Introduction example: By promoting the self-order system in our job postings, applications increased. Order mistakes were eliminated, allowing staff to focus solely on cooking. (Chinese Dining Suika)

The low running costs were the deciding factor. After implementation, our workload was reduced.

Please tell me about your shop.

We offer authentic, hotel-quality Chinese cuisine—refined at venues such as The Westin Tokyo in Tokyo and the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Grand Court Nagoya (an ANA Hotel Group property) in Nagoya—at price ranges tailored to the needs of our local customers.

At lunchtime, we have many female customers, and recently the number of male customers coming specifically for our noodle dishes, such as the soupless dandan noodles, has also been increasing. During dinnertime, a wide range of customers, from couples to families, enjoy dining with us.

— Please tell us why you decided to consider introducing Respo Self-Order.

The main reason we started considering introducing it was that our experienced staff left. Many of our current student part-timers don’t so much want to “take lots of shifts and steadily learn all the tasks while working,” but rather have a strong preference for “making good use of their spare time to work.” So unlike in the past, they’re not really in a position where they’ll clear their schedules to come in during busy hours or when we’re short-staffed.

Because of that, when our staff’s skills and knowledge were still underdeveloped, order issues and billing mistakes tended to occur no matter what we did. That situation made me wonder if we could improve things by introducing a self-ordering system, and that’s what prompted the idea.

— What was the deciding factor in choosing to implement it?

We first wanted to introduce a self-ordering system, and the low running costs and the fact that the initial installation fee was 0 yen during the campaign period (excluding equipment) were the deciding factors in choosing AutoReserve. Even now, we are fully satisfied with the cost-effectiveness.

Also, we were able to implement it in about two to three weeks after deciding to introduce it, and we immediately felt that our workload had been reduced.

The burden of taking orders and handling payments is gone, and our operations no longer fall into confusion.

— After introducing Respo Self-Order, what kind of changes have you seen?

In our restaurant I’m the only one who does the cooking, so the biggest benefit has been creating an environment where I can focus solely on preparing dishes. After introducing the system, all I have to do is attach the kitchen ticket to the finished dish and hand it to the staff. Since the dish name and table number are both on the ticket, part-time staff just need to take the ticket and carry the dish to the table, and once it’s served they simply throw the ticket away. This straightforward sequence of steps has turned it into a simple task and eliminated confusion.

Looking back on how staff used to fill out order slips, enter prices, and calculate the total amount with a calculator, it’s clear that the self-order system is now taking over a considerable amount of that work.

Also, because their workload has decreased, our part-time staff can now focus on other tasks such as serving food and drinks, which has sped up our overall operations. Even the part-time staff have been thanking us, saying, “Thank you for introducing this system,” and really appreciate it (laughs).

Even from the customer’s point of view, I think it’s become smoother to place orders, since there’s no longer the hassle of staff rushing around, not responding right away, and having to call them over every single time.

Promoting the introduction of self-ordering has led to an increase in part-time job applications!

— The self-ordering system seems to be well received by the part-time staff as well, but what other benefits has it brought?

We hadn’t expected this before introducing the system, but we were able to cut down on the recruitment advertising costs we’d been spending to secure staff! When we posted job ads on recruitment sites, we highlighted the fact that we use a self-order system, so it’s easier to get started working here, and that really boosted the number of applicants. The hiring cost per person has gone down, and because the work itself is easier, our turnover rate has dropped and our employee retention has improved.

Another major benefit is that, because problems with orders and payments have disappeared, the number of times I have to correct or scold part-time staff has dropped dramatically, making communication much easier.

Recommended not only for solo-operated businesses, but also for shops struggling to hire staff

Do you have any plans for the future of your shop?

By using a self-order system, we’ve realized that it’s possible to run the restaurant with a small staff, so I’m thinking it might be viable to adopt a business style that focuses on a limited menu, like a “specialty shop for dandan noodles and mapo tofu,” for example.

In that case, it would be a good idea to introduce a reservation ledger system. Right now, because we have so many menu items and I’m the only one doing the cooking, I have to personally judge and adjust the number of guests and the time when taking reservations. But if we move to a style with a more limited selection of dishes, I’d really like to make active use of such a system.

— What kind of stores would you like to recommend Respo Self-Order to?

This is recommended for shops that want to operate with a very small staff, such as solo-run businesses, or for those struggling to hire staff. I believe you can rely on this system to handle the workload of one staff member as an immediate asset.

Store Information

Chinese Dining Suika

Address: 9-5-17 Kanbe, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture
Phone number: 059-384-7022
Store details:https://autoreserve.com/restaurants/y6pcy99p1tqovs92EmVZ