As the average customer becomes increasingly busy, dining out becomes more of a special treat than a convenience. Especially during the week, customers simply don’t have time to dress up, find a restaurant, wait for a table, wait to have course after course brought to the table, and then wait some more to pay for it all. Even with the best of service, this is a time consuming process that is best reserved for relaxed evenings where there is no rush to get home or back to work. This is especially true for restaurants with a more relaxed atmosphere, where customers enjoy dining as a social experience.
However, many consumers find themselves without the time to cook dinner either, so they often turn to takeout or delivery services. In the past, this limited their choices of food severely, but that is not the case today. Instead of having to choose from pizza or fast food from a drive-thru, customers can order or pick up almost anything they are in the mood for. More and more restaurants are offering takeout or delivery in order to keep their customer base higher, even though their dining rooms may not be as full.
Maintaining Quality with Convenience
Some restaurant owners fear that if they offer delivery or takeout, they will lose some control over the quality of the food that they serve. Naturally, food is best when it comes right out of the kitchen to the table, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t still be great after riding in a car for a few minutes. Also, ordering remotely can sometimes result in more misunderstood orders than ordering in person, but with the right system, mistakes can still be minimal. Restaurants that decide to deliver or offer takeout can take plenty of measures to ensure that customers still receive the highest quality dinner possible.
First, restaurants should use the best quality packaging that is available for delivery or takeout. The containers should definitely be strong and leak proof. Nobody wants their dinner dripping all over their car, and a mess like that is a sure-fire way to discourage customers from ordering again in the future. Also, it should be well insulated to keep the food warm and microwavable in case the customer is unable to eat right away for any reason.
Yes, this type of packaging will cost more than a simple to-go box, but customers will recognize the extra care that was taken and will often comment on their appreciation for it.
Ordering with Confidence
Many restaurants are not only offering these services, but continuously striving to make it easier for customers to take advantage of them. For call-in orders, restaurants are doing their best to ensure that they have a competent people on their phones. Quality employees are able to put the customer at ease and make sure that the order is correct every time. Some restaurants even have an area on their website to order from, or outsource their ordering to another company’s website that specializes in takeout orders and delivery. Larger chains have even gone as far as creating smartphone apps that allow customers to order food in a matter of seconds.
Jim Balis' Blog 