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July 21, 2023The idea of robotics aiding in the service industry has become an accepted part of daily life. Consumers are increasingly used to seeing automation, such as self-serve checkout counters during shopping trips, while robotic assistants have long aided customer service.
The current labour challenges have only accelerated this. For instance, as restaurant owners in Canada are looking to keep their restaurants open with less labour, they are turning to robotics and robot assistant servers. Not only does the introduction of a robot server reduce physical contact at a time when people may not want to be close together, but these high-tech machines are addressing today’s labour shortages.
How can the restaurant industry capitalize on the benefits of this new technology and its growing acceptance in the foodservice industry, and which robot assistant server is the best choice?
The ABCs of robot assistant servers
A robot assistant server can show customers to their table and deliver food to diners, as well as sharing daily specials. They generally cannot take food orders but can help clear dirty dishes from tables and transport food. Human staff is still needed, as the robots cannot work independently. They must receive input on where to go and require a human server to load and unload orders or dirty dishes.
Their appearance is typically that of a rolling bookshelf. Individual shelves can hold dishes; screens can share menus and specials, upsell items, or even provide a friendly face. While incredibly versatile, they are not intended to replace employees entirely. Instead, their purpose is to supplement work and allow servers to focus on providing a stellar customer experience, even when short-staffed.
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What are the benefits?
The capabilities of robot assistant servers are exponential, and the technology is constantly evolving. Today, its wide range of uses includes:
- Reliable Labour: Like most of the world, Canada is facing a labour shortage in the food and service industry. With employees scarce and labour costs rising, automation provides a resource that allows restaurants to do more with less. The technology frees up overworked employees to focus on quality and hospitality and supports them with a consistent workforce.
- Automated tasks: Repetitive actions like flipping burgers, preparing frys and assembling pizzas can be done more consistently by robotics than by overworked employees. Artificial intelligence is also developing rapidly, allowing robots to take drive-thru orders more accurately.
- Reduced frustration: By automating repetitive tasks such as washing dishes or cleaning kitchen areas, human workers can feel that their time is being respected with meaningful work. Higher morale and improved working conditions are sure to follow.
- Friendly experience: While increasingly accepted, robots at the front of the house are still a novelty to customers. Children especially enjoy seeing and interacting with a robot’s screen and watching the machine assist servers during their meals. If integrated and presented correctly, the robot can significantly help drive business.
- Improved sanitation: Even as the world leaves COVID-19 behind, robot servers continue to help prevent the spread of viruses and create a more sanitary environment. Customers can feel safer knowing their health is not at risk.
Today’s foodservice robots can also work 13 total active hours per day without a coffee or bio break. They are available seven days a week, and this reliability can go a long way to reducing the disruption of call-outs and short-staffing. They are also highly cost-effective. Companies looking to supplement a reduced workforce are better off financially investing in a robot assistant server than two part-time aides. Two part-time workers would contribute 40 hours weekly, while one foodservice robot can contribute 91 hours.
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Robot waiters in action
Currently, robot assistant servers show great promise as food runners and support for waitstaff. They can be programmed with the floor plan of a restaurant, allowing them to deliver meals from the kitchen or even escort guests to their tables. They can hold up to eight entrees at once and are even equipped with front and back blinkers to indicate their route. Sensors let them know when something obstructs their path, giving them autonomy in stopping and rerouting to avoid accidents or inefficiency.
Service robots are also finding a niche within care facilities. There is a significant nursing shortage in Canada, and the most readily available foodservice in these understaffed facilities often comes in the form of prepackaged, unhealthy pantry items. Robotic delivery instead allows kitchens to provide fresh, seasonal snacks and beverages to residents or nursing stations. The result is a positive, novel experience for residents that improves their quality of life and allows a community’s dining program to stand out.
Robots can ensure orders are delivered promptly, ensuring food is consistently delivered at the right temperature, creating a much higher quality dining experience. Reducing this burden on nursing staff has the potential to free up one part-time person per shift or two part-time people per workweek, all without compromising efficiency and effectiveness.
Which robotic assistant is right for you?
Deciding on the right robot server or nursing assistant requires an understanding of your needs. Is your floor layout complicated, meaning you need a robot that can autonomously avoid objects, people, and other robots? Are there restricted areas that your robot needs to be able to stay away from? Is your restaurant floorspace unstable, requiring a robot that has solid and stable serving trays to prevent spills? Restaurant owners and care facility managers should look closely at the features of any robot assistant they are considering and ensure its specifications meet their needs.
The Browne iAssist Robot has a few key features that make it stand out:
- Enhanced battery life: The iAssist remains operational for 12-15 hours, assisting the restaurant for longer than part-time or full-time human staff.
- Stable and solid: With a radar sensing system, balanced movement, and navigation that manages inertia, the iAssist has strong performance and stability in any restaurant setting. Its delivery mode provides stable service at fast and slow speeds, and human staff can pause delivery mode, change the destination, or grab meals at any time.
- Dual SLAM Solution: By recognizing location markers with the Dual SLAM Solution, the iAssist automatically corrects its walking route and prevents it from getting lost in dark areas.
- 3D depth detection: The Browne iAssist scans its environment with zero delays, meaning it can quickly identify and avoid obstacles. It also reduces the risk that the iAssist will mistakenly enter a restricted area and aids it in navigating accurately through its surroundings.
- Robot cooperation: Multiple iAssists can work together efficiently in the same area, autonomously avoiding each other without requiring human input. They are programmed with a priority ranking in their robot number, enabling them to move intelligently.
- Greeting mode: The robot also aids in attracting customers. It can be set to greet customers from one location or move through a space while displaying advertisements. Guests can also use the iAssist to see what signature dishes are recommended, helping make decisions before a human waiter comes by to take their order.
- Guidance mode: Human servers can touch the iAssist’s screen and set it to lead guests to their table, enhanced with background music to create a memorable experience for adults and kids alike.
- Cruise mode: Enabling this mode will allow the iAssist to distribute snacks or collect trays at set points along a route. Advertisements played throughout also act as a strong marketing tool for restaurants looking to make customers aware of additional products and services.
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Ready to take the leap?
Budget-conscious restaurants considering a robotic assistant like Browne’s iAssist may assume the new technology carries a hefty price tag. However, a robot server is likely to save restaurants money long-term. The long hours they can work will free up part-time workers whose time and skills would be better spent on more complex tasks.
Russell Hendrix provides flexible payment plans, leasing agreements, and even free demos with no strings attached for those needing more information before taking the leap. At a Russell Hendrix showroom, you can see a Browne iAssist model in action to better understand the functionality and benefits a robot server provides.
Contact a Russell Hendrix rep today to learn more about how a Browne iAssist robot can improve your restaurant operations.