Restaurant chatbots: choose the task and check the answers

Start with the questions guests actually ask

Collect recurring questions over a normal week. Hours, directions, menus and booking links are usually easier to handle than changes to a large party or concerns about an allergic reaction.

Choose an initial purpose. A bot that gives accurate practical information has a clear job. One that promises to handle every guest request needs many more functions, checks and routes to a person.

Separate an answer from a completed action

Providing a booking link is one function. Checking table availability and creating a reservation is another. The latter requires a working connection to the booking system and clear confirmation.

The same applies to orders. Guests should be able to check dishes, options, prices and any payment before submitting. A chat message must not be presented as an accepted order without confirmation from the ordering system.

Decide which channels you want to support and verify each one. A website chat does not automatically include social media or other messaging services.

Assign an owner for the information

Make someone responsible for menus, prices, hours and terms. Decide what happens when information is missing. A suitable response may direct the guest to staff, with the correct phone number and an indication of when someone can respond.

Before launch, test at least:

• A question about a holiday with different opening hours.
• A dish that has been removed or sold out.
• A booking change the bot is not authorised to make.
• An unclear question or a language change.
• An interrupted order or unavailable connection.

Check that the bot distinguishes known information from gaps rather than inventing answers.

Treat allergy questions with particular care

A chatbot should not promise that a dish is safe for an individual guest based on a simplified menu description. Staff need to check ingredients and cross-contact risks with the kitchen. The Swedish Food Agency stresses the importance of dialogue between restaurant and guest about allergies. Food Agency guidance.

Do not ask guests for more personal information than the request needs. Decide who can access conversations and how long they are needed. Do not use sensitive information from service requests for advertising.

Measure useful help, not just chat volume

Review a sample of conversations for incorrect answers, abandoned requests and handovers to staff. Check whether guests progressed and how much work remained. High chat volume may also indicate that website information is hard to find.

Vendion AI includes support for guest conversations about menus and ordering. Review the current online ordering flow in a demo and test it with your own menu. Establish which tasks it handles in your restaurant before assuming a time saving.