New Features Make It Easier for You and Your Customers

Posted by Tim on January 23, 2015
New features have come to NetWaiter, aimed at making the workflow in your restaurant smoother, and enhancing the customer experience.

New Order Dashboard - Any manager or employee at your restaurant can now see orders as they arrive on any device.  The new Order Dashboard is compatible with all computers, tablets, and smartphones.  New orders flash on the screen until the information has been viewed.  An audible chime can also be played to alert the staff.  Simply click to view the order details and print it to an attached printer, if desired.  Access to the new Order Dashboard is possible from the Dashboard section of the NetWaiter Management Console.

New Quick-Print Application - NetWaiter recently released an upgrade to the Quick-Print App that provides restaurants instantaneous order printouts.  Included in those enhancements is the ability to use one Quick-Print App for more than one account.  For instance, if your restaurant has a catering business in addition to your regular takeout/delivery menu, orders from both sites can be sent to the same Quick-Print App.

Curbside Pickup Enhancements - Now it’s easier for a customer to enter their car information during the ordering process (assuming you offer Curbside Pickup).

New Promotion Code Options - Additional types of promotions are now available from the Promotions section of the Management Console.

Improving Curbside Takeout

Posted by Tim on April 24, 2014
Ask a takeout customer why they prefer ordering online vs. calling on the phone and you’ll almost assuredly be told it’s all about the convenience.  The same is said about ‘Curbside Takeout’ – aka the ability to order and have it brought to your car upon arrival. With that in mind, here are a few tips to make sure your Curbside Takeout program is as effective as possible.

Dedicated Parking – If possible, identify parking spots specifically for takeout customers to use upon arrival.  This helps provide convenience for customers and staff when delivering orders to cars.  Video surveillance and asking for the type of vehicle a customer is driving can further provide convenience.  In addition, those marked spots inherently promote your convenient takeout operation to other customers.

Dedicated Personnel for Takeout - It’s a fact: Once you institute online ordering, your takeout business will grow.  At some point, consider a dedicated person for processing takeout orders.  Don’t worry; you may not need to hire a new 
employee.  Instead, start by identifying a ‘point person’ on your staff to handle all ‘outbound orders’.  

Having a specific person manage curbside orders will help guarantee they are handled fast and accurately.  Some restaurants even have a separate production line in the kitchen for takeout orders during peak periods, which helps to 
further maintain quality.

Make Sure All Items are Takeout-able - Restaurant customers want the taste and look of takeout to match the in-restaurant experience.  If you have menu items that can easily lose their “look” or flavor when offered for takeout or delivery, consider not offering it in that format.

Eco-Friendly Packaging - Customers are more conscious of the environment, even in the restaurants they always patronize. Source packaging that is eco-friendly, biodegradable, and/or made from recycled ingredients. 

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All posts tagged 'On-hold Messages'

Is Your Restaurant Online Ordering Skyrocketing or Slumping?

Posted by Tim on September 19, 2014
NetWaiter is often asked, “How can my restaurant’s online ordering sales skyrocket immediately?

First and foremost, every restaurant is different.  We know - that line is never fun to hear, but it’s true.  If people don’t like your restaurant’s food, they aren’t going to like it any better because of the way they ordered it.  Thankfully, restaurant owners using NetWaiter are smart, sell great food, and their customers love ordering online.

There are many traits that successful restaurants have in common.  After speaking with a lot of owners and managers, we’ve compiled a list of the most important factors needed to launch your online ordering sales into orbit and some tips to assist:

Embrace Online Ordering and “Take Ownership” of It. Get everyone at your restaurant to embrace one of the most powerful sales tools you have.  “Take ownership” of your online business.  Few parts in any business are autonomous and require little to no strategy or thought.  Give it some attention and thought and it will reward you significantly.

Get The Word Out.  Like anything, people need to know you offer something if you expect them to take advantage of it.  
-    STEP 1: Make sure you have at least one ‘Order Online’ button on your homepage.  DO NOT make people search or scroll to find your online ordering menu.  You should also have links to place orders on other pages of your website for easy access.
-    STEP 2: DO NOT link your ‘Order Online’ buttons to another page, forcing customers to, yet again, click another button.  Send customers directly to your online ordering menu.  They love online ordering because it’s convenient.  Forcing them to click around your site or search for your online ordering menu will only irritate them.
-    STEP 3: Get employees to help spread the word to all of your customers.  

Simple Advertising.  Some of the following tactics are very simple to implement and will help you advertise your online takeout and delivery business.  
-    1) Attach ‘flyers’ to all phone-in orders that mention your website and online ordering.  (TIP: Order some inexpensive or free business cards from a place like vistaprint.com).  This is also a great tactic if you are trying to convert expensive portal customers to order directly from you.  A small promotional discount for ordering directly from you will go a long way.
-    2) Display signage inside your restaurant.  The next time a customer is in the mood for takeout, they’ll visit you online first.  
-    3) Mention your online ordering system and website address to all phone-in customers.  The truth is – they don’t want to be calling you anyway.  They would rather place their order online and you do too – average order sizes are much larger online.
-    4) If someone calls your restaurant during a rush, there is a good chance you’ll put them on hold. Make sure your on-hold message mentions your website and the ability for them to order online.   

Your goal is to have skyrocketing online sales, but don’t get discouraged by a slow start.  With additional NetWaiter features, like our Facebook integration, email marketing, and promotional system, you’ll be able to kick things into high gear.  It’s all about building momentum.  The nice thing about it – once you have it, it’s hard to slow down.

Convert a Busy Signal to Advertising

Posted by Tim on March 20, 2012

PhoneIn a recent conversation with the manager of a specialty hamburger restaurant in Seattle, we heard a new and interesting idea.

The restaurant manager told us they use the restaurant's answering machine to help spread the news about their online ordering system.  Takeout customers at this restaurant typically include employees from nearby offices, such as Adobe, Google, Getty Images, and many smaller software companies.

"At lunch, especially during the weekdays, we are inundated," he says.  "It's quite common for a caller to be put on hold or get sent to the message machine.  But while the customer is waiting, they listen to a description of how easy it is to access us on the internet, place their order, and pay for it.  We often get six and seven people coming in from a nearby company and they have all ordered and paid for their lunch online.  They walk in, pick-up their bags, and they're gone."

There are a number of restaurants that advertise their online ordering capabilities through in-store signage, messages on receipts, Facebook, Twitter, email, and others.  Capturing the attention of a would-be takeout customer while on hold is perfect.  We've also heard of some restaurants getting even more innovative, putting their NetWaiter QR code on employee T-shirts, or printing their URL or QR code on their tablecloths for dine-in customers to easily view.

Do you have a unique way of promoting your online ordering site?  Email us and let us know.  We'd love to hear about it! 

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