Guzman y Gomez (GyG) is a casual dining restaurant chain that operates over 150 locations across Australia, Singapore, Japan and the U.S. GyG prides itself on serving the time-honored flavors of Mexico through fresh ingredients and authentic techniques — and they want to do it fast!

As many in the Food & Beverage industry experienced in the face of COVID-19, GyG saw an unprecedented shift away from in-person traffic, and a rise in online and delivery orders. “Even with our stores now opening back up, delivery and online orders are still higher than pre-COVID,” said Josh Bell, Principal & GM at GyG. “The way customers want to order has changed — and digital is the new norm.” 

Inefficiency for GyG and its customers

“Our communications were slow, clunky and sporadic,” explained Bell, which was largely due to GyG using different platforms for feedback, complaints, live chats, phone calls and new worker sign-ups. As digital orders skyrocketed, the GyG team realized its fragmented communication platforms could be optimized for its employees and its customers. “We were relying on manual responses from a very lean workforce, and that wasn’t sustainable,” said Bell.

To adjust to the demand in online order volumes — and bring its fast in-store customer experience online — GyG required a digital communication transformation. And they needed a communications partner that would enable them to do so while remaining operationally lean.

“We’ve been looking for a partner to sort all of our communication channels for two years now. The fact that MessageBird can automate all of them, all on the same platform, is amazing.”
Principal & GM at GyG Singapore, Josh Bell

Serving its in-store experience digitally

In just a matter of days, Bird helped GyG rapidly pivot online and stay connected with its customer base; they consolidated communications into one platform, implemented automation and integrated into existing software. 

“We’ve added four new channels and reduced manual replying with automated flows,” said Bell. “Google’s Business Messages across our stores helps us to bring our fast and efficient customer experience online. The new WhatsApp QR codes on our packaging easily allow for customer feedback and questions; this has turned what was a clunky experience into a seamless one.”

The consolidation of GyG’s communications — including increased channels — is powered by the omnichannel capabilities and global connectivity of Inbox. Bird’s Flow Builder is what enables GyG to automate responses for its FAQs and worker onboarding across Google’s Business Messages, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram. 

AI in its communications is a brand differentiator

Bell added, “One of the worst things for an F&B outlet is when a customer experiences something like a foreign object in food or serious order mistakes that require urgent attention, and it isn’t resolved.” 

Bird jumped in to create an intent recognition model for GyG to effectively predict and differentiate between emergencies and complaints, which people often express similarly. Working together to make swift improvements to the model and its datasets, GyG can now automatically detect between complaints and emergencies to escalate necessary issues, triggering SMS alerts to GyG’s General Manager, Head of Operations and the specific Store Manager.

Bird’s AI platform allows GyG to respond to the right customer interactions immediately and mitigate risks. “Now, our customers are always positively shocked at how quickly we respond to their concerns,” said Bell.

Better communications mean happier customers

“Working with Bird has dramatically improved conversion rates with our customers,” explained Bell. “They have the information they need immediately, therefore significantly increasing our revenue and, in turn, our profitability.” Now with a more fast and effective digital offering, GyG can shift its focus back to bringing people together through a shared passion for Mexican food. 

“Customers demand information immediately and this cannot be achieved for a SME without a solution like Bird. The impact is significant across our entire business as our customers are more engaged every day.”
‍Principal & GM at GyG Singapore, Josh Bell