When quizzed on their biggest irritations with their IT systems, over half (64%) of those surveyed believe their organisation has been misled by IT suppliers and as a result are now saddled with upfront and ongoing spiralling costs that were not transparent from the outset.
Many claim that their IT system costs them too much money but they are now tied into long agreements that they believe are difficult to get out of.
Cost and margin management remains a prime concern for the industry, but this is also tarnished with feelings of disappointment for 81% of managers who are unhappy with their IT system. 13% admitted they chose a ‘big hospitality IT player’ believing it would offer the best system but instead they say the technology doesn’t do what they need it to do, despite early promises that it would. Interestingly, only 10% of managers say they are completely happy with their IT system.
Jerry Brand, MD at Caternet, commented on the results of the new survey: “The findings here are frankly unacceptable, but equally unsurprising given the lack of industry support in terms of quality assurance at sales time, and the lack of truly integrated, modern solutions. No one likes a ‘stitch up’ in any shape or form; it leaves a bad taste in your mouth. Supplier/customer relationships are a two-way thing, they’re about trust and honesty with a few good manners thrown in, or at least they should be.
“When promises are made about cost, performance and contract terms, people expect these to be transparent from the very start. Sadly, these findings are a reflection of outdated, old-fashioned ‘sales’ approaches where the earth is promised simply to close the deal regardless of the reality.
“In an economy where the struggle to control costs and make margins is a prime concern for many, anything that makes this harder to achieve is very counter-productive for business.”
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