Voice Ordering for Restaurants: Stats, Brands Example, & Benefits

Today, the applications leveraging Voice First technology and the usage of smart speakers such as Amazon Echo/ Echo Dot, Google Home or Apple’s HomePod have been remarkable over the past couple of years. However, the current situation of COVID-19 pandemic is showing some signs of new normalcy, voice technology has gathered pace in being popular among the millennials and older generations.

The people who have already used it, they know that voice technology made ordering food online or booking a table easier than ever before. People have started using smart speakers as their voice assistant devices for a range of routine activities. All of this using voice skill development, Alexa skills for Amazon Echo and Echo Dot speakers and Actions for Google Home speakers.

So what are these Voice Skills and Actions?

Imagine demanding your own Amazon Echo device leveraging Alexa skill development to get you your favourite dish from your favourite restaurant in your city. How iconic would that be? Why search via menu or order it manually through a few taps on your smartphone even if you already have voice assistants around you? You definitely would not prefer to call the person over the other end to get a pizza if you have voice technology embedded in between.

Voice skill is nothing but a smart voice user interface (VUI) that enables people to use voice input to control computers and devices. In short, it’s what enables voice experiences like Alexa, Amazon’s voice service and the narrator behind millions of devices including the Amazon Echo.

Actions on Google lets you extend the functionality of Google Assistant with Actions. Actions let users get things done through a conversational interface that can range from a quick command to turn on some lights or a longer conversation.

Stats and Facts

Voice assistants or smart speakers are the most trending devices and they are set to dominate the next few years or potentially a decade at the least.

• Google has sold more than 8 Million Google Home models so far in 2019.
• By 2020, 50% of all searches across the internet will be voice-based.
• 55% of teenagers are using voice search on a daily basis.
• By 2024, the global voice-based smart speaker market could be worth $30 billion.
• Voice-based shopping is expected to jump to $40 billion in 2022.
• In the US, house penetration for smart speakers is predicted to rise to 55% by 2022, which was merely 13% in 2018.

Food and Voice: A match made in heaven

Until an officially approved COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, people will always prefer to maintain safe distance whenever a human contact is needed. Voice assistants and voice skills can be a huge PLUS in filling this gap. AI driven voice skills can respond to customers at all hours of the day without interruption, substantially alleviating the burden on call centers and improving customer satisfaction.

The benefits are not limited to this only. The big fishes in the market have already used voice technology by developing and adding voice skills integration to their channels. Let us have a look!

1) Dominos

Custom Alexa skills are developed and integrated with dominos applications which can let the customer make a new order, repeat order, and know about the status of the respective order.

All the customers need to utter to their smart speaker is : Alexa, open Domino’s.” Alexa will connect you to Domino’s and get you ordering and tracking in no time.

2) KFC

KFC has been the first company to let the Alexa Skills make their debut in the Indian market. KFC believes that the millennials are getting more comfortable and attracted towards voice ordering services.

KFC’s customised Alexa skills can help the customers to hear menu options, place an order, get promotional offers or even hear a chicken joke.

The skill is enabled by saying “Alexa, tell KFC I’m hungry”.

3) Chipotle

One of the most popular Mexican fast food chains, Chipotle, has integrated Alexa skill to make it work across its 2500 branches, with a twist. The voice app lets users order their favorite meal from Chipotle for pickup or delivery.

Chipotle’s voice assistant is designed to simulate the normal ordering process, like to a human at the restaurant taking the orders. It asks questions and follows up with suggestions for drinks and other extras. Once the order is in place, the AI can take payment over the phone and all the caller has to do is head to the counter or the special drive-thru lane called the ‘Chipotlane’ and pick up the order.

4) UberEats

Voice skills have already penetrated the domain of online food ordering and delivery apps. UberEats needs no introduction here and people who use UberEats are absolutely loving it.

You just need to say “Alexa, order a dish”. The dish can be your favourite name and the food arrives at your doorstep within minutes from your selected restaurant.

Benefits of Voice Technology amid COVID 19

It is a reality that the majority of the physical restaurants and fast food outlets would be paying huge rents. Paying the huge sum of the rents has become tough in this pandemic due to lack of footfalls.

This is why the owners need to know about the in-demand technologies and the potential of them. Voice technology can help online food businesses and restaurant online food ordering system hugely by following ways:

• Voice powered kiosks can help customers to self order and self pay at limited-service restaurants.
• Where there is no space for human contact, Alexa’s Drop In feature helps users to check the health of people in isolation.
• This voice skills can provide increased customer engagement and brand experience.
• Get more customers loyal to your brand, in the times where all are crying for this to happen.
• Make huge savings by bringing automation in the tasks where there is no need for human involvement.

How can IndiaNIC help for Voice Skills Integration?

Not only restaurant apps or food marketplace apps, voice skills can be a blessing to enhance overall customer experience for any industry like food and beverage, travel & transport, entertainment or fitness. Alexa skills development will certainly bring the user experience to the next level.

Since 1997, IndiaNIC has been pioneering innovative solutions in the IT and software development domain, by having helped the global brands to go an extra mile through relentless enthusiasm for innovations. The team of Voice technology experts at IndiaNIC has tons of industry experience. All they need is a bold and fantastic business idea to work for.

Change is good, especially when it is made for your end customers. Then what are you waiting for? Take a huge step forward by the idea of integrating voice skills with your mobile app.

Let’s join hands for a well-worth project discovery to know more about your business goals and get top-tier suggestions from our experts.