Introduction example: "We can’t go back to paper orders" – with the unexpected bonus of higher spending per customer (Chinese Appetizers, Drinks, and Meals Bama)

Beloved by a wide range of customers, Bama-sama is usually run by just two people.

— Could you tell us about Bama-sama’s characteristics and the atmosphere inside the shop?Customers often tell us that it feels “just like home.”

Bama is a small restaurant with four counter seats, one private room for four people, and four tables for four on a raised tatami area.
The TV is always on inside, so customers relax and say it feels very homey.

— It sounds like a lot of customers come back because they like the atmosphere of your shop!
Thankfully, there really are quite a lot.
About 80% of our customers are repeat visitors.
We often say things like, “Those people came in just last week too, didn’t they?” when we talk among the staff.

— What age group do you have the most customers from?
We get a wide range of customers, from people in their 20s to their 60s.
We also serve set meals, so even high school students sometimes come by for dinner.

—How many staff members usually run the place?
On weekdays, it’s two people.

Friday and Saturday nights tend to get busy, so we have three people on duty.

After reviewing all available products, we chose to implement Respo Self-Order.

—Before introducing it, what kind of challenges were you facing?On weekdays things often got unexpectedly busy, and with just the two of us, we were completely overwhelmed.

Originally, we took orders on paper, then at an appropriate time entered the order details into the register and processed the payment.

When it takes time to take orders, the drink orders pile up. If the other person tries to cover that, they have to stop cooking. Since we’re an izakaya, the more orders come in, the longer that kind of situation just keeps going on and on.

Feeling that “this situation is creating a vicious cycle for both the restaurant and the customers,” we began looking for a self-ordering system.

— How did you first learn about Respo Self-Order?
I came across it while searching on the internet.

While trying out various keywords and researching all kinds of tablet and smartphone ordering products, one of the options that ultimately remained on our shortlist was “Respo Self Order.”

--- Thank you very much! Why did you decide not to go with tablet ordering?
Because of the high initial cost.

If each tablet costs 50,000 yen, installing them at every seat would come to about 500,000 yen. When we also considered the construction costs for seats without power outlets, we decided that tablet ordering wasn’t realistic and switched to smartphone ordering instead.

— What was the deciding factor in choosing Respo Self-Order from among the final candidates?
The biggest factor was the cost. I actually thought, “Isn’t this too cheap?” (laughs)

They created our menu for us, stayed in frequent contact, and provided very thorough support.
Before implementation, they explained the features, and since the usability is on par with more expensive products, we decided to go with Respo Self-Order.

Not only were the issues resolved, but the average spend per customer also increased.

—It’s been about a month since you implemented it. Has it helped solve the issue of “reducing staff workload”?
It’s gone way beyond just improvement—it’s only brought us benefits!

The staff are happy that things have gotten easier, and we often have exchanges like, “You’ve already served all the drinks?! That was fast!”
The staff are more lively than before.

--- That’s great! Have there been any other changes?
One clear benefit that shows up in the numbers is that the average spend per customer has increased.

Up until now, I think customers were also being considerate, saying things like, “You look busy right now, so I’ll place my order once things have calmed down a bit.”

But with Respo Self-Order, customers can place orders at their own pace, so the number of orders is naturally increasing. We even find ourselves worrying, like, “This isn’t a typo, right?” that’s how much it’s gone up (laughs).

— I’m really glad it’s having a positive impact for our customers as well!
We’ve actually been hearing customers say things like, “The drinks come out faster now.” Before, it used to take a few minutes from ordering to when the drink was served, but now they can place an order right away, and in the best case the drink arrives just 20 seconds later.

I believe our customers are experiencing less stress.

Conduct role-playing in advance so that you can explain it to customers

— Since the ordering process changed so much from how it used to be, were your customers at all confused?
There aren’t many restaurants in Nagaoka City that use self-ordering, so some customers may have been a bit unsure about it.

We felt it would be unfriendly of us to just say, “The ordering method has changed, so please use this,” and leave everything to the customers, so right after introducing the new system we took the time to explain how to use it.

— How did you explain it to them?
After they were seated, I took three or four minutes and, using the actual screen, we went through how to choose items from the menu and how to place an order together.

Then the customer said, “I’ll give it a try,” accepted the suggestion, and was using it smoothly in no time.

— Thanks to your courteous explanations, Mr. Bama, I’m sure customers were able to get used to it right away! When explaining it to customers, did the staff side also come up with any particular ideas or approaches?
On the first day we introduced Respo Self-Order, the staff and I did role-playing, taking turns acting as the server and the customer.

If you actually use it from the customer’s point of view, you not only gain a deeper understanding of how it works, but you also become able to explain it. In fact, our staff got used to using it in just one day and were explaining it smoothly to customers.

— Since Bama-sama is located in Niigata Prefecture, all of the implementation procedures were done online. Was the implementation difficult?
It wasn’t difficult at all.

The support system was very reliable, and they followed up carefully even on small matters.

Even if I think I understand everything beforehand, once I start using it, questions and requests inevitably come up. But if I send an email during our evening business hours, I get a reply by the next day at noon, which is really helpful. As we actually use it, they keep customizing it more and more to fit our shop.

—Honestly, did you have any concerns before implementing it?
Since it was our first time using this kind of service, we were, of course, a bit scared.

“In a place like Nagaoka City, where there are hardly any self-ordering restaurants around, customers must feel even more uneasy,” I thought.
But once we actually started using it and got used to it, there was no way we could go back to paper order slips.

Cherish the customers you have now

— Could you tell us about your vision for Bama?
Above all, I want to continue valuing the customers we have now. It’s been ten years since we opened Bama, but at this point I’m not thinking about expanding into multiple locations.

I will continue running this shop while staying closely engaged with each and every customer.

— In order to make your vision a reality, Mr. Bama, we would be honored to support you as well!
Actually, before we introduced Respo Self-Order, there were some concerns such as, “If we switch to self-ordering, won’t our conversations with customers decrease?”

But in reality that’s not the case at all—since I’m teaching them how to use it, if anything we’re actually talking more. I really think introducing it was absolutely the right decision!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I’ll keep working to improve so I can continue to be of help to you, Bama-sama!

Store Information

Chinese snacks, drinks, and meals Bama

Address: Higashi-Sakanoue Building B1F, 2-2-12 Higashi-Sakanouemachi, Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture
Phone number: 0258-89-8839
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/KmoK8DaWKwcUvk3vjSDv