Once upon a time, placing orders over the phone was convenient for the customers but now nobody has the time to talk over the phone. People prefer text over voice. Eventually, there will be a time when phone-ordering would become obsolete.
For us online ordering has made ordering food a lot easier, it has brought our favorite food - just a few clicks away.
Over the years, technology has fueled the race for guaranteeing a better user experience.
A great effort is put to make our everyday tasks easier to achieve. And perhaps, this is the reason that some things sell better than others. And whenever we think we have reached a position where there is a very little scope of betterment. Technology pushes the margins and brings us something which more convenient. Apparently, brands that constantly push their limits to ensure a better service succeed more.
When it comes to appealing consumers to adopt a new technology nothing works better than making things convenient for them.
Online ordering has achieved that greater level of convenience. We really like it when things go our way and online ordering works that way - exactly the way we push those buttons. We order completely at our own convenience, from the comfort and discretion of a familiar place and in the leisure of our own time.
Can you spare those extra 5-6 minutes during the rush hour?
The time that it takes us to pick up the phone, dial, read the menu, say the order, and wait for the order to be confirmed takes an awful lot more than 5-6 minutes.
During the rush hours, you need to have a dedicated staff member just receiving orders over the phone and still your customers would have to wait due to busy phone lines.
So, for a better user experience "Pre-ordering" is a must-have online ordering feature. It will save your customers from the hassles of ordering during the rush hour.
Talking over the phone takes time, from spelling out the order to noting it down at the restaurant’s end. There are a lot of variables involved in the process. Often, the communication channel is not very clear. Bad reception or noisy surroundings can lead to transmission of inaccurate information and hence, result in incorrect orders.
Too much-wasted resources
Any incorrect information and the customer might get something completely different from what s/he had ordered. Customer will get the delivery and s/he would be still unsatisfied. And top of that you have to pay extra for arranging another delivery with the correct order.
Secure payment gateways
Disclosing confidential credit card information over an unsecured line is always a big no. When it comes to phone ordering, payment options are limited. It is always a big headache for the restaurants to store customer’s sensitive credit card information in their records, securely.
A good experience and the customer is on board with you
Online ordering provides ample time for the customer to explore the menu. They can look at the menu and read descriptions thoroughly before a purchase. For them it is a welcome change, no more rushing the order. They can check the restaurant online from peer reviews on social media platforms and search engines.
When online, the customer is better informed about any offers or discounts and they can expect competitive and up to date pricing and the option to choose from a lot of restaurants.
Conclusion
It is really good if phone ordering is working well for you but phone ordering is on the decreasing curve and you don’t want to put all your money on it. It is a wise choice to invest in online ordering system for your restaurant and cater to the needs of the customers in a better way.
So, don’t just rely on the offline channel, spread your wings and tap into the potential of online ordering system for your food service.
For further queries, you can reach us at info@restolabs.com and we would be delighted to set you up with a free trial of our online ordering system for your restaurant.
