Checkmate, a leading restaurant ordering solutions provider, announced it acquired VoiceBite, a voice AI company that automates the restaurant ordering process with a better-than-human experience. Their solution is built from the ground up using advanced Large Language Models (LLMs) that power today’s AI solutions, giving them the ability to learn and iterate faster. Today, VoiceBite has been able to handle over 95% of voice-ordering scenarios without human intervention. 

VoiceBite was designed to use the restaurant’s existing phone number, integrate with the POS, and get up and running in days. The plug-and-play setup requires zero staff training. As a part of the Checkmate platform, VoiceBite’s technology will help restaurants reduce operational expenses, expedite order fulfillment, and boost profit margins.

Voice AI as a whole is still a relatively new technology, and many solutions on the market are built on older data models that aren’t designed to interact with customers naturally as humans would. By acquiring VoiceBite, Checkmate also removes a layer of friction, allowing brands to offer AI ordering experiences through a unified platform, making it easy to go live in days, not months, and instantly track customer data alongside other channels.

Key benefits

Seamless integration & implementation: Checkmate’s expertise in menu management and POS integrations means adding voice AI is straightforward, so your staff can focus on more high-value tasks. 

Smart upselling: VoiceBite’s upselling engine suggests the perfect add-on item based on the customer’s order. The customizable feature is tailored for the highest conversion rate items, giving brands a reliable way to increase ticket size.

Context-aware: Intelligently interprets vague requests, like choosing the largest size of wings (as opposed to 100 wings) or recalling past preferences during a call, allowing customers to order as they normally would at the restaurant.

Multilingual human voices: Use voices with the friendly and engaging tone of your best employee with support for multiple languages to expand your reach. Gone are the days of robotic monotone voices and lifeless conversations.

Natural cadence: VoiceBite’s AI seamlessly handles interruptions mid-conversation, addressing customers’ immediate requests and continuing the order for an intuitive experience. 

Text ordering & payment: This feature facilitates easy order placement and secure payments via text, adding another layer of convenience to make the ordering process even faster.

Hands-on support: With VoiceBite now part of Checkmate, you get the same reliable customer service and 24/7 support to answer questions, resolve issues, and keep operations running smoothly.

“Acquiring VoiceBite allows us to provide a truly unified ordering experience for our restaurant partners,” says Mike Bell, Checkmate’s Chief of Strategy. “By integrating voice AI capabilities directly into our platform, restaurants can now offer seamless phone ordering and drive-thru (coming Q4 2024) alongside their other digital channels. This improves operational efficiency while delivering the exceptional service that keeps customers coming back.”

“We’re thrilled to join Checkmate and combine our advanced voice AI ordering with their solutions and integrations,” says Robert Nessler, Founder & CEO of VoiceBite. “After collaborating with their team, we realized coming together would allow us to deliver exponentially more value through seamless, conversational AI ordering across all channels. This unification will rapidly accelerate voice AI development for restaurants.”

With this acquisition, Checkmate further solidifies its position as an industry leader in the restaurant technology space. Restaurants using Checkmate gain access to an all-in-one platform powered by advanced voice AI, ensuring a consistent ordering experience no matter how their customers choose to engage. As the digital landscape evolves based on consumer demand and market forces, Checkmate will continue to expand its solutions to help brands grow their businesses however they choose.

News, Technology