Tillster’s 2023 Phygital Index Report Reveals Diners’ Expectations for Digital and In-Person Restaurant Experiences

New report outlines opportunities to combine hospitality and technology to power long-term customer loyalty

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – July 31, 2023 – Today Tillster, a global leader in digital ordering, delivery, couponing, and loyalty solutions, unveils the findings of its 2023 Phygital Index Report. As Tillster’s fifth annual consumer index, the report helps QSR and fast casual decision makers shape their engagement strategies by uncovering what consumers are seeking from their dining experiences when it comes to delivery, self-service kiosks, digital ordering, loyalty programs, and more.

Tillster and research firm Dynata surveyed more than 1,000 U.S.-based diners who have ordered food from a quick service/fast-food chain, fast-casual chain, or casual dining chain within the previous three months about their ordering habits, experiences, and preferences. The report found that nearly all diners (92%) want to receive some form of personalization from QSRs. To help restaurants adjust their strategies to deliver on this strong desire for personalized experiences and maximize physical and digital touchpoints, the Phygital Index Report provides actionable insights related to the following:

Self-service kiosks: 34% of consumers (more than a third) indicated they’d like restaurants to have more self-service kiosks available. Diners indicated that kiosks not only provide a distinct convenience and speed factor, but also a level of personalization and customization (especially when loyalty programs are connected to kiosks). In fact, 59% of kiosk users have been pleasantly surprised by new menu and customization options when using a kiosk.
Web & mobile ordering: 71% of consumers prefer restaurant-specific websites or mobile apps over third party solutions due to lower costs, convenience and personalized loyalty benefits. QSRs have a valuable opportunity to convert third-party app users into patrons of their own platforms to cultivate stronger, direct relationships with customers.
Delivery: 75% of consumers indicated that their motivation for ordering food for delivery was simply because they didn’t feel like picking it up. This finding underscores diners’ inclination towards convenient, effortless and hassle-free QSR experiences.

“Restaurants have experienced more digital transformation in recent years than ever before to keep up with evolving customer expectations. As customers have increasingly returned to in-restaurant dining, their expectations for the digital experience have also grown,” said Perse Faily, CEO of Tillster. “The Phygital Index Report makes it clear that today’s diners want the hospitality, human connection, and ambiance of physical experiences while leveraging the self-service, personalized capabilities of digital interfaces. The report serves as a guidepost for brands looking to strike the right balance of physical and digital to create personalized experiences that lead to long-lasting brand champions.”

Tillster Chief Marketing Officer Hope Neiman will host a LinkedIn Live event “The Future of Dining is Phygital” this afternoon at 12 pm CST. Those interested in staying ahead of the curve in the world of phygital experiences can tune in here as Hope delves deeper into the findings of the 2023 Phygital Index Report.

To see the complete findings from Tillster’s Phygital Index report, please visit this page.

About Tillster

Tillster is the global leader in powering digital ordering, delivery, couponing and loyalty solutions, across web, app, kiosk and call center platforms. The company empowers restaurant brands looking to increase revenue, achieve operational efficiencies, and better engage guests. Enabling nearly 50 million digital orders per year, it offers the added dimension of integrated marketing and data mining, including a proprietary AI and machine-learning tool. With teams in North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC, Tillster serves more than 100 global and regional brands, including Burger King, Baskin-Robbins, Godfather’s Pizza, Jollibee and Pollo Campero. For more information, please visit http://www.tillster.com.

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Media contact

Marissa Pasillas

Walker Sands for Tillster

Tillster@walkersands.com