November 20, 2020 
Chatbots are revolutionising the way online businesses are being run nowadays. In whatever industry you find yourself today, automation is key to a smooth operation.
One of the many places where chatbots are significantly important is in the food industry.
Quite frankly, if food is good, integrating food ordering chatbots could be the ‘extra’ that separates the ordinary from the extraordinary restaurants.
However, as important as food ordering chatbots are to restaurants, the platform you use is equally important. Social media is one of the best places you can implement your chatbot.
As chatbots are also conversational tools, it makes more sense to use Facebook Messenger and some other instant messaging platforms to connect with your customers.
Hence, the use of Facebook Messenger chatbots like Zebrabuzz and the likes is important in ensuring your customers can order food seamlessly.
While restaurants need food ordering chatbots, there are certain features that they must have to ensure you are not taking a step forward and two backwards.
Although food ordering chatbots can work without one, artificial intelligence makes your customers’ experience better.
This is why the Zebrabuzz Facebook Messenger chatbot is equipped with the latest AI functionalities that will optimise your restaurant’s services to make customers happy; happy customers mean better business for you.
Enough talk, why do restaurants need food ordering chatbots?
Advantages of Food Ordering Chatbot in a Restaurant
Technology is gradually moving from apps, and chatbots are now the new, cool kid in town. Another massive advantage chatbots have is that they can be integrated into apps as well.
With so many possibilities to unravel, here are some reasons why restaurants need to use food ordering chatbots in their operation.
Unmatched Speed
Although patience is a virtue, not everyone is blessed with it and don’t expect your customers to be either. When it comes to food, patience goes out the window.
Many restaurants lose customers because of how slow they are in taking orders. Not that they have lazy waiters and waitresses, but simply because humans have limits; chatbots do not.
The process of food ordering is strongly dependent on how fast you respond to your customers, and if a chatbot cannot offer this, there is frankly no reason to use it.
However, if you also have a quick food ordering chatbot, you must ensure the existing process like delivering to the customer is equally fast.
Once that is settled, chatbots can take orders within the twinkle of an eye. In fact, with Zebrabuzz chatbots; you get to control how fast your food chatbot responds to your customers.
You can choose to respond in a second or as long as you want it to. When a hungry customer messages a business to order food and the whole sales cycle bar delivery is done within seconds, it goes a long way in building trust and loyalty. Loyalty brings customers back!
Accuracy
Humans can make errors one time or the other, which is understandable. However, a hungry customer is an angry customer, and he or she will not understand that.
Chatbots like Zebrabuzz assure 100% accuracy, which completely eliminates any possibility of mismatched orders.
As the food industry is delicate, and any mistake or fault will be under intense scrutiny, it is very important to eliminate any possibility of error completely.
Convenience
Food ordering chatbots give restaurants free space to focus on other parts of the sales cycle.
As there is no room for error associated with the process of food ordering when using chatbots, restaurants can comfortably shift their focus to other units like food preparation and delivery.
This opens your employees up to be able to perform their tasks effectively as they are not overwhelmed by excessive orders and demands from customers.
There is also convenience in the way orders are organised especially with certain chatbots.
The Zebrabuzz chatbots, for instance, has several other features like a virtual store that allows it to organise your orders.
Once you access your account, you will have your orders from Facebook Messenger waiting for you under one tab. Everything would have been sorted out, and all you need do is take physical action.
Ease for Customers
Your customers also want service ease. Customers want that “room service” feel every time they buy food.
They want to contact a restaurant, place an order and have it delivered to them exactly the way they ordered.
With just a few clicks, an order can now be placed, and customers love this. When you ease their experience and make it convenient to buy food, customers will always come back.
The straightforwardness that food ordering chatbots promise is key to ensuring a smooth sail for your customers.
No need to Download or Redirect
With food ordering chatbots, customers do not need to download a special app or get redirected to an e-commerce site to order food. This is part of the ease that customers enjoy.
The bot is integrated into your Facebook Messenger or other instant messaging platforms.
People like doing everything they have to do in one place. This could be the origin of the saying “Using a stone to kill two birds.”
As Facebook Messenger is one of the most prominent platforms to chat with loved ones, customers also want to do other things like pay bills, hail taxis, and buy food without having to leave their chat with their loved ones.
Now, customers do not have to leave Facebook Messenger to order for food. Right there in the messaging platform, food ordering chatbots can engage them and take their orders.
All customers need do is send a message to place an order and the chatbots take it from there.
Availability
In certain cities of the world where business continues 24/7, food ordering chatbots that are available every time will come in handy for a restaurant.
When customers can message your business for food at any time even at midnight, and their orders are still taken with immediate responses, it bodes well for your business.
Automating the way food is ordered from a restaurant can prove to be the defining difference. As important as it is to get new customers, restaurants must also ensure they don’t lose the ones they have through unsatisfactory service.
