New app cuts waiting time for customers buying bak kwa

SINGAPORE — Traditional bak kwa maker Lim Chee Guan is going digital this Chinese New Year to reduce the waiting time for customers buying its famous barbecued dried meat, although the initiative is limited to its Ion Orchard outlet for now.

Buyers can order the bak kwa through a new application at the store, which will provide an estimated waiting time, followed by another message sent to their mobile phones when the orders are ready to be picked up. The company said the response to the initiative has been “quite positive”. The app, which is in testing stage, is not available on the app store yet. 

A spokesperson at Lim Chee Guan said, “Though still in testing stage, it is in the interest of our customers, and to improve our service level. We are hoping to be able to serve them better. Lim Chee Guan is still a traditional business after all, as the barbecuing process is still done in a very traditional way.”

The company is considering rolling this out in its other outlets, including its flagship store in Chinatown. “It all depends on the response and feedback from our customers.

“Then we will decide if this is feasible to be used in our other outlets … We are piloting this system in the mall, as it is better to test it out in a more controlled environment. It will enable us to get a better insight into this system,” the spokesperson added.

Lim Chee Guan’s kitchen and collection counter staff as well as its cashiers keep track of orders using tablets to improve efficiency.

“It is about increasing the efficiency of the business while ensuring consumer convenience. With retail at the cusp of changing times and consumer behaviour, modernisation is the only way forward,” said Mr Foo Tuan Tong, CEO of UniQLIX, the start-up that designed the new app.

CORRECTION: The headline and story have been amended to say that the app reduces waiting time for the customers, instead of eliminating the need to queue as originally reported. We are sorry for the error.