When I reflect on Schedulefly and what has made us and our industry successful in the past and where I see it going in the future – one simple phrase comes to mind…
Less technology, more service.
Since we do not sell to chains that are slowly removing human service and adding more technology to stay consistent, I am 1000% confident that the restaurants we serve will always need reliable human beings to be successful. And I also think that they will see out companies that offer simple solutions to their problems backed by service from warm, approachable human beings. Unlike a self-checkout at the grocery store that we currently use or a futuristic drive-thru only McDonalds that’s run on 100% software and machines – great independent restaurants that sell more than just food – will always need nice, helpful humans to help with solve their problems.
Some restaurant owners and operators need more technology to help manage and guide and encourage their employees to do things their way. They need software to enforce rules. They need systems. They have gotten to a point that the humans they employ can not be managed effectively by other humans. More technology must be put in place to keep things running smoothly.
The irony of this is that the human beings they are looking to guide with more technology are always going to need other human beings to help them succeed. They need support from other humans that understand what they need…and that need can change often. They need help when they need help and they need quiet when they need quiet. Technology will never ever replace that. Some technology is great. Maybe more than some might still be great. But at some point it’s enough. Especially for a restaurant whose success is not coming from the technology they use – but from the great food and service they offer. And more than enough technology is just too much for them.
For us and our industry – I see great restaurants doing business with companies in the future that offer just enough technology- and not any more. I also see them doing business with companies that understand their challenge and maybe even operate the same way. That challenge is that warm, authentic personable service is required for their success. I see them doing business with companies that don’t sell them something to change the way they do business – but with companies that compliment their business in a friction-free way and fit right in.
If we were to continue adding technology and features and employees and overhead and complication – we would only add friction and we definitely wouldn’t fit right in.
Wes