"A partnership for life"This is how Zomato, the most widely used restaurant discovery platform in Portugal and one of the largest in the world with a presence in several countries, describes its relationship with REDUNIQ.
After two years of the pandemic, marked by symptomatic changes in the way restaurants operate and a profound revolution in the consumption habits of the Portuguese, Zomato has not only not abandoned its partner restaurants, but has sought to breathe new life into its app.
It has invested in new features and the digitalisation of payments, an innovation on which it relies with REDUNIQ for the development of payment solutions "robust" and adjusted to the needs of companies and consumers.
The world has changed and Zomato has changed with it.
The company spoke to us about these and other changes in an interesting interview that we are reproducing here.
Zomato has been around for several years and has been evolving and exploring new paths, particularly the implementation of delivery. What do you consider to be the biggest impact that the return to normality has had on the business? And what were the biggest difficulties you experienced during the pandemic?
During the lockdown, Zomato remained close to the restaurants, maintaining the proximity we already had with the owners and advising them at a time when no one was very sure of anything.
If the present was uncertain, the future was even more so. Even during the first lockdown, we immediately started thinking about what we could do to help them on their return, so it was quite natural for us to create the requests and contactless payments with QR code in the restaurant, as well as our takeaway service.
The biggest difficulty was keeping the restaurants "motivated", since many of them only knew how to work in person, but they saw in us the security and confidence to help them get through this phase.
We created the #zomatoapoiaarestauracao And that's exactly what we set out to do: support them with consultancy, communication and the launch of innovative, free products.
On the other hand, it was very gratifying to see the resilience and courage of many, how quickly they learnt and incorporated new ways of working such as delivery, even in spaces that were not yet very (or almost at all) digital.
Now, many see delivery as a way of extending their production capacity and renewing their regular customers who can now enjoy their favourite restaurants at home.
With the implementation of delivery in your app, do you consider it important to have diversified payment options available for customers?
Yes, indeed. We live in a time when our most valuable asset is time, and the whole Delivery experience involves making it easier to access food, with a process that we want to be quick and intuitive, so that in the end the user experience is as comfortable as possible.
In this sense, payment must also be quick, convenient, easy and accessible to everyone.
What are the main advantages of being able to receive payments via MB WAY?
The great advantage of MB WAY is its speed, credibility and security. For these reasons, it is the payment method most trusted by the Portuguese.
It's important for us to have variety in the most convenient options for our users and we know that MB WAY is undoubtedly one of them.
Also, the fact that you can add a meal card using MB WAY is something that our users really value.
How has the digitalisation of payments changed your business?
The digitalisation of payments has enriched the entire restaurant experience. It's an efficiency accelerator for both the staff and the management team of the restaurant itself.
It will also provide your business with essential and valuable information, both in terms of optimising your staff and the information that will help them to know everything about your space and business.
Do you think that there is greater acceptance on the part of customers when it comes to making payments more quickly and digitally?
Yes, as long as they come with several layers of "trust" in the supplier.
Nowadays we are increasingly using digital payments: both for the habit of shopping online and for the convenience and security that this means (not carrying cash on the street and not worrying about running into an ATM).
The idea of going out to eat and leaving your wallet at home, with the lightness of going out with just your mobile phone because we have everything there: the app where we can see the menu, choose and book the restaurant, is the same app with which we can pay for the meal at the end. There's no better convenience than that.
Once again, we emphasise the importance of payment security and the essential contribution that this means for the user: security of the payment partner as well as the platform where they make the payment (Zomato).
What made you choose REDUNIQ to accept this type of payment?
The agility and transparency of the team and the way they demonstrated their mastery of the service activation process.
They were also able to respond quickly to all the challenges that arose and have the experience that gave us confidence, both in their knowledge as suppliers and as experts in the market.
How do REDUNIQ's payment solutions help your business?
Working with REDUNIQ gives us the guarantee that we are using a robust solution that is present all over the world and equipped with multiple features. payment solutions. We feel that we can design any business area and that they will accompany us in this evolutionary process.
For Zomato they really are a 'partner' for life. Those we trust above all else and who we know will be prepared to accompany our growth and evolution, always having the most appropriate solutions for our constantly evolving business.
Any news that Zomato is preparing that you can tell us about?
Yes, this month we launched a new version of our Portuguese app 100% where we promise to bring our community of foodies even closer together around our common love: food!
In addition to what is already visible, we have been making several corrections to the layout in order to improve the UX/UI, based on the feedback we have heard from our users.
Among the new features that will be available in Zomato app The following stand out,
- the possibility of adding receipts and calling the restaurant;
- the possibility of creating events in the restaurants and having participants (open and closed events for the community);
- a pool of reviews and comments in chronological order where we can share experiences and photos of the venues, like other users' reviews and save restaurants as favourites;
- the new localisation experience, being able to define a radius with the closest restaurants, identifying those that are PRO, have Reservations, Delivery/Takeaway in order to leverage the community experience;
- and a new layout and dynamic with "Open Now" and "New".
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