As diners return to restaurants, operators are getting back to doing what they do best in offering an exceptional in-person dining experience that will create repeat business. The smallest of details can make or break that experience, and it’s important to eliminate any negative variables.
One thing operators may not have considered, especially when using new areas for socially distanced dining? Wobbly tables.
“Operators have thought of just about every small detail: the ambiance, menu covers, PoS systems, uniforms—everything is perfect when somebody sits down at a table,” says Nils Hughes, vice president of sales at FLAT. “But if, when everything comes together, the table starts wobbling, all of that effort and work is unraveled, and customers are left wondering what else might be sub-standard.”
FLAT was founded in 2004 by Australian Tony Pike after a lunch with a friend that was ruined due to a wobbly table. The company has since created two product lines that use patented hydraulic technologies that help tables lock into place and become wobble free. The first product line, FLAT Equalizers, stabilizes existing tables, while the second is a line of table bases with the technology already installed. Both products work outdoors as well as indoors and allow for tabletops to be aligned so that combining tables is seamless.
Here’s a look at the three more reasons why major chains are making the switch to FLAT tables.
Hygiene
The pandemic has driven new levels of focus on the hygiene practices of restaurants. Allowing waitstaff to wad up napkins and shove them under a table is a less-than-ideal way to earn diners’ trust; they also damage a brand’s image, are a cost, and have a negative environmental impact.
“Operators are working so hard to get everything cleaned and maintained with great attention to detail,” Hughes says. “So why allow waitstaff to get on the dirty floor in front of guests and start fiddling with unhygienic table feet?”
Return on Investment
Major chains are interested in the potential ROI of adding FLAT tables to their dining areas. The FLAT team came up with an ROI calculator that any brand can now use to find out how much making the switch would save.
“Our number one competitors are the millions of ineffective and unsightly sugar packets and napkins under tables,” says Andy O’Donnell, marketing director with FLAT. “The ROI calculator factors those in, plus all of the time spent trying to fix wobbly tables, breakages, dry cleaning bills, comped drinks and meals, plus much more—it all adds up quickly.”
The Customer Experience
One thing not built into the ROI calculator? How much a wobbly table could cost a brand if spillage ever caused a lawsuit or the damage to a brand’s reputation if a dining experience is sub-par.
“Brands who do not address this issue are potentially throwing weeks of profits away every year,” Hughes says. “And when customers complain on social media or review platforms and tell multiple friends about a bad experience they had with a wobbly table or spilled drink that ruined a meal, it’s hard to even measure how damaging that is for a brand.”
Chains wanting a demo or trial should visit flattech.com.
