Wireless Waiters Speed Up Service At Zozobra

Symbol Technologies And Dimex Systems Have Joined Together To Provide Faster Customer Service For The Hospitality Industry

Speedy service is on the menu at Israel's Zozobra restaurant in Herzilaya thanks to Symbol Technologies' . Now customers - many of whom work in Israel's version of silicon valley - have their orders taken down on a wireless, handheld computer and instantly transmitted to the kitchen.

The technology speeds up the ordering process, reduces the possibility of mistakes and - more importantly - extends the reach of information technology in a district where IT equals 'cool'. Zozobra leads the way in using the . This application, using the 2 MB system is already used within the hospitality industry to support customer service initiatives and reduce operating costs associated with fixed, wired networks.

The new system, which replaces the old pen and pad method, has several advantages:

• The waiters have reported that the wireless terminals allow them to focus their attention more on the customer and spend less time interacting with the kitchen.
• Customers are very impressed by the method of order entry at Zozobra, which in turn reinforces the restaurant's brand recognition for innovation and service.
• The bill is calculated automatically, again removing the risk of human error.
• Implementation of the system is swift with installation and training being completed in a couple of hours.

"The integration of Symbol's high speed wireless LAN was essential in giving our customers a speedy service and for Zozobra to establish its position as an innovative restaurant with high-quality service," says Steven Lobel, joint founder and director of Zozobra.

Using a mobile computer with an embedded , a 'wireless' waiter takes an order on the touch screen display. As each dish is entered this information is transferred in real-time to the kitchen where the order is printed out immediately. In order to maximise customer satisfaction the drink order is taken first, enabling them to be served to customers before order entry is completed. The mobile's software allows for every possible modification to any dish; the first time that this level of detail has been available to the hospitality industry.

"We are pleased to be working with Dimex Systems (Symbol's elite business partner in Israel) to provide another solution for the hospitality industry that ensures greater customer satisfaction. Customers appreciate their orders being processed immediately and accurately," says John Vaccaro, vice-president, mobile and wireless systems, Symbol Technologies, EMEA. "Now, the orders are right first time."

Jonathan Cohen, managing director, Dimex, comments, "This was our first installation of the 11 MB system in Israel and we have been astounded by its success."

Zozobra is part of a chain of restaurants in Israel. The others are looking at adopting the system in the coming months. Israel continues to be one of the leading edge technology countries in EMEA.

About Dimex

Dimex, the leading bar code solutions company in Israel, is the distributor of Symbol Technologies, Zebra Technologies (the industry standard for bar code label printers), and Microscan (industrial automated scanners). Situated in Tel Aviv, it leads the Israeli market in its ability to integrate different automatic data capture technologies in order to provide customers with advanced and robust solutions that meet their business needs. Dimex's wide installed base includes all sectors of the Israeli, economy, Retail, Industry, Transportation, Postal Services Commerce, and government Agencies. Information is available from Dimex