NoshList was proud to be a sponsor of the 18th Annual Restaurant Industry Conference put on by UCLA Extension in collaboration with world-leaders in brand development, food services, design innovation, operations excellence, market analysis and customer satisfaction.

Having recently launched our new waitlist app for iOS 7, the conference was a great place to show how NoshList continues to innovate in helping restaurants improve their guest experience and operational efficiencies. We also plan to be at the big National Restaurant Association conference on May 17-20 in Chicago.

The UCLA event was a great place to network and learn, as it brought together a number of honored speakers and panelists to discuss current industry issues and trends. Conference topics included brand development, food service, design innovation, operations excellence, market analysis and customer satisfaction. The leaders of Yelp were there along with emerging restaurant concepts panel speakers. BrightLocal said that 95% of consumers are turning to the internet to find local businesses.

One of our favorites was the presentation by Chef Thomas Keller (The French Laundry), Innovation Award Winner. He has won multiple awards, including “America’s Best Chef,” though the interviewer (Pres of the Culinary Institute of America) also called him the most important chef in American history. He was interviewed by Dr. Tim Ryan, President of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Dr. Ryan won the award last year and came back to interview Thomas Keller this year, partly because they are very good friends, which gave the interview a different perspective. Keller had a very interesting story and presented a lovely lunch.

It was also fun when the UCLA singers came in at the beginning and sang the itinerary for the day to the group.

WiggleWorks kids is a popular destination for children and their families, being the only indoor playground that caters strictly to kids who are 48-inches tall or less. Weekends can be very busy, and Waitlist Me helps WiggleWorks kids reduce wait times, increase the number of kids they serve, and make parents happier.

WiggleWorks kids provides soft, moveable, interactive play equipment for children at its two Washington State locations, one each in the towns of Bellevue and Puyallop. The equipment is used to help children build motor skills and the unstructured play area gives them an opportunity for social interaction with children their own age.

“We limit the number of children who can play at one time and we are first come, first serve. There was no way for someone to get on the waiting list unless they called in or came into the store,” said Bellevue store manager, Kristen Deskin. “We had a lot of complaints about our wait list system because there were opportunities for a lot of user error and it often got confusing.”

That confusion was compounded by the fact that employees were responsible for taking down names and phone numbers, which were sometimes misprinted or missing key letters or numbers. Troubled by the many customer complaints, Deskin and her team looked for a better way to manage their waitlist. In 2013, they turned to WaitList Me.

“When we launched Waitlist Me we immediately felt more in control of our waitlist and felt like we had more opportunities to serve the public. This is because we could accommodate the number of people wanting to get on the list,” Deskin said. “It also has freed up an employee because they are no longer tied to taking names.”

Deskin likes how WaitList Me is easy to use and provides a simple way to keep track of store waitlists and whether customers walk in or add their name from home through the WiggleWorks kids website.  Since making the switch, customers have been happier and are more excited to come into the locations.

“We have had wait times of up to two hours in the past and WaitList Me has reduced those times so no one waits now for more than 45 minutes to an hour,” Deskin said. “I also use it to see and track how many children are coming back into play after waiting compared to how many names we are having to delete. That was one big improvement I was able to track that enabled me to make some good business decisions with the owner.”

– By Valerie Killifer, special to WaitList Me

Waitlist Me has a couple options for allowing customers to add themselves to the waitlist and reservations.  It also offers variety of ways to customize the process to the needs of different businesses.

A few months ago we released a web widget that businesses can easily add to their websites.  Many businesses told us how much they liked the new widget.  As part of the feedback we received, we found ways we could make implementing and using the new widget even simpler, and we added an option to use the widget on a hosted page.

The new widget page allows businesses to just link to their unique URL from a website, blog, email, or whatever.  The widget page is easier for less tech savvy businesses, and there is no need to involve a web developer to make sure it is added correctly to the website.

The widget page is also especially well-suited for businesses that allow people to add themselves to the list when they arrive at the business.  All you have to do is put the URL into the browser of any tablet and you have your own check-in station.  By setting the widget option to only show the “Add Yourself” screen, and not the estimated wait you might show on a website, it simplifies the page even further. You can also add custom instructions and images to the bottom of the page for more clarity.

