Last week, Presto, a provider of analytics technology for the restaurant industry, announced that Outback Steakhouse has begun piloting a solution that will leverage video surveillance cameras combined with company’s computer vision product, “Presto Vision,” to help improve guest experience.
According to a statement issued by the company, Presto Vision uses cameras placed in the restaurant lobby as well as other areas to automatically tag and analyze the motions of hosts, staff and guests in real time. Interaction effects such as host availability, individual wait times, and customer bounce rates are measured and guest experience score forecasted.
Among the benefits or Presto Vision include:
- Extraction of data-driven insights on performance metrics and noteworthy events, such as excessively long waits, untidy lobbies, unavailable hosts, and customer bounce rates (i.e., the number of customers who leave without being seated or greeted)
- Ability for managers to flag and address problems immediately, if required
- Gathering of visual content to identify potential coaching and training opportunities
- Remote, immediate visual access across multiple locations, and a high-level view of performance metrics and noteworthy events across brands for large restaurant chains
- Forecasted guest experience score and potential corrective actions
The company said that data captured by the cameras is stored only temporarily for the analysis and is automatically deleted after 30 days. Additionally, no personally identifiable information is tracked or recorded on any individual. The system models individuals as abstracted entities (e.g., boxes) and only monitors attributes directly relevant to restaurant operations.
“We expect Presto Vision to bring about a tectonic shift in the restaurant industry,” said Rajat Suri, Founder and CEO of Presto. “E-commerce websites have always had detailed analytics on how customers navigate their sites, but restaurants never have had access to this information in their physical stores. With this product, restaurants can now have access to critical insights on how their stores actually work. This helps them provide better service, operate more efficiently, and reduce overhead.”
"Deeper guest interactions and superior hospitality are top priorities for us,” said Jeff Jones, President and CEO of Evergreen Restaurant Group, an Outback Steakhouse franchisee. “Presto Vision brings cutting-edge computer vision technology to the restaurant industry for the first time in my experience. It has the potential to set new standards for service and operations at our franchise restaurants.”
