Restaurants worldwide are looking for new ways to get customers in the door. One way of doing this is with taking online orders and offering food delivery services. As the lives of consumers become busier and more complicated, these services are paramount to the success of both local eateries and restaurant chains.
Because it is a direct channel, a restaurant ordering platform system is very close to doing it inhouse. Consultants from the online ordering system will work with you to white label the platform so that its look and concept works seamlessly with your corporate site and brand. When customers click the button to place an order, they will be connected directly to your system and not a third-party. This means you’ll own all of the customer data that is collected and can market directly to those customers in the future.
Door-to-door restaurant delivery systems like Grubhub or UberEats make it convenient for diners to get their meals brought to them at their home or office. For this reason, they have gained lots of popularity with both consumers and restaurant owners. These services have contractual agreements with numerous restaurants, and therefore, are not loyal to any brand.
When a third-party delivery service takes an order, they, not you, are in control of the data that they collect. That said, in the future, they can solicit that customer for other diners, cafes or restaurants. This decision is often made based upon how much money they will make from the transaction.
A restaurant ordering platform system is a direct channel. Because it is yours, you will have to market and attract customers to it. Third-party delivery services, on the other hand, already have a client base that they can send to you. Along with bringing you customers that you normally would not reach, they also provide delivery. This can be a real draw for restaurant owners. Don’t fret though, there are a number of ways that you can have your direct channel and also provide the convenience of delivery to your customers. Therefore, this should be a moot point when making your decision.
When considering the cost of processing each order, the direct channel will always win out. It has a minimal cost per transaction with no commissions paid out. With third-party delivery services, you’ll be charged a commission fee of anywhere from 15% to 35% each time an order is placed. Considering the typical restaurant profit margins, this is a considerable amount. So is it really worth it?
Although third-party delivery services make great promises, it will cost you in the long run. Investing in a restaurant ordering platform system will give your customers an online ordering option while still allowing you to keep control.