As a businessperson, it’s your responsibility to take appropriate steps to cope with changes in the market. And let’s face it, the last few years have been challenging, especially for food-related entities. As a result, most owners, for instance, have had to consider alternative approaches to meet their customer’s needs. And while it’s not a new concept, contact-free delivery has become a popular option for many food businesses, including The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill.
Contact-free delivery is a service that doesn’t require you as a customer to be present when your food is delivered. Instead, the delivery person drops off what you ordered at a designated location, such as your front door. They may ring your doorbell and stand at a distance as they wait for you to pick up your package- although variations of this approach exist.
Such an option can be ideal for self-isolating or socially distancing customers, as it minimizes contact between people. It may also be a feasible ideal if you’re busy and don’t have time to wait for your items.
Great Greek Mediterranean Grill offers contact-free delivery to customers who choose this option. All you need to do is place your order online or over the phone, and the firm will take care of the rest.
If you’re considering a contact-free delivery from your business (franchise or not), you need to understand the system’s inner workings. Before we discuss that, let’s examine the upsides of such an approach.
Benefits of Contact-free Food Delivery
In an increasingly digitized world, a contact-free food delivery system can be a convenient way to get the food you love without leaving home. Besides, the closure of physical restaurants has meant one thing: the resurgence of online food ordering. Contact-less delivery means you don’t have to interact with staff or other customers at a restaurant.
And even as normalcy resumes, this delivery service appears firmly entrenched in our communities- perhaps due to convenience or habit. Some of the other upsides of contact-free delivery include:
- Ability to handle changing customer expectations through digital contact.
- Spearheading business development as firms embrace up-to-date approaches to product delivery.
- Improving business-customer relationships by meeting needs and addressing your customers’ pain points.
What’s more, contact-free delivery minimizes the risk of germs and illness transmission, as there’s no direct contact between people. And when fewer customers are ailing, they get to order their favorites, which is good for business. Besides, minimal contact keeps employees healthy, implying increased productivity as they don’t miss work due to sickness.
How it Works
The contact-free system is like a wheel comprising several cogs. Each of the cogs must work seamlessly for the system to be efficient. If you’re in the restaurant business and plan to implement such an approach, it’s advisable to stick to guidelines such as:
1. Contactless Collection and Payment
Contactless collection allows delivery executives to pick up customers’ orders at a designated dispatch zone. As a result, they are not in physical contact with the restaurant’s employees. Such an approach also minimizes or eliminates face-to-face interactions along the delivery chain.
Also, you get to pay or transact online. In effect (by making payments), using an online payment portal means you won’t have to be in contact with the delivery personnel. Meanwhile, business owners should also choose easy-to-use apps to streamline the process. An app with a good interface should help:
- Drivers or riders find the delivery destination.
- Serve as a point of contact between the business, delivery executives, and customers.
- Users mark a delivery as complete and help delivery personnel get proof of the same.
2. Tracking
Customers want to know where their order is at all times. As such, the best contactless delivery systems provide customers with an estimated arrival time (ETA).
In turn, this may build trust between the customer and business by improving the overall experience. Real-time tracking also applies to delivery persons- a business should have a way of monitoring their progress as they make their way to the planned destination.
3. Proof of Delivery
Once the order arrives at the destination, businesses should have a way of getting proof of delivery. This may include a photo or digital signature from the customer- via an app on their mobile device.
Business owners should consider implementing such an approach to improve operations and meet customer needs. The beauty of contact-free delivery is that it helps reduce or remove human interaction while still getting the job done- delivering food where you need it.
After all, only the fit can survive in a dynamic world. The rest will, inevitably, fall by the wayside. Don’t merely focus on providing the tastiest treats. Instead, embrace change to better handle whatever life throws at your business. That way, you’ll be creating a win-win situation for your business and customers.
