Accurately predicting and timing the adoption of new or enhanced POS technology is one of the critical crafts of the business, for us and for you. We both have to be ahead of our particular curves so when market demand rises, we’re ready to meet it. That demand comes from our customers: merchants like you. For you it comes from your diners and, sometimes, your suppliers.

I mention this because Hospitality Technology has recently published its 2016 POS Software Trends Report—for the fifth year running. It tells a good story of how the build-buy-adopt cycle works.

We looked back through all five years of their reports, specifically at the “Top Functionalities for Next POS Upgrade” chart. (Here’s the link.) The number one item this year was Mobile Wallet. Last year as well. In 2014 it was number 7 (although it was second in customer-facing functionalities). Before that the item was bundled into “Mobile POS” in general, so it’s hard to nail those down.

Those five years tell a story of prolonged interest in that feature on your part. And yet, we don’t think it’s something you’re using extensively. Because that study is only half the picture. The missing half is the portrait of your customer. To get that we have to look outside of the Hospitality Technology study.

The first of those outside studies is from the middle of last year: from OpenTable. They asked diners—your customers—what they wanted technology to do for their dining experience. Mobile wallet wasn’t on their list of ten items. Now, I didn’t see the question so it may be that it wasn’t even a choice—which considering that it was OpenTable who created the survey, may be telling in and of itself. So let’s go back just a little farther—to the start of last year. The National Restaurant Association did a similar study. Here, too, Mobile Wallet wasn’t on their main stage, although it did get a kind of honorable mention:

Some tech offerings are more common than others, including smartphone apps, online ordering and electronic menu boards. Also gaining traction, but not as common, are mobile or wireless payment options, iPad tablet menus and touch-screen ordering kiosks.

Incidentally, I looked through three more similar studies by other similarly reputable organizations and found the same thing.

I think that means that you’re still in waiting mode—you’re still waiting for that demand to hit a point where the new technology can be both practical and profitable.

There’s yet another article that adds another wrinkle: this one at PYMNTS.com. This says that it’s the merchants that are holding back adoption by refusing to offer the service. I think the writer missed the prime driver. Yes, there’s resistance on the part of merchants to jump in with both feet. To get to Mobile Wallet, there is disruption involved. NFC devices and capability, and payment terminals have to be installed. You don’t object to doing it: you’re just waiting for the right time.

Is this a conflict? One study says it’s a hot item for you, another says it’s tepid at best. One says your customers are not interested and the other says it’s you that are dragging your heels...

We build technologies—Mobile Wallet is just one example but it’s almost always the case—when we see that restaurateurs are first becoming interested in it. You, too, pay attention to your own customers, and begin to ask for it as the buzz begins to build at your tables. But you wait to make the major, disruptive investment until diner demand reaches a critical mass. That’s how you and we stay ahead of the curve, avoid having to scramble to play catch up, and continue to be ready to give our respective customers what they want... when they want it.