A recent US survey into what customers think about restaurant technology at quick-service restaurants reveals technology now shapes where Americans choose to eat. The same is likely true in Australia.

As much as consumer preferences are shaped by our palette and venue experience, they are also shaped by how digital experiences directly influence customer behaviour and brand loyalty.

The findings show restaurant technology influences where 80% of customers eat, with more than 40% saying technology is an extremely important factor in their dining decisions. Customers now expect reliable, fast digital experiences across all touchpoints, whether it is self-service kiosks, tap-to-pay payments, or emerging AI drive-thrus.

For too many operators, the reality is far from seamless. By selecting systems from a range of different vendors, individual failures are amplified by integrations not working. Each failure chips away at customer trust and prevents operators from delivering what consumers want most: convenience.

This is precisely why we created Liven One - to remove the unnecessary friction of separate systems, technologies and limiting payment platforms. And support it both over the phone, directly from the POS and onsite - assuring operators they get they type of assistance they need, when they need it. Everything works as one,simply and seamlessly,with best-in-class payments technology bringing it all together.

Key findings reveal significant gaps between expectation and reality:

• Self-service kiosks can frustrate:

  While kiosks usage is high, with over 60% of customers using kiosks occasionally or regularly, 80% report encountering problems while using a kiosk. The most aggravating issues include frozen screens, broken printers, and malfunctioning card readers. It is critical that the entire digital experience is flawless and connected when you’re trying to enable self-service through a Kiosk. This is why at Liven we designed a new generation of Android Kiosks to make the experience simple and seamless, and significantly reduce the impact of updates and downtime.
  
  

• AI drive-thrus remain experimental:

  Only 15% of customers have tried an AI drive-thru system. Among those who have, two-thirds were satisfied with the experience, though misunderstood orders remain the primary complaint.
  
  

• Payment systems consistently fail expectations:

  More than 75% of customers reported payment troubles across tap-to-pay, chip readers, and mobile wallets. Unresponsive devices, failed transactions, and slow processing create friction that customers remember. The message here is clear - low payment costs while attractive to the venue owner, can often compromise customer experience. The fix is simple and why we created Nomnie Pay - to give operators the flexibility to use best-in-class payments from providers like Tyro and proven deep integration across POS, Kiosk and digital ordering. 

The research underscores a fundamental truth about customer preferences: people choose quick-service restaurants for predictability and ease. When technology adds friction instead of removing it, customers notice immediately and factor that experience into future decisions.

The cost of technological friction extends beyond individual transactions. When a kiosk loses an order or a payment system times out, that customer remembers the frustration. These moments of friction don't just impact immediate satisfaction,  they influence where customers choose to eat next time.

The findings present a clear challenge for QSR operators: customer expectations for seamless technology experiences continue rising, but many restaurant tech implementations fall short on delivery..

The solution requires rethinking how technology serves customer preferences. Rather than simply deploying the latest digital tools - or lowest cost options, successful QSRs must ensure their technology works flawlessly together every time. They place integration, performance and customer experience at the top of the list. This means robust support systems, proactive monitoring, and treating restaurant technology as integrated infrastructure rather than standalone tools.

When restaurant technology works as designed, customers remember positive experiences they're likely to repeat. Staff can focus on service instead of troubleshooting malfunctions. The combination delivers lower costs, higher revenues, and stronger brand experiences.

The message for QSR operators is clear: technology must serve customer preferences for simplicity and reliability, or risk losing customers to competitors who get it right. 

For more on the research, click here. Better still, let's chat on how to improve your customer experience through Liven One.