News Briefs

Travel apps and websites are heavily relied-upon digital tools used by travelers, containing everything from the QR codes used to board the plane to rental car location and digital hotel keys. Despite this critical role, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel App Satisfaction Study^SM and the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Study,^SM released today, travel industry apps and websites lag behind their counterparts in other industries¹ where J.D. Power measures the digital user experience.

The studies, which have been redesigned since J.D. Power’s last evaluation of travel industry apps and websites in 2019, measure customer satisfaction with the digital channels of leading travel brands in the airline, hotel and rental car segments.

"Travel apps and websites are unique because they are most frequently used when travelers are experiencing some level of stress, like when they are in travel mode, juggling bags, watching the clock or trying to navigate an unfamiliar place," said Michael Taylor, managing director of travel, hospitality and retail at J.D. Power. "Apps and websites hold a great deal of information about the particular user and their journey, making use of that information to personalize the journey, anticipate and provide support are critical to improvement."

Following are key findings of the 2023 studies:

• Travel app and website satisfaction lag other industries: Airline, hotel and rental car app and website satisfaction trails the highest-scoring apps and websites in other industries. Overall satisfaction with travel-related digital travel channels is lowest among airline websites, which is 640 (on a 1,000-point scale). This compares with an average score of 719 for overall insurance website satisfaction.

• Hotel apps perform best among digital travel tools: Hotel mobile apps (682) and rental car apps (681) have the highest overall satisfaction scores compared with airline apps (672), rental car websites (662), hotel websites (646) and airline websites (640).

• Travel apps and websites put to the test on day of travel: The specific digital tools used most frequently on day of travel are the boarding pass, check-in and flight status trackers on airline mobile apps. Despite being used so heavily, these features have substantially lower overall satisfaction scores than less frequently used tools, such as purchasing upgrades or tracking baggage.

The J.D. Power U.S. Travel App and Travel Website Satisfaction Studies evaluate satisfaction with travel apps and websites in three segments: airline; hotel; and rental car. The studies explore the key variables that influence customer choice, satisfaction and loyalty based on six factors: account management, day of travel/duration of stay (app only), navigation, reservation, speed, and visual appeal. The U.S. Travel App Satisfaction Study is based on 5,659 evaluations from users of airline, hotel and rental car apps. The U.S. Travel Website Satisfaction Study is based on 5,543 evaluations from users of airline, hotel and rental car websites. The studies were fielded in June-July 2023.

Travel App Rankings

Alaska Airlines ranks highest in overall satisfaction among airline apps with a score of 688. Southwest Airlines (687) ranks second and JetBlue Airways (680) ranks third.

World of Hyatt ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among hotel apps with a score of 722. Choice Hotels (691) and Hilton Honors (691) each rank second in a tie.

National ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among rental car apps with a score of 738. Alamo (720) ranks second and Enterprise (687) ranks third.

Travel Website Rankings

Alaska Airlines ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among airline websites with a score of 658. JetBlue Airways (654) ranks second and Southwest Airlines (648) ranks third.

World of Hyatt ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among hotel websites with a score of 676. Hilton Worldwide (661) ranks second, while Choice Hotels (652) and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts (652) each rank third in a tie.

National ranks highest in overall customer satisfaction among rental car websites with a score of 709. Alamo (681) ranks second and Hertz (674) ranks third.

See the rank chart for each segment at http://www.jdpower.com/pr-id/2023137.

For more information about the Digital Travel Studies, visit https://www.jdpower.com/business/digital-travel.

Chipotle Mexican Grill is testing an automated digital makeline in collaboration with Hyphen, a foodservice platform designed to help restaurant owners, operators, and budding chefs move their business forward by automating kitchen operations. Bowls and salads are created by an automated system that moves the entrées through the bottom makeline where ingredients for the order are dispensed automatically. In tandem, a Chipotle team member can leverage the top makeline to create burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and kid's meals for the same digital order.

How It Works

1. Digital orders would be placed via the Chipotle app, Chipotle.com, or third-party platforms.  
2. If the order included a bowl or salad, those entrées would be routed to Hyphen's automated system. The bowl traverses along the bottom makeline and positions itself under the specified ingredient container. The intelligent dispensers dynamically portion each ingredient into the bowl. If the order included burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or kid's meals, a Chipotle team member would use the top of the same makeline to create those entrées.
3. The completed bowl or salad would be raised from the bottom makeline and revealed at the end of the makeline through an opening in the countertop. A Chipotle team member would place a lid on the entrée and add any final items such as chips, side salsas, or guacamole to the order.
4. Completed orders would be placed in their designated pick-up area: in-restaurant pickup shelves, walk-up window, or Chipotlane.

Employee & Guest Experience

Approximately 65% of all Chipotle digital orders are bowls or salads, so the cobotic digital makeline has the potential to free up more time for employees to service the front makeline and deliver exceptional hospitality, while simultaneously increasing capacity for digital orders during peak periods.

The new digital makeline could also help enhance digital order accuracy, improving the guest experience.

• 71% say the ability to integrate with other systems is driving their POS purchase decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

"Chipotle's new digital makeline built by Hyphen embodies our commitment to leveraging robotics to unlock the human potential of our workforce, ensuring an elevated dining experience for our guests," said Curt Garner, Chief Customer and Technology Officer. "Our goal is to have the automated digital makeline be the centerpiece of all our restaurants' digital kitchens." 

