They never had starters, but always ordered a good bottle of wine with their main course, along with numerous side dishes. For dessert, Jen would get ‘something chocolatey’ while Bob had another glass of wine. They called it their ‘dirty deal.’
Then, for no particular reason, they didn’t return. It was a bit of a mystery. They had always seemed satisfied with the food and service, but sometimes people just move on. It was also a shame because the restaurant was about to roll out a home delivery offering, and didn’t get a chance to tell the couple about it.
Tech-fuelled home delivery is booming
The UK food delivery industry is worth over £8 billion* and could soon reach £10 billion. In 2018, there were 851 million meals ordered and that figure may now be nearer one billion. It’s an opportunity for every kind of restaurant, whether they serve Asian Fusion, Ethiopian or Vegan. And it’s a market that today’s technology can help serve.
No longer do restaurants need to rely on third-party expensive delivery services. With a fully-branded web app, they can enable anyone to choose, pay and arrange delivery in a few clicks. They’ll also gain advanced analytics to help them better understand their customers and market to them more effectively.
Jen and Bob eventually returned
One evening they stopped by to celebrate Jen’s birthday. A year had passed, but it was like they’d never been away. Apparently, Jen’s new job was located out of town, so they could no longer make that regular 6:30pm Friday booking.
They were excited about the home delivery app and now occasionally have a ‘home date night’ where they set their table out with candles and Bob orders everything in for when Jen gets home around eight.
In addition, because the app is the restaurant’s own, Jen and Bob can order within a protected brand environment that doesn’t introduce rival offerings. They and the restaurant can communicate one-to-one.
So, Jen and Bob get the food they love and the restaurant retains a valuable customer. It’s a great deal for everyone.
4 ways restaurants can optimise home delivery
Tell customers about it
Restaurants need to promote their home delivery option through posters, menu inserts and local media. So if regular customers want their favourite dishes, but can’t face getting dressed up or going out in the rain, there’s a convenient alternative.
Get the most out of the technology
Ordering apps can really extend a restaurant’s service, especially when fully-branded and easy to use. A merchant services partner that specialises in online payment could also be invaluable.
Ensure the food is ‘take-out’ ready
As a recent report from Paymentsense highlighted,** just because it’s home delivery doesn’t mean compromising on quality. The food should be ‘restaurant standard’ and the presentation appealing and ‘on brand.’ It’s not about delivering food; it’s about bringing the restaurant’s brand into customers’ homes.
Stake out your delivery zone
30 minutes is about normal for a delivery – anything beyond that might not work out. Lateness is the leading cause of home delivery customer frustration.**
*MCA Foodservice Delivery Report 2018
**’Restaurants 2020: the inside story on eating out’ – A Paymentsense Annual Market Report
It’s not as catchy as: ‘When is a door not a door?’ (answer, when it’s a jar) but it speaks to the idea that in-car collection, and the technologies that support it, are flexible enough to bend to the needs of a business and its guests.
Delivery can be daunting to the uninitiated, and it might be tempting to sign up with a third-party ordering aggregator that offers the service, such as UberEats, but other options could suit your business and brand better. Here we present three different ‘levels’ of delivery, starting with the most basic – and cheapest method: doing it yourself.
