ordering. What difference would an additional 30% of sales revenue make to the bottom line of your bakery?

When your customer is ready to pay for their order, they can do so using whichever payment method they prefer. Whether that is a debit card, credit card, cash, Apple Pay, Google Pay or NFC. The self-service kiosk handles all types of payments to secure a sale for your bakery.

The ultimate level of flexibility is available with every self-service kiosk that we supply. Each kiosk is modular and has almost endless personalisation options to best suit the layout and style of your bakery. Matching your bakery's identity is a breeze and before long it will become part of the furniture.

FUTURE PROOF YOUR BAKERY AND STAY AHEAD OF COMPETITORS

Every business wants to be at the forefront of its industry while staying ahead of competitors. Your bakery can do both with the endless possibilities and power of self-service technology. Investing in self-service kiosks and self-ordering kiosks is a significant decision and one that we want you to make with confidence. When you choose a kiosk, you want to be sure that it is not only going to deliver for your business today but also in the future.

All of our self-service and self-ordering kiosks have the flexibility to deliver for your business for many years to come as they are hardware and software independent, giving you the freedom to choose from an almost unlimited range of hardware and software components. You can choose the suppliers that suit your bakery best, while we take care of the rest. The modular design of each kiosk ensures that your bakery is future-proof as the key components in the kiosk can be easily replaced or upgraded as and when required. This means that you can continue serving your customers with the very latest technology and any decisions to upgrade your kiosk can be based on your business and its customers rather than on any frustrating limitations of technology.

The great level of flexibility that is on offer with our self-service solutions will help you to stay ahead of competitors now and in the future so your business can thrive.

SERVE THE NEXT GENERATION OF CUSTOMERS WITH SELF-SERVICE

Customer needs and wants are constantly changing and this is especially the case with the next generation of customers that your bakery will want to serve. Millennials and Gen Z are set to become the two largest customer generations that your bakery will want to attract. These customers seek on-demand and convenience-driven retail experiences that empower them to browse, order and pay in their own way. Both generations are tech-savvy and prioritise high customer experiences and customer service. Research by Zendesk found that 53% of millennials and 47% of Gen Z consumers care more about the quality of a company's customer service in 2021 that they did in 2020. Both generations are also sensitive to poor customer service with 53% of millennials admitting that they would switch to a competitor after a single poor experience. clearly,

The self-service technology line-up at Pan Oston will help your bakery to efficiently serve the next generation of customers while providing a winning customer experience and great customer service that will delight them and tempt them back into your bakery.

OUR SELF-SERVICE SPECIALISTS ARE READY TO HELP YOUR BAKERY

Our team of self-service specialists are ready to help your bakery find the perfect self-service solution. We deliver innovative self-service kiosks and self-ordering kiosks that are modular or fully customised to your requirements. Our self-service kiosks provide the ultimate flexibility to bakeries as they are software and hardware-independent, which gives you the freedom to choose the technology that best fits your bakery.

Our client base includes businesses of all sizes including Subway, M&S, SPAR, COOP and Churchill's. Pan Oston's team of over 170+ specialists with over 50 years of experience have in-house design, manufacturing and project management capabilities that are ready to help you adopt self-service technology in your bakery. Choosing Pan Oston means that you will be working with an award-winning company that has won the prestigious Red Dot Design award and is committed to delivering excellent solutions.

Why not find out how we can help your bakery make the most of self-service technology? Contact our UK sales team today to discuss your bakery's self-service requirements with no obligation to proceed. We are ready to help your bakery make the most of the many possibilities offered by self-service and guide you towards a solution that works for you.