Chipotle's Investment in Hyphen

Chipotle invested in Hyphen as part of Cultivate Next, the company's $50 million venture fund that intends to make early-stage investments into strategically aligned companies that further its mission to Cultivate a Better World and help accelerate its aggressive growth plans. As a people-first company, Chipotle is seeking opportunities that will elevate the human experience for its teams as well as increase access and convenience for its guests. Investments may include innovations in farming and supply chain, advanced robotics, alternative proteins, and more.

Through Cultivate Next, Chipotle also invested in Vebu, a product development company that works with food industry leaders to co-create intelligent automation and technology solutions. Earlier this year, Chipotle and Vebu unveiled the Autocado, an avocado processing cobotic prototype that cuts, cores, and peels avocados before they are hand mashed to create the restaurant's famous guacamole. 

image courtesy of Chipotle

 Denny’s Corporation announced the hiring of Pankaj Patra as Chief Digital and Technology Officer (CDTO), effective October 30. This is a newly created enterprise role that will include support for Denny’s and Keke’s. Patra will be responsible for accelerating the company’s capabilities across all specialties within the Digital, Technology and Information functions.

Patra comes to Denny’s from Brinker International, Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, responsible for overseeing information technology and data security for the company and its restaurants brands. Patra brings 25 years of experience as an innovative enterprise technology architect, digital strategist and information technology leader.

“Denny’s is an iconic restaurant company that understands and values the connection between great people and smart technology. I am looking forward to working collaboratively across the company to identify opportunities for improvement and implement exciting, innovative, transformative solutions,” said Patra.

Patra earned his undergraduate degree from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela and went on to attain his MBA from Southern Methodist University. He is a member of the Dallas chapter of the International Food and Beverage Technology Association.

Patra is based in Dallas. Michael Furlow, Denny’s Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer, will remain on staff through the end of the year to support the transition. For more information, please visit dennys.com.

NCR Voyix Corp., a global provider of digital commerce solutions for the retail, restaurant and banking industries, announced its debut following the spin-off of its ATM-focused businesses.

Back in July, NCR Unveiled new names for its businesses. The ATM business is named NCR Atleos.

NCR Voyix offers comprehensive platform-driven technology and solutions that serve a diversified customer base, ranging from small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to large multinational organizations, around the world. The debut of the streamlined organization will enable NCR Voyix to accelerate its platform conversions, expand its services and deepen customer relationships, while also capturing additional market share.

“NCR Voyix launches from a position of strength as the market-leading provider of mission-critical digital commerce solutions for retailers, restaurants and financial institutions,” said NCR Voyix CEO David Wilkinson. “Our strong base of blue-chip customers will continue to benefit from our end-to-end solutions, which will be further enhanced by the strategic focus and operational agility of our new organization. As we enter this next phase and execute on our strategy, we will be able to deliver solid growth, profitability and value creation for our shareholders.”

NCR Voyix begins from a position of strength.

 NCR Voyix is the market leader in its core segments

• #1 position in self-checkout for 20 years running
• #1 provider of point-of-sale software in retail and restaurants
• #1 provider of digital banking applications

• NCR Voyix generates strong recurring and diversified revenue
  • Nearly $4 billion in total revenue
  • Recurring revenue of $2.1 billion, approximately 55% of total revenue
  • Software and services generate approximately $2.5 billion, or nearly 2/3, of total revenue
• NCR Voyix is a global company with a presence in 35 countries
  • 16,000 employees, including 2,200 field service personnel

To learn more about NCR Voyix, visit the company’s new website, https://www.ncrvoyix.com.

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

With Oracle NetSuite, TGI Fridays  has been able to take advantage of an integrated business suite to consolidate financial processes, increase efficiency, enhance cash flow, and improve decision-making across its global chain of restaurants.   

Fridays is also using Oracle CrowdTwist, a loyalty and engagement offering from Oracle Food and Beverage, to power its new Fridays Rewards program for customers in the United States.

TGI Fridays has more than 700 restaurants in 50+ countries. As Fridays grew and its operations evolved to include corporate-owned restaurants, local and international franchisees, third-party delivery partnerships, and virtual restaurants, its internal operations and financial processes became increasingly complex and costly to manage. To simplify processes and improve decision-making, Fridays chose NetSuite as its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.

“The restaurant industry is highly competitive. That’s why we need real-time data on our business performance to respond to changing customer behaviors,” said Jeff Moran, vice president of accounting, TGI Fridays. “With NetSuite, we have consolidated financial processes and embraced automation to improve the speed and accuracy of business insights as we grow – with product offerings and locations around the globe.” 

With NetSuite, Fridays has been able to gain real-time insights into its operations, enhance cash flow, and improve decision-making by centralizing its financial processes on a single cloud business suite. To further optimize its financial processes, Fridays has taken advantage of NetSuite to automate and improve the efficiency of its accounting functions including accounts payable, accounts receivable, and general ledger reporting. In addition, NetSuite has helped Fridays manage its global network of franchisees by providing support for local languages and currencies everywhere the company operates.