Practical uses for QR codes in restaurants
It was perhaps the most talked about ad from this year’s Super Bowl: a colorful QR code bouncing around the television screen. If you had snapped it (as millions did), you would have been taken to the website for Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange.
Far more than just a marketing tool, the use of QR codes has grown exponentially since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And for restaurants, their use is an excellent way to minimize human contact and touchpoints and allow customers (and staff) to feel safe again.
#1: Check-in
In peak pandemic times, QR codes were mandated upon check-in in many countries for the purpose of contact tracing. And as life gets back to normal, the QR code check-in experience may now replace in-person check-ins with restaurant staff at the front door.
Not dining in? Pickup customers can use QR codes to inform staff that they have arrived to pickup their order. Deliveries can then be made direct to cars or pavements, limiting body numbers inside the venue.
#2: Replace table menus with QR codes
Avoid germ ridden plastic table menus by placing QR codes on tables to direct patrons to online menus. With a simple click, customers can peruse menus and order direct to their table, all without interacting with waitstaff.
#3: Contactless payment
Customers ready to pay? With the scan of a QR code, payments can be made seamlessly (and contact free). Either include payment options inside your online ordering system or post a payment specific QR code by your cash register.
#4: Direct marketing
QR codes are a great way to direct customers to your website without them having to remember a lengthy URL, so are great for use on posters or physical flyers. Top tip: Include a flyer in delivery bags with a QR code directing customers to your own online ordering platform, rather than third-party apps.
Just ensure to remain vigilant when using QR codes, as like any other technology solution they have the potential to be abused by criminals.
When codes are generated by a reputable organization, customers will navigate directly to a legitimate website. However cybercriminals can very easily generate QR codes to lead users to malicious websites. For example, a scammer may send an e-mail directing users to make payment on a fraudulent website via QR code. Without the safety net of a URL, customers have less visibility to confirm the legitimacy of the website and may be tempted into making payments to unintended recipients or clicking on malicious links.
As a restaurant, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind when using QR codes to ensure their legitimacy. Firstly, make sure that any QR codes your customers will use have been created by you. Ensure that the code isn’t covered by a sticker or replaced with a subsequent QR code generated by someone outside of the restaurant.
And - room pending - accompany the QR code with the URL of the target website. Customers can then put their mind at ease by validating the target URL matches the actual URL.