{"id":4473,"date":"2014-11-11T08:10:38","date_gmt":"2014-11-11T08:10:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsroom.chainstoreguide.com\/?p=4473"},"modified":"2014-11-11T08:10:38","modified_gmt":"2014-11-11T08:10:38","slug":"get-your-beacon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chainstoreguide.com\/offthechain\/2014\/11\/get-your-beacon\/","title":{"rendered":"Get Your Beacon"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you could check for available parking spaces outside your favorite restaurant, order from a menu specified to your dietary needs, and pay for your order without stepping one foot inside the door, would you do it? If you had to download the restaurant\u2019s app and turn on your location and Bluetooth services on your mobile device, would you still do it? And what if you could do all that was mentioned above AND receive a member\u2019s only reward, order off the secret menu, or cash in coupons on your favorite food or drink, would you do it now?<\/p>\n

Luckily for you tech-savvy consumers, the restaurant industry is just getting started. Restaurants are now accommodating to consumers by offering mobile friendly websites, implementing mobile apps (there\u2019s an app for that!), and investing in a simple piece of technology known as a beacon.<\/p>\n

So, what exactly is a beacon? Does it have something to do with a lighthouse?<\/em><\/p>\n

Close, but not quite.<\/p>\n

In order to accurately define and describe a beacon, I combined both Business Insider and QSRWeb.com\u2019s definitions which state that a beacon is a small and inexpensive piece of hardware that transmits a message directly to a smartphone or tablet using low-energy Bluetooth (or BLE) signals. BLE connects your phone to a small beacon, which is placed inside a restaurant or retail location (i.e. a food court or a restaurant heavy area). Once the consumer\u2019s Bluetooth-enabled device comes within 100 \u2013 130 feet, the two devices can now communicate.<\/p>\n

Another type of technology that complements a beacon is geofencing, which uses GPS to determine where a user and their device is located in relation to a particular point [i.e. answering] the question, \u201cWho is within a half mile of this restaurant?\u201d (QSRWeb.com).<\/p>\n

If this sounds creepy or a little too techy, read on. Geofencing and beacons can work hand-in-hand. Here\u2019s an example: geofencing can release a coupon to a customer within the broad radius of a restaurant. Once the customer is within the beacon\u2019s predefined radius, the beacon will now \u201cactivate\u201d the coupon which can be used immediately. Boom! You now have a new customer.<\/p>\n

What about consumer privacy? We have trust issues now, remember?<\/em><\/p>\n

During the #CONNECTsummit14 discussion on how beacons offer immediacy, simplicity, and context, the panelists cautioned restaurants to \u201cproceed with transparency\u201d as they implement beacons into their locations. It is important for a customer to know what sort of data the restaurant is collecting and how the restaurant plans on using that data. Jordan McKee, analyst for 451 Research\/Yankee Group, suggested that restaurants \u201cshould communicate [this] clearly and concisely.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the increasing number of data breaches this past year, customers are finding it harder to trust any industry in which they spend their hard-earned money. McKee mentions, \u201cIt all comes down to trust. It takes decades to build, but you can literally destroy it in an instant.\u201d Restaurants need to prioritize transparency, but should understand that consumers may simply refuse to interact.<\/p>\n

Basically, as a consumer, I want to know that the data a restaurant is capturing is being used for restaurant quality purposes and not for a restaurant to know that I buy three scoops (instead of my usual two) of chocolate gelato during specific times of the calendar year. There\u2019s a fine line between helpful and creepy.<\/p>\n

Is privacy designed with, me, the consumer in mind?<\/em><\/p>\n

According to QSRWeb.com, beacons can only be activated once the customer \u201copts-in\u201d and gives the beacon permission to know and use their location.\u00a0 In some cases, a customer must download and allow push notifications for a specific restaurant\u2019s app in order to activate and communicate with that restaurant\u2019s beacon.<\/p>\n

And if a customer has already given the beacon permission, but for some reason doesn\u2019t want to be \u201cbothered\u201d on a particular day (usually the one day I\u2019m ordering three scoops instead of two), the customer just has to disable their device\u2019s Bluetooth and location services. It\u2019s just that easy.<\/p>\n

What are the benefits to consumers?<\/em><\/p>\n

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) states that \u201c11% of all adults use their smartphone to use rewards or special deals at least once per week\u201d and continue to use their mobile devices to order delivery, look up location information, and even pay for the order. Beacons can facilitate all that and more:<\/p>\n