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Interactive customer experience technology has to make sense

Consumers want to interact with technology, but that technology has to make sense for both the business and its customers, says Paula Suarez, director of software analysis and development for Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc.

June 5, 2015

Paula Suarez, director of software analysis and development for Dickey's Barbecue Restaurants Inc., is one of the scheduled speakers at the upcoming Interactive Customer Experience Summit in Chicago. We asked her to share some of her insights below.

Consumers want to interact with technology, but that technology has to make sense. It has to make sense for our business model: We're creating/using technology that aligns with the business process in order to drive sales and build profits. And second, it has to make sense for our customers: It has to be easy to use and it has to be an improvement over the previous process/experience.

We are upgrading all of our stores with Cisco equipment in an effort to better support our stores. We are also providing a custom-made, restaurant-grade Android tablet that supports our operation and training initiatives. (This tablet will be for operational support behind the line.) And last, we will offer free customer Wi-Fi in all of our restaurants to begin the marketing data collation process.

The proliferation of the smartphone provides an opportunity to share information and knowledge rapidly at the touch of a few buttons. If a customer is happy with the service and/or experience inside our restaurants, everyone (that he/she knows) will know. It is word of mouth in real-time!

Interactive Customer Experience Summit June 28-30, 2015 | Chicago Explore solutions — including kiosks, digital signage, mobile and more — available to retailers, restaurants and other businesses to deliver outstanding, interactive customer experiences. AGENDA  |  SPEAKERS  |  SPONSORS  |  REGISTER