Restaurant Delivery Business Success
Can your RDS make the dinner rush more manageable for restaurants?
For many restaurants, the dinner rush represents a significant chunk of their revenue. During those peak hours, it’s all hands on deck to deliver a top-notch experience.
But it’s not just in-house dining that spikes between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. That same window is peak hours for restaurant delivery. That means that kitchen and the front-of-house staff must work double time to support two sets of customers.
Some restaurants have no problem balancing on-site customers and delivery orders at the same time. Others have made the decision to put a cap on delivery orders during the dinner rush. They’ve chosen to prioritize in-house diners and reduce the strain on their staff and kitchens. And it’s not just mom-and-pop shops paring back. According to Food & Wine Magazine, many big chains, from IHOP to Cheesecake Factory, are limiting their delivery hours.
Needless to say, this can be pretty frustrating for a restaurant delivery service (RDS). After all, those are your peak revenue hours, too! But how can you, as an RDS owner, help your restaurant clients with internal time management challenges? How do you make it easier for them to serve both dine-in and delivery customers at the same time?
The answer is simple: Good restaurant delivery software.
How RDS software improves time management for restaurants.
Of course, as an outsider, there’s only so much you can do to help your restaurant clients manage their business. But your own business decisions can make a significant impact on the efficiency of their operations, especially during peak hours. Well-designed restaurant delivery software can make it much easier for restaurants to balance dine-in and delivery orders simultaneously. Here’s how.
Seamless—and fast—communication.
In the not-so-distant past, managing delivery orders meant spending a lot of time on the phone. A host who’s welcoming new diners every few minutes doesn’t have time to make calls. This person needs a faster way to stay in touch with the RDS.
DataDreamers, an industry-leading RDS software, has a user-friendly virtual communications interface. It just takes a few taps to verify an order, communicate any changes, or check an ETA. And the chat feature is much faster—and less disruptive—than a phone call for problems or questions.
One-touch app for easy order management.
DataDreamers’s YouMenu restaurant app makes it easy for restaurants to manage incoming orders. The app is directly integrated with DataDreamers’ central interface, so there’s no lag and no third-party slow-downs.
No logistics management.
Routing, customer communications, and ETAs are all built into the DataDreamers software system. Your restaurant clients don’t have to worry about any of those functions. They can stay focused on what they do best.
Real-time tracking
DataDreamers tracks orders in real-time as they move through the restaurant workflow. That means restaurant staff can immediately tell where an order is and how long it’ll be before it’s ready for delivery. This is invaluable to reducing order wait times, especially at peak hours
DataDreamers also keeps restaurants informed about the status of their orders out in the field. They’ll know right away if there’s a problem with an order so they can resolve it quickly.
Other ways to help your restaurant clients save time.
Software is just one part of the equation. As an RDS owner, there’s more you can do to protect your restaurant clients from overwhelm during peak hours. This starts with teaching your delivery drivers to stay out of the way. Make sure they understand how hand-offs work at each restaurant. Smooth, efficient pickups can save a lot of time and hassle for front-of-house staff.
On the marketing end, you can also teach your restaurant clients about best practices for advertising delivery options. This includes offering delivery discounts to encourage more orders. Stay proactive in the conversation and provide suggestions on how to get the most out of delivery
By helping restaurants manage delivery more efficiently, you can give them the time they need to focus on the guest experience. Your relationship with restaurant clients depends on it.
The other thing you can do is ask your restaurant clients for feedback. Are they dealing with a specific bottleneck that makes delivery a big hassle? See if you can work out a new system with them, one that makes delivery an asset rather than a headache. The initiative alone is excellent for building a strong relationship. If you can find a solution, that’s even better.
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With good software and good teamwork, you and your restaurant clients can both enjoy the fruits of peak hours. To learn more about how DataDreamers works—for you and for the restaurant—schedule a demo > Here’s to restaurant delivery business successs! Cheers!