Accepting takeout and delivery orders is a fantastic way to expand your restaurant’s business, especially now that so many more people are comfortable with online ordering.
However, without some limitations and a rock-solid organization system, things can easily get out of hand.
Here’s a couple things that are likely to cause you trouble when accepting to-go orders for the first time (and how to avoid them).
You Need a Way to Track Incoming Orders
While taking orders over the phone technically works, it’s inefficient and errorprone. First of all, a member of your staff will have to be near the phone at all times. If they miss a call, you’ve missed out on that order for good.
Second, what happens to that order after your employee writes it down? Without a clear, organized process in place, you can easily forget orders. And trust us, your customers will not be thrilled when they come to get their food only to find themselves waiting in a crowded area for 20 minutes while you make it.
A better option is to have a central digital device, like a tablet, that serves as command central for your takeout operation. Web Restaurants, for example, connects with any tablet and printer to provide a central location for all your orders. As an added benefit, since orders come in online, your staff no longer has to worry about missing calls.
Accept Payments Online for Food Orders
Another simple way to streamline your takeout ordering system is to process all payments directly through your ordering platform. When your customers come to pick up their food, all they must do is show you the receipt and be on their way.
This not only streamlines your process, it prevents your customers from waiting around while you take their payment. It’s a better experience for everyone.
Set Delivery Restrictions
It’s probably not worth it for you to deliver a $5 bowl of soup 20 minutes across town. Setting minimum order values for delivery is a simple way to combat this (and drive up your average order value at the same time).
With our advanced system, you can even set zone restrictions (different order minimums depending on the distance between the delivery address and your restaurant). For example, you may be willing to take a $10 order 5 minutes away, but require a $30 order to travel 20 minutes. You can also set a distance out after which you will not longer accept orders at all, ensuring your food stays hot and fresh for all your delivery customers.
Your Online Restaurant Ordering System is Critical
With so many moving parts for takeout and delivery, an easy-to-use, customizable online ordering system is essential.
If you need a system that will help you keep everything on track, check out our Web Restaurants system. It has all the capabilities of a custom system but takes less than 24 hours to activate for your restaurant.
Michael Fied
Web Restaurants
Owner & Co-Founder
Schedule a call with me here
