A best practice for restaurants can be installing mobile phone charging stations so customers can charge their phones whenever they arrive to eat.
Restaurants are one of the great ways to experience human connection; going somewhere to eat food with a group of people is one of the quickest ways to make friends and have fun. As the pandemic lessens and restrictions on gatherings and businesses are loosened by the government, there are more opportunities to engage in this ritual, moving back towards the pre-pandemic days of heading to the restaurant/bar with friends and having a good time, one of the quintessential ways of forming human bonds.
But now, with people more reliant on their cellphones, restaurants are facing a dilemma: How to keep guests' phones charged so they are able to feel safe and comfortable during their big night out? It is important that guests can text friends and family at any time to let them how they are/when they might be arriving/leaving, and know they have access to Google Maps for when they leave, and alarms/reminders to let them know when to get going. Smartphones are incredibly handy and useful for social situations like this—but it can be extremely inconvenient when they run out of battery at an inopportune time, leaving the user to navigate life without the ability to constantly check texts, apps and directions. That's why offering a mobile phone charging station in a restaurant can be so helpful, and why the world has seen an uptick in places utilizing these stations in restaurant settings.
Benefits to Offering Phone Charging Stations at Restaurants
With people returning to restaurants and bars post-COVID, having a phone charging station for guests is important for guest security.
As more and more public spaces open up after the long pause of the COVID-19 pandemic, more customers and guests will be forgetting to charge their phones at home before they go out, leaving their battery dead or dangerously close to dying as they visit places after being cooped up inside for so long. This applies also to restaurants, which have an even greater obligation to customers, due to how long people stay at these locations and utilize the facilities during their meals. The importance of phone charging stations in public spaces cannot be overstated—placing phone charging stations in restaurants represents a real service owners and managers can perform for their customers to showcase how much they care, as well as their commitment to serving their guests.
Even charging your phone before a night out does not guarantee it will continue functioning all throughout the evening, as modern smart phones necessitate more battery power to do simple tasks. According to an article from NBC News:
With bigger screens and more features, smartphones are only becoming more power-hungry. A battery lasting all day at work can seem like an accomplishment; lasting until last call can seem like a miracle.
More than ever, simply charging your phone before your day might not ensure you have enough battery power to last. Incorporating phone charging stations into a restaurant's layout can be a best practice for restaurant owner's/managers, increasing high online reviews as well as foot traffic from guests who need their phones charged. More than just a gimmick, the inclusion of phone charging station's brings tangible results to a business, attracting visitors who might not usually come in, but now have a reason to because of their low battery cellphone. Installing cell phone charging stations in a restaurant can have a big impact, signaling to the customer that management cares about their needs and is thinking critically about their comfort.
Though restaurants have no true obligation to provide phone charging stations for their guests, oftentimes it is a best practice to provide these stations, in order to not only provide needed services to customers, but also to keep individuals at the business for a longer period of time, prompting further purchases of food/drink. Keeping customers around for longer periods of time can often lead to greater sales, and providing access to a phone charging station and letting customers' phones charge in the meantime is a good way to keep people at a restaurant for longer.
These individuals working on cellphones and laptops showcase the necessity for power in restaurants.
In addition, the inclusion of a phone charging station, or multiple phone charging stations in a restaurant or bar can be a godsend to waiters/bartenders who are often asked where there is a spare plug or whether they can charge a guest's phone. A piece from NBC News has an interview with a bar-owner who is opening a new bar with conspicuous phone charging station areas. He describes the problems he's seen in bars without mobile phone charging stations thusly:
One of the owner’s goals when opening the bar last week was to make life easier for his bartenders:
“If you’re in the middle of service, and someone asks you to charge their phone instead of giving you a drink order, it can mess you up,” Travis Boettcher told NBC News.
The former programmer from San Francisco had installed USB ports in his own home, and decided to they would make a good addition to his bar.
“I saw a problem and I solved it,” he said.
Not only can mobile phone charging stations be convenient for customers, they can also save workers at the restaurant/bar time and give them peace of mind. As a best practice, restaurants can include these charging stations in order to make sure customers are taken care of and staff is able to focus on their jobs. According to Resto Connection, there are several ways in which the inclusion of a mobile phone charging station can benefit a business:
Clearly there are benefits to outfitting a restaurant with portable power stations that go well beyond simple convenience for the customer. In addition, including methods for customers to charge devices (like mobile phone charging stations) in retail and other public settings is becoming a norm, much like free Wi-Fi service in many public spaces, including airports, fast-food restaurants and other public areas. A piece from Retail Dive about McDonald's usage of phone charging stations in their locations has this to say on the subject:
- Attract a younger, more connected client base
- Attract people who are simply running out of battery life, for whom the choice of place to grab a bite will depend on their ability to recharge their phone (this can give you a regular flow of customers who wouldn’t come otherwise)
- Develop a more business oriented customer base, with higher connection and plugging needs
- Multiply your visibility points by being referenced for this service on apps and specialized website
- Attract tourists who are out all day and can’t recharge at home or at work
- Offer added value to your customers and be able to communicate on that service
- Increase customer loyalty for your existing clients, who will know they won’t have to look somewhere else to find this service
“Free Wi-Fi and wireless charging will soon be ubiquitous, expected by consumers with other players like Starbucks getting on board,” said Puneet Mehta, CEO of MobileROI, New York. “Instead of significantly helping the businesses that offer it, these services will hurt the businesses that don’t."
