PINCHO, known for the best burgers in Miami, is one of those local restaurant chains that prioritizes people first. Creating an environment where both customers and employees are happy is key to PINCHO’s success. So when the phone was ringing off the hook during rush hours, CEO and Co-founder of PINCHO Otto Othman, saw this as a threat to hospitality.
“Our employees were stressed because they couldn’t focus on serving the customer in front of them. For a local chain like us where hospitality is key, we want customers to have a high-quality experience both inside the restaurant and on the phone,” said Otto Othman, CEO and Co-founder of PINCHO.
Turning digital into hospitable
The PINCHOs chain brought on kea to be their “cashier in the cloud” so that cashiers in the restaurant could continue engaging and connecting with the guests in front of them. In just 4 weeks, kea learned the entire PINCHO menu with AI. Now when customers call in, the AI takes down the order, confirms it with the customer, and sends it to PINCHO.
Kea creates a hospitable experience by always having a “human in the loop” in case anything goes wrong on the call. For example, if customers hang up because they “don’t want to speak to a robot,” kea’s representatives will call back and take the order instead. Plus, kea triages every call to make sure that people who need to reach the restaurant can and will.
Minimizing friction
While mobile apps have also made it easier for restaurants to fulfill to-go orders, more often than not, there are many steps where customers can get lost in the ordering process or where third-party vendors get lost in the delivery process. Kea has created less friction for ordering, so people can place to-go orders when they’re on the go, whether they’re driving or running errands. Plus, when customers call back to place an order again, kea will remember the customer’s name and previous order, expediting the ordering experience significantly.
What’s next for PINCHO
Not only has kea made customers’ lives easier, but PINCHO employees have also benefited from the platform.
“I had one of my employees ask me if they could move away from the buzzer system when the food’s ready because they wanted to walk the food to the table instead. I love that our team now has the time and freedom to improve our restaurant environment – and everyone loves they still get tipped on the to-go orders kea handles,” remarked Otto.
The company is planning on expanding digital hospitality across multiple touch points, whether it’s on social media, online ordering, or in person at the kiosk, which will all have the same online name and personality. Kea is just one of many integrations that PINCHO has as its digital expansion plan.