When asking customers to enter themselves, the simpler you make the interface, the less chances there are for mistakes and frustration.  The hosted widget page makes it easy for your customers to add themselves, which makes it easier for you.

The NoshList wait list app closed out 2013 with more than 22 million diners seated across 5,000 restaurants!

This past year was one of tremendous accomplishment for NoshList. From our integration with Clover to the addition of several new features to our app, our focus in 2013 was to provide the best wait list experience for our restaurant clients and their guests. We have exciting plans for 2014 and will continue to raise the bar on wait list functionality.

New features added in 2013 included a multi-restaurant management tool, the first of its kind for the restaurant industry, and a public wait list that lets restaurants display their current waitlists to guests.

Moving forward in 2014, we see huge opportunity for wait list apps to increase operational efficiencies and extend beyond just restaurants. These functionalities could take the wait list feature to any establishment where people have to put their name on a list. This includes waiting rooms at doctors’ offices and other similar places

Another technology trend restaurant operators will see this year: using one tablet to run several different restaurant applications.

In the long run, operators will stop using multiple devices, such as a POS in the dining room and a tablet wait list by the front door. Instead, everything will be conducted from one general-purpose, POS-based tablet, which will lead to several different apps all accessible from the same place.

It has been a great year, and we are shooting to seat nearly 100 million diners in 2014!

January 1 has got your clientele taking their self-improvement goals to a whole other level. With the ball drop comes a fresh “new year? New me!” mindset, and a slew of resolutions to go with it. But as we all know from experience, it’s far easier to make a resolution than it to stick with it.

Waitlist Me can help you help your customers do exactly that. No matter what their goals are for this new year, your business can be an integral part in accomplishing them. Here’s how:

Fitness businesses helping people muscle up, lose weight, and train for events

January is prime sign-up season at gyms and fitness studios across the country. While new memberships are essential to keep you in the green, we know you’re invested in helping your customers cross off their workout goals.

Bringing Waitlist Me on board can help you do that. The app can help you create waitlists and reservations for different services, from tanning beds to personal trainers. You can even use it for popular equipment! It’s a no-muss, no-fuss way to manage busier-than-usual gym floors and long lines, which will keep your long-time customers happy and your newbies impressed.

Learn more here

Activity-oriented businesses helping people try new hobbies

The pre-Christmas gift-buying bonanza isn’t the only bright spot on your winter calendar. The moment people unwrap their bounty—whether they’re the proud owners of a new rifle, a monogrammed bowling shirt, or a top-of-the-line sewing machine—they have the potential to become a boon for your business.

After all, they’re going to need more supplies, from bullets to balls to bobbins, to fuel their hobby—and a little assistance getting started (or getting better). Waitlist Me can help you wrangle your staff and your resources to deal with the influx of new customers.

Salons giving customers head-to-toe makeovers

Some resolution-makers plan out their transformations weeks in advance. They come loaded with inspiration pictures and “do this, not that” feedback. Other style-changers are more spontaneous. They walk in with a vague idea of what they want and let you do your thing.

Whether you run a hair salon, a nail studio, a cosmetics store, or another business entirely, Waitlist Me helps you manage both types of clients. You can use the app on the web, on iOS, or on Android to facilitate both reservations and walk-ins with ease.

Learn more here

Banks, accountants, and financial advisors showing clients how to manage their money better

Politics, religion, and money—the three topics to avoid over the holiday dinner table—were not created equal. People go out and vote. They walk through church doors on Sunday mornings. But scheduling an appointment to hash out finances? For those customers who need your help most, getting them in your office can be a bigger challenge than actually achieving their goals.

Waitlist Me can help you make this year the year you guide your clients to achieving their budgeting, saving, and investing goals—starting with getting their bums in your seats. The app makes waitlists and reservations a breeze for everyone, whether you’re a business owner or a customer. Clients can make appointments (or jump on your waitlist) from wherever they are and see exactly how long they need to wait, thanks to our smart ETA feature.