getWaiter! Blog

More people than ever are ditching their aprons in favour of eating out this Christmas to minimise the stress of cooking the festive feast.

getWaiter!, the smartphone app which makes it easier for diners to call their waiter, has found that more of us would sooner opt for stress-free over stressful this year. More people will eat out for their main Christmas meal, with favourite menu choices being the traditional Turkey dinner, Indian cuisine and steak.

As it takes 47 years to perfect cooking a Christmas dinner without any mishaps, it’s expected that more and more consumers will follow the trend over the coming years.

The study found a third of women never cook a festive meal without drama with one in ten admitting they mess up the gravy and 9% forgetting to defrost the turkey.

getWaiter! co-creator Paul Tombs commented: “Christmas is one of the busiest times of year for restaurants and with more of us choosing to eat out this year, it’s evermore important for that in-restaurant dining experience to be polished to provide consumers with the magical festive episode that they’re looking for.”

His co-creator Dominic McGuinness added: “getWaiter! helps restauranteurs to better manage busy Christmas environments by ensuring the attention of waiting staff can always be easily gained by diners, increasing efficiency and improving customer service no end.”

getWaiter! is a new smartphone app (for both Android and iOS) and internet-based portal for consumers and merchants, which offers radically improved customer service in the hospitality industry by making it easy for diners to call their waiter. Designed to work in any business that offers customer-focused service – from restaurants and hotels, to bars and cafes – getWaiter! is an essential tool for organisations striving to provide quick and attentive waiting service for their customers.

Being rolled out in restaurants, bars and hotels this winter, getWaiter! is set to revolutionise customer service in busy dining environments.

The  free app, which is available for both iOS and Android can be downloaded from http://www.getwaiter.com/consumer/download while eating establishments can register an account to use getWaiter! at http://www.getwaiter.com/merchant

*Statistics taken from a Food Network survey

We all need our privacy. And in the hospitality industry, customers demand it in numerous ways. Most obviously, diners don’t want to be interrupted during a private and you can do all this without registeringconversation, and certainly don’t want to feel like waiting staff are eavesdropping in an attempt to second-guess when they’re ready to order.

 

But in this new era of digital technology, there’s another privacy issue: personal data. As smartphone apps become one of the most common ways for customers to deal with retailers, there are inevitably fears that people are unwittingly handing over personal and credit card details to a third party.

 

At getWaiter!, we take privacy very seriously. That’s why we never ask users for any personal information when they register our app to call the waiter, get more drinks or ask for the bill.

 

We believe app developers must respect users’ privacy, and that’s a view echoed by the Information Commissioner’s Office that today announced new guidance around the Data Protection Act. The IOC – which reports directly to Parliament – says that app developers must ensure they do not misuse customers’ data.

 

On a recent piece that ran on the BBC, the regulatory body also gave the fascinating statistic that half of app users decided not to download an app because of privacy fears. We can understand people’s concerns, so we’ve taken that fear away completely. With getWaiter!, you also don’t actually pay for the bill through your phone. We felt users may feel vulnerable doing that, so instead, when they press the button for the bill, the waiter brings it over and they pay as normal.

 

And don’t forget that getWaiter! is designed to help waiters provide a first class, unobtrusive and efficient service, because they can instantly respond to customer requests without the need to hover near the tables. The moment a diner needs something, waiters get a notification on their tablet and can head straight to the table, as and when they are needed.

 

So either way – whether it’s data privacy or an undisturbed private meal – getWaiter! is the perfect restaurant companion. The app is available free on iOS and Android and can be downloaded from www.getwaiter.com/consumer/download

 

And you can do all this without registering!

 

You can read more about the features here.

 

 

At restaurants, you can have too much of a good thing. That’s what happened to me and a friend the other day when we went out for a bite to eat.

But before you jump to conclusions, I didn’t over do it with the merlot, and nor did I order two portions of chocolate gateaux when one would have done.

No, the problem with our meal was simply that the waiters were asking too many questions too often. I’m sure it’s happened to you too – every five minutes a waiter pops up to check that the meal is ok, ask if you want more drinks, or if the table needs moving three inches to the left.

It’s a strange problem, because in a way, they are being brilliantly attentive, doing what they should be doing and tending to your every need. The problem is that sometimes, it can go too far.

It can be so bad that it feels like you’re being stalked as you eat, with various staff hovering over your shoulder constantly, staring at your wine glass so they’re ready to spring into action as soon as it drops below half-full.

It makes having an enjoyable conversation practically impossible too as you keep getting interrupted, sometimes by more than one waiter because they don’t seem to know that their colleague has already asked the same thing moments earlier.

So what’s the answer? Well at getWaiter!, we think we’ve got the perfect solution. Our table service app can avoid all the repetitive questions from multiple staff, but still make sure that waiters are available the instant they’re needed.

Diners call the waiter over using a smartphone app, and staff get notified immediately on their wifi-connected tablet at the bar or waiter station. That means waiters don’t need to hover near tables or constantly check everything’s ok, because thanks to the getWaiter! system, they can be completely confident that every customer can call them at the press of a button.

This way, diners never feel hassled, and can completely relax into their evening, knowing that whenever they need something, a waiter will be ready.
So if you want a restaurant where customers get perfect table service while waiting staff are effortlessly in control, read more about getWaiter!’s features here.
getWaiter! is available free on IOS and Android.