“Of course there is the opportunity to drive more traffic in stores and subsequent sales with people needing to charge their phone, so they pick up a drink or snack to do so. The bigger opportunity, though, is providing an interactive, exciting experience that contextually engages people throughout the entire customer journey – and keeps the brand top of mind,” he said.
“For instance, when a person comes within a short walk of a location and their phone battery is dying on a cold day, a brand could send them alert about their wireless charging with an image of a hot coffee and warm snack to lure them in.”
As mobile phone charging stations become more ubiquitous, the onus will be on restaurants to offer portable phone chargers for customers, lest their service seem lesser than other restaurants and businesses in the vicinity. Additionally, the Retail Dive piece says this:
“I can foresee an increase for in-store traffic and subsequently some sales as people decide to buy something while waiting for their phone to be charged,” said Lauren Moores, vice president of analytics at Dstillery, New York. “I have certainly chosen a store or cafe based on Wi-Fi ability, and I am not alone.”
In addition, it is becoming more and more straightforward to decipher which restaurants have a mobile phone charging station installed inside. This website (and app) showcases to people where the nearest cell phone charging location is, giving these businesses free publicity simply by virtue of them having a cell phone charging station inside.
With apps, sites and other resources becoming available for individuals on the go to determine where they could be potentially offered a mobile phone charging station for their dying battery, it is becoming a no brainer for restaurants and businesses to include a mobile phone charging station for their customers. For individuals looking specifically to charge their phone during a meal or get-together, having access to a portable restaurant phone charger may make or break their evening.
Portable Phone Chargers from ChargeTech Solutions
There is not a singular solution for keeping phones charged on the go, rather, there are many different options and ChargeTech has solutions for whatever the situation. In addition to phone charging stations, portable power stations, or waiting room kiosks, instead portable phone chargers can work in social settings like restaurants, allowing the user to charge their phone wherever life takes them.
Products like our Premium 20K PD Battery Pack or our Premium 27K AC Battery Pack can give longer battery life to any cellphone, for use in public spaces like restaurants, airports, retail stores and other locations where they may not be a wall outlet to plug in a phone. Though mobile phone charging stations are more convenient, just existing in the space you are arriving in, portable battery packs and phone chargers can help keep users' phones charged, without having to rely on an outside entity to provide the service of installing a mobile phone charging station in their business.
A ChargeTech Power Stand Charging Station, for example, can fit well into near any restaurant setting.
However, ChargeTech builds charging solutions for businesses like restaurants, in order to offer customers straightforward and efficient ways of charging their mobile devices. Below you will find links and descriptions of ChargeTech products that can be placed in a restaurant or other public settings so customers can fill their phones' batteries. These premium products function great in many spaces and are currently used across the country in sporting stadiums, schools and retail stores.
Other Products from ChargeTech To Keep Customers' Mobile Devices Charged
Power Stand Charging Station
$455.00
The ChargeTech Power Stand Charging Station is a perfect solution for restaurants and other businesses looking for an easy-to-install, highly effective smart device charging station. Equipped with eight industrial grade braided cables, up to eight devices can be charged by the Power Stand Charging Station at the same time, meaning 8 patrons or customers can conceivably be charging their cell phone simultaneously. The station is also easily brand-able, with an easily replaced backing that can be swapped out with advertising for your business or from a sponsor. The Power Stand Charging Station is a great choice to keep restaurant patrons’ phones fully charged and can easily be placed wherever you want to direct foot-traffic.
8 Bay Charging & UV Disinfecting Locker
$2,935.00
ChargeTech’s 8 Bay Charging & UV Disinfecting Locker is the perfect place for cell phone users to securely lock up their mobile devices while they are being charged and disinfected, potentially while they eat their meal, or converse with friends at the bar. With 8 Charging & Disinfecting bays, a whole group of restaurant patrons/customers are able to charge their devices at once, all the while having their phones rid of harmful pathogens with UV-C disinfecting light. Simply type in your unique keypad code and your cellphone is ready to go, locked and secure until you come to retrieve it. Simple, effective and easily used by individuals of any age, our 8 Bay Charging and UV Disinfection Locker is an intuitive product that functions great so restaurant patrons can get quick and convenient phone cleaning.
6 Devices - Phone Charging Table
$595.00
The ChargeTech Charging Table comes in 6 or 12 charging cables.
ChargeTech's Phone Charging Table can charge up to 6 or 12 devices and is a functional, furniture charging station that can be placed easily into restaurant/business/bar settings and allow guests a space to set down their belongings or beverages while waiting for their phones to charge. ChargeTech Phone Charging Tables also include a wireless Qi pad for wirelessly charging iPhones and Samsung Galaxy cell phones. More than just a smart device charging station, the ChargeTech Phone Charging Table is a functional, formally elegant piece of furniture that will keep your guest's phones ready for use at a moments notice.
