The art of upselling: training your staff to increase check sizes
Upselling is more than just a sales tactic—it's an art that can significantly enhance your restaurant's bottom line, improve the customer experience, and boost staff morale through higher tips. In a competitive restaurant industry, particularly within takeaway services in the UK and Ireland, effective upselling can help differentiate your business while increasing revenue.
Why Upselling Matters
Start by explaining the importance of upselling to your team. Upselling isn't just about driving sales—it's about improving the overall customer experience by suggesting complementary or premium items. This can lead to higher guest satisfaction and ultimately, more return visits. Additionally, upselling can translate into bigger tips for your staff, creating a win-win scenario.
Leverage the Power of Technology
Flipdish’s POS system and self-service kiosks automatically help staff and customers engage in upselling. For example, when staff process orders through the Flipdish POS, they are prompted with suggestions for higher-margin items like sides, drinks, or desserts, making it easier for staff to remember to upsell. Self-service kiosks and our online ordering systems are also designed to upsell automatically by prompting customers to add extras, such as drinks or premium toppings, during their ordering process. This seamless automation ensures upselling happens organically and without staff intervention.
Equip Staff with Product Knowledge
Upselling requires strong product knowledge. Your staff should know your menu inside out—details such as ingredients, preparation methods, and unique selling points. This confidence in the menu enables staff to naturally suggest add-ons and upgrades without sounding scripted
Training Subtle Upselling Techniques
It’s essential that upselling remains subtle and not pushy. Train your staff to recognise opportunities to enhance the customer's dining experience, such as pairing a meal with a complimentary drink or suggesting a premium dessert. These recommendations should feel like an added value rather than a sales pitch.
For example, if a customer orders a main course, your staff could say, “Have you tried our new gourmet fries? They’re a perfect match with the steak.” By positioning the upsell as a way to elevate the dining experience, staff can successfully increase the check size without putting pressure on the customer.
How Technology Supports Upselling
Upselling isn't just a manual process. With Flipdish kiosks and web ordering platforms, the technology itself promotes upselling, guiding customers to make additional purchases in a user-friendly way. For example, when a customer places an order through our online platform, they’re automatically shown add-ons, upgrades, and combo options before completing the checkout.
Example: A customer ordering a takeaway pizza via your Flipdish app might be shown options to add sides, premium toppings, or drinks, all through automated prompts. This not only increases the average order value but also enhances the customer’s satisfaction by offering convenient extras.
Personalising the Upsell
Encourage your staff to personalise their recommendations. By reading the table or understanding the customer's preferences, they can tailor their upsell suggestions to match individual tastes. Customers are more likely to accept upsell suggestions if they feel they’re made specifically for them.
Rewarding Your Team
Creating an incentive system for successful upselling can motivate staff to become more involved in the process. Offer bonuses, gift cards, or even just public recognition for staff who consistently excel at upselling. Additionally, track upselling performance via your POS system to identify top performers and provide targeted feedback.
Monitor and Optimise
Use the data gathered through Flipdish's POS and kiosk systems to track which upselling strategies work best. Regularly reviewing this data will help you adjust your approach, ensuring your staff are focusing on the most profitable items.
Flipdish Tools for Upselling
To further improve your upselling efforts, leverage Flipdish’s suite of restaurant technology:
POS systems: Staff are prompted with upsell opportunities.
Self-service kiosks: Automated prompts for upgrades and add-ons.
Online ordering: Automatically suggests extras and upsells to customers.
By training your staff in the art of upselling and using Flipdish’s technology, you can streamline the process, increase check sizes, and create a better customer experience—all while boosting your restaurant's revenue. For more tips on how to elevate your restaurant operations, check out our other blog posts on Flipdish’s website.
