How You Can Increase Sales With Self-Order Terminals

Most restaurant owners are considering investing in self-order kiosks to speed up processes and reduce staff workloads efficiently. While these are important considerations, a well-configured kiosk can do much more. It’s your best salesperson, working around the clock to increase the value of every single order.

But how exactly does this work? How do you turn a technical device into a sales engine? The answer lies in sales psychology and strategic menu design. Most of those are about offering guests exactly the right options that enhance their dining experience and, at the same time, enhance your profits.

 

Why Do Guests Spend More At The Self-Order Terminal?

Have you ever wondered why guests often order more when using a screen than when ordering from a person? Here are some of the reasons:

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  Visual stimuli 

  
  

A picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it comes to food. Professional photos of juicy burgers, crispy fries, or an extra-creamy milkshake instantly pique the appetite. Unlike a menu consisting of pure text, kiosks with visually appealing images can trigger a reflex in guests to absolutely want to eat that dish.

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  Less pressure, more control

  
  

At a terminal, guests feel like there is no rush. They can explore the menu at their own pace, without the pressure of a queue or an impatient server breathing down their necks. This encourages them to treat themselves to an extra side dish, dessert, or a more expensive drink, a decision they might not have made under time pressure.

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  Discrete Upselling

  
  

A simple question like “Would you like to upgrade your menu with sweet potato fries?” or the automatic pre-selection of a dip for the main course is surprisingly successful. The guest doesn’t have to consider whether they want to order something extra actively. The system makes this decision for them and presents an attractive option.

At this point, you might wonder whether this subtle influence might seem intrusive. That’s precisely the point: A well-designed system often doesn’t feel like forced upselling, but rather like a helpful service that wants to enhance the customer’s experience.

 

4 Concrete Upselling Strategies For Your Self-Order Terminal

With an understanding of the sales psychology behind a self-order terminal, it’s now time to put concrete strategies into practice. A system like ORDERMONKEY’s gives you the tools to put these principles into practice.

1. Context-related recommendations

The classic “Would you like fries with your burger?” is just the beginning. An intelligent system can suggest targeted combinations that actually make sense.

• Example: If a guest orders a spicy chicken burger, the terminal might ask, “A cold beer goes perfectly with that. Should I add it now?”
• ORDERMONKEY Advantage: You can define fixed rules in the backend that determine which products are displayed as recommendations for which dishes. This ensures that the suggestions are always relevant and appealing.

2. Premium options and upgrades

Make it easy for guests to spend more by offering attractive upgrades.

• Example: Instead of just offering “burgers,” you could display options like “Double meat for +3 CHF” or “With premium alpine cheese for +1.50 CHF” directly when selecting.
• ORDERMONKEY Advantage: The flexible menu design allows you to easily manage modifiers and additional options for each product. Changes are implemented with just a few clicks and are immediately live on all terminals.

3. Targeted add-on queries in the ordering process

The best time to offer an add-on is when the customer is already ready to buy. Integrate add-on suggestions effectively and logically into the ordering process.

• Example: After the guest adds a main course to the cart, a pop-up appears: “Complete your meal: Extra sauce, side salad, drink?”
• ORDERMONKEY Advantage: The order flow is designed to place such dynamic queries at the appropriate points without disturbing the customer or complicating the process.

4. Attractive menu bundles and combos

Bundle products together for an attractive total price. Your guest feels like they’re getting a good deal, while you increase the total revenue per order.

• Example: A lunchtime deal including a burger, fries, and a drink for a price just under the sum of the individual items.
• ORDERMONKEY Advantage: Creating and managing combos and menu deals is straightforward. You can even set time limits for offers to specifically promote lunch or dinner business, for example.

 

How To Design Your Menu For Maximum Profit

Many restaurateurs simply upload their existing menu to the terminal and wonder why they’re not having a big hit. However, most forget that there are different things to consider with a digital menu than with a printed one. Here are the three most important points to keep in mind:

• Strategic placement: Place your most profitable dishes, or those you want to sell the most, in a prominent location. This is usually the top middle or top right corner of the screen, as that’s where the eye will go first.
• Visual hierarchy: Take advantage of the size and quality of the images. A large, appealing photo of a special product draws more attention than a small image of a standard product. This allows you to draw attention to your high-margin items.
• Smart pricing: Avoid listing prices in a neat column, as this encourages people to simply compare prices. Instead, integrate the price discreetly into the description of the dish and, if possible, omit the currency symbol. Numbers like “14.5” seem psychologically more favorable than “14.50 CHF.”

 

Ready for the Right Self Order Terminal?

ORDERMONKEY’s Self-Order-Terminals offer a variety of different advantages, one of the most important being efficiently generating more revenue for your restaurant. With the right upselling strategies, you can easily realize the full potential of your offering. Self-order terminals are the future of the restaurant industry and a must-have for all restaurants!

If you are ready to actively shape your sales, we can help you with that. Contact us today and find out how ORDERMONKEY’s targeted upselling features can make your business more profitable!

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Is the cost of investing in a terminal too high?

The purchase is an investment, not just an expense. Due to the proven increase in average orders and the simultaneous reduction in staff workload, the system often pays for itself faster than expected. For example, an increase of CHF 1-2 per order quickly adds up to a considerable amount over the course of a day.

Won’t I lose personal contact with the guest?

No, quite the opposite. When your staff no longer has to worry about simply taking orders, they have more time for what really matters: genuine hospitality. The service staff can look after guests’ well-being, help with questions, or simply create a pleasant atmosphere.

What if my guests are not tech-savvy?

Modern interfaces like ORDERMONKEY’s are designed as intuitively as a smartphone. Large images, clear instructions, and a simple ordering process ensure that even less tech-savvy guests can quickly find their way around. Our experience shows that acceptance is very high across all age groups.

How difficult is the integration into my existing cash register system?

This is a legitimate concern for many restaurateurs. That’s why we at ORDERMONKEY have focused on maximum compatibility. Our solution connects to over 40 common POS systems, ensuring seamless integration into your existing processes.