COVID 19 threw the food service industry into chaos. In APAC, strict government regulations, job losses, store closures and consumers continuing to eat at home have seen this market shrink by a reported 25-30%. According to several studies and LivePerson’s own research, the trends we expect to see restaurants take on board in the post pandemic era include:

1. Hybrid models. A combination of physical stores, takeout stores, cloud kitchens and more online-to-offline takeout – 57% of guests leave if the line is longer than 5 people.
2. Personalised CX. Healthy eating, veganism, plant-based options and other hypes saw an upward trend as people spent more time on social media. Today’s customers increasingly want to know where their food comes from, who made it, and what safety protocols were used. They also want restaurants to know their order and preferences – 88% of restaurant customers favour brands that personalise.
3. Focused on convenience. Many consumers are starting to expect the option of delivery, whether the restaurant or a third party provides it. 60% want more self-service options.
4. Operationally efficient. Restaurants will need to reinvest strategically by re-evaluating operating models, organisational structure, financials and resourcing. Employees need channels that make it easier for them to communicate with guests and each other and play a role in driving promotions & upsell.

Conversational AI helps with this shift in emphasis from gaining market share to gaining mindshare by increasing consumer connections and engagement. It helps brands build direct and intimate relationships – increasing loyalty, reducing churn and facilitating upsell. Through proactive communication and transparency around safe and healthy food sourcing and handling for example, restaurants increase trust in their brand perception. Employees also gain new skills that revolve around digital, data, and a new delivery model.

Join LivePerson and your peers as we discuss how the world’s leading brands like Chipotle, Dunkin Donuts, TGI Fridays, Aramaark and more are leveraging rich, convenient messaging channels, coupled with intelligent automation. Hear how AI-powered messaging can help increase loyalty, drive operational efficiency and boost revenue through social commerce, which allows customers to connect with brands as they would with their friends and family.

Discussion topics:

• How has COVID changed the way that customers interact and transact with your business? What have been the biggest changes in behaviour?
• How are customers interacting with your brands? Which digital channels are they utilising?
• Bots/AI/automation versus humans – who wins? Who’s better? What do customers prefer? How can we craft the best tango between the two?
• What are your priorities around Customer Experience for 2022?

Speaker:

Harm Ellens, Principal Consultant APAC, LivePerson Harm Ellens is LivePerson’s Principal Consultant in the Asia-Pacific region. He advises organizations on the trustworthy and economical deployment of messaging, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI). His work covers both private industry and public service. Harm is the Chairman of the Industry Advisory Committee at the School of Mathematics at Melbourne RMIT, represents Australia in the establishment of global AI standards through the International Standards Organization, and performs voluntary leadership roles in a number of community organizations.