StreamlineDigital helps bars and restaurants stop the waiting game

This article is brought to you by Retail Technology Review: StreamlineDigital helps bars and restaurants stop the waiting game.

Streamline, the provider of card payment processing in the UK, has launched a brand new payment terminal to help busy bars and restaurants, as new research shows our frustrations when it comes to waiting to pay.

 
StreamlineDigital is an IP broadband connected terminal which offers 75% faster transactions for bars and restaurants that need to serve customers quickly and simultaneously. It launches as research released today by Streamline shows the need for faster payments, with almost half (47%) of bar and restaurant customers saying they get annoyed about waiting to pay, and two thirds (65%) saying that a long wait to pay means they won't visit again.
 
Despite our traditional British reticence, 42% of people have complained verbally about the length of time it has taken to pay, and 16% admit to having lost their temper and regretting it later. 41% say they have reduced or withheld a tip due to slow payment, and 24% have simply left. In a clear message to the sector, over half (51%) say that bars and restaurants need to improve when it comes to speeding up payment.
 
Because StreamlineDigital allows businesses to use multiple card machines at one time without installing multiple phone lines, it reduces transaction times from 14-16 seconds to 4-6 seconds, therefore decreasing queues and increasing customer satisfaction. Additionally, the faster payments offered by StreamlineDigital mean reduced queues and decreased purchase deferment.
 
Matt Rowsell, Chief Commercial Officer for Streamline said, "We've all experienced the pain of waiting, when all we want to do is pay and leave. For busy staff in bars and restaurants that pain is multiplied. Our research shows that waiting to pay is right up there amongst the most irritating of customer frustrations, which is why quicker payments are key to ensuring that you have a happier, more loyal customer base."
 
StreamlineDigital is an IP broadband connected terminal with a secure connection. As well as offering faster transaction speeds, it is easy to install and business grade broadband is available through Streamline's trusted business partner, Eclipse Internet.
 
Shaun Alpine-Carter, who runs Table Cafe, a busy restaurant near tourist hotspot, Borough Market in London, said, "At one point we were starting to get seriously busy, and found that just about everyone who came in wanted to pay by card.
 
"We also offer take-away meals, so it was even more vital that we didn't have long queues in the restaurant. We'd been increasing the number of phone lines we had to install more dial up terminals, and it was costing us a fortune. StreamlineDigital has made a big impact since we installed it, in terms of faster turnaround, shorter queues and more satisfied customers."