--- title: "How Customers Experience Restaurant QR Codes | Carbonara App" description: "Using a QR code reader is an easy method for restaurant customers to free themselves from the queue and enjoy their wait. Learn more." url: "https://www.carbonaraapp.com/customers-experience-restaurant-qr-codes/" language: "en-GB" published: "2024-04-30" updated: "2024-04-29" author: "Dillon Whitehead" --- # Future of Dining: How Customers Experience Restaurant QR Codes ![scan qr code--using qr code reader--gerd altmann--pixabay.org](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/carbonara-1a538.appspot.com/o/marketingWebsite%2Fwp_g_6eaca0bde81f_2b9857e6aa.jpg?alt=media) The future of dining out is here! Customers use smartphones to scan QR code readers, allowing them to join a restaurant’s virtual queue with ease. Here’s what to know about using a QR code reader. _Queries or concerns about waiting on restaurant tables?_ [_Watch our video on using QR code readers_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI5wI4DUXwY)_._ ![scan qr code--using qr code reader--gerd altmann--pixabay.org](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/carbonara-1a538.appspot.com/o/marketingWebsite%2Fwp_g_6eaca0bde81f_2b9857e6aa.jpg?alt=media) _Image by_ [_Gerd Altmann_](https://pixabay.com/users/geralt-9301/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1167612) _from_ [_Pixabay_](https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=1167612) _(_[_creative commons 2.0_](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en)_)_ ## Why Are Customers Now Using QR Code Readers? The answer is simple. In an era where time is precious and comfort is king, restaurants are upping their game. They’re ensuring that a customer’s wait for a delectable meal is as pleasant as the dining experience itself, including: - Streamlined queue entry - Quicker service, without the intervention of a host - Better data entry, including customer names and phone numbers So with just a quick scan of a QR code, a customer is whisked into the digital age of queueing, with additional benefits. _Read more:_ [_How a new QR feature is helping restaurants._](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/how-a-new-qr-feature-is-helping-restaurants/) ![carbonara app qr code--using qr code reader--carbonara app--carbonaraapp.com](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/carbonara-1a538.appspot.com/o/marketingWebsite%2Fwp_g_78025141b8ff_7d3a0a85e7.png?alt=media) ## What’s the Alternative? Imagine you are the customer, strolling down a vibrant street lined with the tantalising aromas of diverse cuisines. Your choice of eatery is buzzing with energy, but — lo and behold — every table is full. However, all is not lost. In days past, the above situation would be where the age-old ritual of waiting begins, including: - long queues, without accurate wait times for customers - customers waiting to be added to a pen-and-paper waitlist itself - pager systems, both expensive and difficult, locking customers to a location Today, however, a prominently displayed QR code stands ready like a silent maître d' welcoming customers to a smarter way of waiting. ![chef cooking food--using qr code reader--abdula binmassam--pixabay.org](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/carbonara-1a538.appspot.com/o/marketingWebsite%2Fwp_g_955c5819ced2_242e687be6.jpg?alt=media) _Image by_ [_abdulla binmassam_](https://pixabay.com/users/binmassam-15041405/?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4807317) _from_ [_Pixabay_](https://pixabay.com//?utm_source=link-attribution&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=image&utm_content=4807317) _(_[_creative commons 2.0_](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en)_)_ ## Using a QR Code Reader at a Restaurant: How Customers Use It Gone are the days of customers crowding the entrance or constantly checking in with the host. Gone are the days of customers waiting in line with a buzzing pager in your hand. Today’s restaurants are now revolutionising the way customers get tables with an extremely effective digital tool: the QR code. Welcome to the seamless and straightforward world of digital queuing! Nowadays, a customer hoping to secure a spot at a restaurant or café is easy. Ready to learn more? Here's how! ### **Step 1: Spot the QR Code** When a customer arrives, all they have to do is seek out a clearly marked QR code display. Digitally speaking, it’s their golden ticket to securing themselves a place to obtain a table without the hassle. ### **Step 2: Aim Your Camera** They pull out their smartphone and pop open their camera app, aiming it at the QR code like they’re capturing a moment because, in a way, they are — the moment where you save yourself time and hassle. _**Q: Don't Have a QR-Reader?**_ _Though rare, restaurants must also account for customers without a smartphone._ _However, the good news is that most modern smartphones have a QR feature built right into their camera app. But if a customer is part of the exception, any QR scanning app downloaded from the app store will do the trick!_ ### **Step 3: Follow the Prompts** Customers will be redirected to a webpage to join the virtual queue — they simply enter their details and submit them, securing their place on the restaurant waitlist. ### **Step 4: Say Hello (Maybe)** If it's a customer’s first visit, they’ll type in their name and contact info so a restaurant can reach out when their table is ready. Remember that with 2-way communication features customers: - Receive confirmations about the waitlist - Raise questions about the wait - Reply to your restaurant with any individual needs ### **Step 5: Enjoy Your Freedom** While a customer is waiting, they’re completely free to stretch their legs — to soak in their surroundings or catch up on messages. Remind guests with top tips to stay within the local area to secure tables as quickly as possible. ### **Step 6: Be Alert** A customer’s time to dine is close, and attentiveness is key. Keep an eye on the digital queue for the alert that says it's go-time. Send customers regular updates on their wait. _Learn more:_ [_Diners prefer SMS reminders to restaurant pager systems_](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/restaurant-pager-alternatives/)_._ ### **Step 7: Bon Appétit** When a restaurant sends the customer the signal to return, they’ll head over to a designated area. Staff will then show them to their table. Get ready to savour an experience worth waiting for. _Read more about expert strategies:_ [_What to know about standby seating_](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/standby-seating/)_._ We hope this guide has made the processes involved in using a QR code reader much clearer. Restaurants are excited to serve customers and dish up the meals they’ve prepared with passion. With QR code integration, here's to a dining experience that's as delightful as the meal itself! _Learn how_ [_an app tackles queue inefficiencies_](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/restaurant-wait-time-app/)_._ ## The Next Step For Restaurants It’s no wonder that over [100 million smartphone users are scanning QR codes](https://www.statista.com/statistics/1297768/us-smartphone-users-qr-scanner/) today. A restaurant QR code is all about ease. However, some restaurant owners may worry about training staff, the often-overlooked hero in any technological transition, ensuring that everyone on the team will be adept navigators of this digital craft. Thankfully, QR code features in a hospitality app are easy. Enabling customers to use QR code readers, the work a restaurant has to invest is minimal. Here’s what to do: - Display signs to indicate the location of a QR code - Provide information on how customers can queue virtually on your website - Advertise the benefits of virtual queues to customers (i.e., cut down on hassle) - Provide helpful instructions for customers new to QR codes If you’re a restaurant interested in establishing a QR code system for your guests, [sign up to Carbonara App](https://restaurant-manager.carbonaraapp.com/#/sign-me-up). _Talk to us today about the options ready for you!_ [_Contact us_](https://restaurant-manager.carbonaraapp.com/#/sign-up/create-account) _to learn more._ _Find out more about using qr code reader:_ [_4 things to know about a QR code ordering system._](https://www.carbonaraapp.com/4-things-to-know-about-our-qr-code-tableside-ordering-system/)