Anyone involved in information technology (IT) knows that deployments are a significant undertaking. No matter the industry, rolling out new equipment or systems and integrating them within existing networks takes time, and you want to make sure the end result is well-done.
This is the case for quick-service restaurants (QSRs), as much as it is for retail deployments or any other industry. In fact, with cleanliness standards and after-hours requirements, restaurant IT deployments present their own set of opportunities and challenges. It’s these unique requirements that leave many owners or franchisees in a quandary about the best solution for reliable IT deployment and break-fix.
More and more restaurants are turning to partners that can provide local techs anywhere on the globe. Here’s why.
Restaurant IT Deployments & The Case for Local Talent
If you have a global reach, having local technicians perform your deployment helps you avoid potential cultural barriers. If your deployment is in another country, chances are there are some differences in how people communicate or do business. This can even be the case, to a much smaller extent, if you’re working with someone in a different region within the same country. Employing locals can help eliminate these cultural or language differences.
Quick-service restaurants often have unique aspects to their IT deployments. For example, QSRs have a lot of outdoor technology like speakers, security cameras, and digital menu boards. Installing or repairing outdoor equipment is highly dependent on weather conditions.
When you leverage local talent, though, your technicians won’t have to travel as far and can easily monitor the forecast, resulting in quicker response times. If bad weather is coming, they can reschedule without increasing their travel or lodging expenses — meaning your project stays on budget.
Right now, COVID-19 is also causing travel delays in many places. Some areas of the world aren’t allowing international travel, and some places have very stringent quarantine guidelines. As a result, your deployment team might need to self-quarantine when they reach their destination, or they may need to do so when they return home before their next trip. This even applies to some areas of the United States.
If you work with a local technician, on the other hand, you won’t need to worry about travel restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic. They already live and work in that area and community, so they’ll likely have fewer restrictions and guidelines.
For managed service providers, working with local field technicians can also help you maintain strong customer relationships over time. If your QSR client has a problem or needs additional assistance or troubleshooting in the future, it can sometimes be difficult to get your internal team on-site quickly. When you have a relationship built up with local technicians, though, you can more easily contract them to visit the customer and complete any necessary repairs. Plus, if that particular technician has already serviced that quick-service restaurant, the smoother the dispatch is likely to be — and the happier your client will be.
Finally, when you hire local technicians, you can ensure that you’re getting the best experts for the job. Perhaps there’s no one on your team who is a specialist in a certain aspect of a restaurant IT deployment. Instead of having your team try to figure it out, you can bring someone skilled in that area onto the project. Not only does this improve the outcomes for your customer, but it can also make your job easier, all without adding additional full-time employees (FTEs) to your payroll.
Where to Find Local Tech Talent
If you’re looking to hire technicians to complete a restaurant IT deployment, partnering with a global IT dispatcher is a good place to start. Here at Kinettix, we have a robust network of skilled, qualified technicians who are ready to serve you and your QSR clients. Our talent pool includes field technicians, project managers, and project coordinators. We are ready to support you however, you may need to ensure both you and your customers are satisfied. Contact us to learn more.
