The food delivery market is facing unprecedented growth. Emerging technologies and the COVID-19 pandemic have accelerated the digital transformation. Restaurants and consumers are progressively “going digital”, increasing online food delivery’ revenue to an annual growth rate of 14% in 2021.
With such numbers, it’s easier to understand why so many restaurants have used at least one food delivery app such as Uber Eats, DoorDash or SkipTheDishes. However, restaurant owners are now facing new logistical challenges that are associated with these online ordering platforms.
So if you’re having trouble managing your food delivery apps, there are a few strategies you can use to keep up with your online customers’ orders.
In this article, we will list the most common challenges and how to fix them.
Problem #1: Paying a third-party app to connect your POS to food delivery apps
As more restaurant technology solutions have emerged, restaurants have more options to streamline their operations, by bridging the gap between their POS Systems and their food delivery app orders.
However, these third-party solutions often come at a cost. Adding the commission fees from delivery apps and you’re now left with a hefty bill.
The solution: Choose a POS System that offers direct integration to food delivery platforms.
MYR POS directly integrates with food delivery platforms – making it easy to manage all your online orders from one single platform.
Problem #2: Managing too many tablets at once
When a restaurant joins a food delivery app, it usually receives a welcome kit (tablet) that includes everything the restaurant needs to start managing online orders. When a customer places an order, the restaurant receives an audible notification (beep) on the tablet. Each order has to manually get “confirmed” as well as selecting the prep time for the order. Now imagine having to deal with 5 tablets at the same time?
On top of these efforts, online orders coming from different channels must be sent to the kitchen staff for preparation.
The solution to managing multiple food delivery tablets: MYR POS offers direct integration to all major food delivery apps, so you don’t need to manually accept each order on each tablet. All your online orders are sent automatically to the main POS and to the kitchen screens – saving you time, money and extra labour.
Problem #3: Updating multiple menus
If your restaurant is set up for both dine-in and delivery/take-out, your restaurant menu will likely be different from one platform to another.
With different platforms such as POS software, online ordering app and food delivery apps, update your menus can be a daunting task.
The solution: Save time and money with seamless integration. With MYR POS, you can manage all your menus from one single platform, whether it be for one or multiple locations.
Problem #4: Your restaurant is not showing on the app
Online food delivery apps can provide a significant benefit to your business, however, these apps often rely on a certain algorithm to recommend your restaurant to customers.
To optimize your restaurant ranking in food delivery apps, here are some ideas:
- Reduce food prep time
- Offer special offers on popular items
- Take good-looking pictures
- Use proper delivery packaging for the type of meal (soup, fries, drinks etc.)
Using these strategies will not only improve your ranking and online reviews but will provide your customers with a better experience.
If delivery apps are not an option for your restaurant, you can always invest in an online ordering system to reach more customers and help you save money in the long run.
Problem #5: Improper communication flow between restaurant staff and delivery drivers
Apart from not ranking higher in food delivery apps, communication is one of the key elements to your restaurant’s success.
A lack of communication between a cashier and a kitchen staff can have a negative impact on the customer experience.
The solution: Invest in a Kitchen Display System to display orders that have been processed in the POS System.
Benefits of a Kitchen Display System:
- Improve efficiency in the kitchen
- Environmental-friendly
- Reduce order mistakes
- Streamline orders across ordering platforms
- Provide better customer satisfaction
Final words
The quick-service restaurant industry is challenging and restaurant owners must adapt and innovate in order to not just survive, but thrive.
To manage online orders, consider an intuitive, POS system and online ordering platform that works for single, multi-location and franchise restaurants. With MYR, you can manage everything from one single platform. No third-party and no commission fees.
If you’re looking for a place to start, contact our team at sales@myr.io today.
