Modern businesses run on data.
Across industries, metrics inform decisions, improve operations, and drive growth. Restaurants, big and small, are finally catching on.
From using data to forecast staffing needs to optimizing inventory management, many operators are becoming savvier about leveraging insights to enhance their operations. But when it comes to their phones, most restaurants are flying blind.
Despite being a vital channel for guest interactions, traditional phone lines remain a "black box."
Calls happen, but what do we know about their experience? Who’s calling, when, and why? Are you missing revenue opportunities? Without data, you don’t know. And that’s a problem.
The Restaurant Phone: A Black Box of Opportunity Phone calls are among the most critical yet least optimized touchpoints for many restaurants. Your phone is the front door for many guests, but you’re probably not treating it that way.
Unlike reservation management platforms like OpenTable, which have handy metrics like guest history and preferences, phone calls often lack valuable accompanying data.
Think about how often guests call your restaurant. They’re asking about reservations, hours, or special events. They’re looking to modify a booking or confirm a large party.
And yet, traditional phone systems provide no actionable data about these interactions. Most phone systems are designed to facilitate calls and direct them to specific lines or voicemail. They can’t tell you how many calls you miss during a busy dinner service, how long your guests wait on hold, or which kinds of inquiries your team handles most often. They are not equipped to provide usable insights.
Introducing the Slang.ai Insights Dashboard Without access to data, it’s impossible to determine where inefficiencies exist or how to improve. This is where a modern phone answering solution like Slang steps in, turning your phone from a mystery into a strategic advantage.
Slang gives a full breakdown of a restaurant’s calls over the last seven days by default with the Insights Dashboard. The compilation transforms the phone from a "black box" into a treasure trove of actionable data.
Even more, when you utilize the Slang + OpenTable integration , you’ll have a clear, detailed view of your phone interactions and their value to your business.
Key Metrics to Demystify The Phone The Insights Dashboard captures metrics that restaurant operators never had access to before, including:
Call Volume: This feature tracks the total number of inbound calls your restaurant handles, giving you a clear view of call activity.Coinciding Calls: See how many calls occur simultaneously. In most cases, restaurants rarely can field multiple calls at once. Fortunately, an AI phone answering solution can handle coinciding calls with ease.Unanswered Calls: Understand how many calls go unanswered due to busy signals, voicemail, or missed opportunities, helping you address gaps in service.Guest Satisfaction Surveys: Capture feedback from callers to gauge the effectiveness of your phone handling and validate the AI’s ability to resolve issues.Conversation Breakdown: Get insights into how calls are managed, such as how many calls are fully automated by Slang or how many get transferred to a staff member.Reservations: Track how many reservations are made, modified, or canceled through the phone system, especially during busy times or after hours.Incremental Reservations: Highlight reservations captured during coinciding calls or outside of normal business hours, demonstrating the additional value the system provides.SMS Opt-In Rates: Monitor the percentage of guests who consent to SMS communication, further expanding your ability to engage with customers.Dynamic Call Topics: Discover the top reasons guests are calling, with each restaurant's top five most common call topics dynamically displayed.These metrics are opportunities to improve your guest experience and operations. By monitoring key metrics, such as guest satisfaction scores and those that indicate how guests interact with the AI concierge, areas for improvement become clear and actionable.
Incremental Reservations: A Revenue Multiplier One of the most exciting aspects of the Insights Dashboard is its ability to track incremental reservations. This refers to reservations made during coinciding calls or outside business hours. With the OpenTable integration, the dashboard ensures that every reservation opportunity is captured, regardless of when they call or if others call simultaneously. These incremental reservations directly contribute to your bottom line and offer legitimate returns.
3 Reasons Why These Metrics Matter for Restaurants The right metrics are key to unlocking better performance. Here’s how data from the Insights Dashboard addresses common challenges for restaurant operators:
1. Boosting Incremental Revenue Knowing how many calls result in reservations can help you make informed decisions about staffing and technology. Incremental reservations, particularly those captured during busy times or after hours, represent real dollars you might otherwise lose.
2. Enhancing Guest Experiences The dashboard’s metrics allow you to reduce friction points, improving the overall guest experience. Happier guests are more likely to return and recommend your restaurant.
3. Improving Operational Efficiency By analyzing call patterns, transferred calls, and unanswered calls, you can uncover when and where your team requires help. This information can then be used to optimize scheduling, ensuring that peak times are sufficiently staffed and quieter periods do not become overwhelming.
The Cost of Ignoring the Phone Every missed call is a potential lost revenue opportunity. Without data, you’re unable to comprehend the scale of the problem. Your phone line is one of the most important touchpoints for your guests, but without data, it’s also one of the most overlooked. The Insights Dashboard makes your phone a powerful source of insights that drive revenue, improve guest experiences, and streamline operations. Your competitors are likely already using technology to improve efficiency and guest satisfaction. With the Insights Dashboard, you can turn your phones into a new goldmine of information and give you a needed competitive edge.
Ready to capture more revenue and improve efficiency? Sign up for a 10-minute demo to learn more about Slang.
