Delivery isn’t new to the restaurant space. While the first adopters of the concept didn’t exactly have a sophisticated delivery management solution in place, the act of transporting ready-to-eat meals to others has been around for centuries. In fact, at its core food delivery can be traced back to ancient Rome, albeit in a very rudimentary form. The concept as we know it in western culture today gained popularity after World War II. Pizza and Chinese food—two cuisines often viewed as synonymous with takeout options—were both early offerings for takeout and delivery in the U.S. Of course the concept has caught on with other foods,. Today, the most successful options remain those that travel well in a car and delivery container.
Delivery Adoption Accelerates in 2020
Fast forward to 2020 and the rapid outbreak of coronavirus. Suddenly restaurants of all varieties, including fine dining establishments, are looking at options for off-premise service. In consumer behavioral data provided by Yelp, takeout and delivery searches were up 148% since early March. For many businesses delivery has shifted firmly from a “nice to have” option to a necessity. Unlike its origins in Rome and the 20th century, delivery management comes with higher customer expectations in order to truly be effective. In this blog post we’ll take a closer look at the latest tools to help you optimize your delivery operations. Read on to see what you can now offer at your restaurant.
Key Features for a Delivery Management Solution
Especially when on-premise dining isn’t an option, the delivery experience is your business’s opportunity to inspire repeat customers. You’ll want a delivery management solution that is simple, intuitive, and generally pleasant to use. It’s also one of your only options for a branding touchpoint. Generally, you’ll want to consider features that ensure smooth delivery order flow. This includes everything from order placement, to kitchen prep, to final delivery. Look for a platform that allows constant contact with your customers. Communicating with customers in every stage of the ordering process will help you manage their expectations, and quite literally, deliver on them. Another factor to consider is a delivery platform that integrates directly with your point of sale (POS). This will support operational efficiency. And, with all the data aggregating in a central place, it’ll offer you clear insights on your business performance and areas you may want to adjust.
A Closer Look at Delivery XT
Delivery XT is the latest delivery management solution from Revel. It offers a custom, fully-branded user experience. Especially if your customers’ experience is completely off-premise, you’ll want to take advantage of every opportunity to showcase your brand digitally, from tailored visuals to compelling brand messaging. This is your opportunity to bring customer experience directly to each diner’s home. In addition to a branded delivery experience from start to finish, here’s how Delivery XT can help drive the following business objectives for your restaurant:
Speed of Service
With Delivery XT you’ll enjoy the benefits of direct integration with your point of sale and kitchen display system (KDS). This means kitchen staff can work on orders as soon as they are placed. Reduce lag time between order placement and kitchen firing. This will save you time and money on every order.
Customer Satisfaction
Communication is key for customer satisfaction on delivery orders. With Delivery XT, you’ll stay in direct contact with your customers during every step of the process. Features like estimated delivery time, SMS text updates for order status, and real-time driver tracking ensure your customers are never in the dark about their order.
Order Accuracy
Nothing kills the mood—or your profits and online reviews—quite like an inaccurate order. Because Delivery XT integrates seamlessly with your KDS, you’ll be able to immediately capture order modifications or see if the customer changes their preferred dining type (for example, switching from delivery to pick-up). You’ll also have each customer’s contact information. If they’ve requested an item or modification that isn’t available, you can manage their expectations and adjust the order accordingly.
Resource Efficiency
Not only does Delivery XT offer order grouping, it also optimizes route mapping for each order. This ensures your drivers get from your restaurant to each diner as quickly and efficiently as possible. Maximize each driver’s time and wow your customers with lightning-fast service to lock in repeat diners and rake in profits on each order.
Case in Point
As restaurants have started testing the waters with reopening their businesses following the coronavirus pandemic (though often in limited capacities), trends are emerging indicating how off-premise service will fare with the reintroduction of dine-in options. According to an article by Restaurant Business, chain operators say they’ve been surprised by how lightly their takeout and delivery business has been affected by the restart of on-premise service.Revel’s product team wanted to address this development in delivery as a growing necessity for businesses. In fact, the company adjusted its 2020 product roadmap in March to include an accelerated focus on delivery when the pandemic and its lasting impact really crystallized. “We want to help restaurants create a native branded experience that creates loyalty through the look and feel of the platform or reward systems that are very easy for customers to use,” says Mark Harris, director of product management at Revel and former café manager. “We also want to complement a white label online ordering solution with seamless delivery management. Delivery is a logistical service facilitated through our software that helps operators manage orders from both owned platforms and third-party aggregators.”Delivery XT is that very solution, designed to fit seamlessly into broader restaurant operations all connected through a central POS. Already showing signs that it is a lasting demand rather than a short-term trend, delivery will continue to add valuable profits to restaurants who execute it well.
Elevate Your Delivery Management
Connect with a Revel sales representative to learn more about how Delivery XT can contribute to the return on investment for your restaurant. Unlike its legacy predecessors, Delivery XT is truly a next level solution, offering all the latest features in user experience, automation, and communication touchpoints. Request a free demo today.
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