[PART 2] Positive customer experiences: The ordering phase at restaurants

Positive customer experiences as a driver for better results

[PART 1] Positive customer experiences: The phase before ordering food

[PART 2] Positive customer experiences: The ordering phase at restaurants

[PART 3] Positive customer experiences: The phase after ordering food

 

This blog discusses the importance of the order phase at (delivery) restaurants, the focal point of the Customer Journey. First the loyalty loop is explained by means of an illustration before it is supported by concrete examples of loyalty programs. We also discuss how user-friendliness, cross selling and upselling can contribute to a better customer experience.

The loyalty loop

When a customer of your restaurant has experienced all phases as positive, he/she will not go through the whole process again the next time this customer wants to order food (the blue circle in the illustration). In particular, the search for, and consideration of options is influenced by the previous times the customer went through the Customer Journey. In other words, if a customer easily found a certain pizzeria, experienced the ordering process as pleasant and was satisfied with the quality of the pizza (delivered on time), chances are that this customer will not even consider other pizzerias next time. After a positive customer experience, your customer might end up in the loyalty loop (the green circle in the illustration), and commit to your restaurant instead of considering multiple options each time they want to place an order (Jansen, 2020).

 

The consumer decision journey (McKinsey & Co)

 

Loyalty programs for restaurants

As soon as a customer has chosen your restaurant and enters the ordering phase, you guide him/her through the entire ordering process. Ease of use should once again be paramount. Offering pre-order options and various payment options can contribute to the customer experience. It is also possible to offer companies the option of paying on account. This offers opportunities to build a relationship of trust with your customers. One way to bind customers is by using loyalty programs. Below are a few examples:

  1. Customer accounts: When customers create a personal account through your website, they do not have to enter all their details every time they place an order. In many cases this ensures that they build up a preference to order at your restaurant due to the increased ease of use.
  2. Savings systems: A customer can save discount when making multiple orders with such a system. The next time a customer orders food online, he/she will be more inclined to return to your restaurant to be able to cash in on the accrued discount.
  3. Discounts & coupon codes: Offering discounts and/or coupon codes to customers may encourage them to order at your restaurant again in the future. Please note: Too many discount(s) can cause customers to doubt the quality of your products.

 

User friendliness

When you have managed to attract a customer’s attention during the ordering phase, the user-friendliness of the website is an important pillar for the customer’s experience. That is why it is important that your website works well on both smartphones and tablets. Therefore, investing in a user-friendly and responsive website will pay off. If you are interested in what CashDesk can do for you in this area, please take a look here.

 

Cross selling and upselling

Finally, the order phase also offers options for cross selling and upselling. Cross selling and upselling means offering extra or better products during the ordering process. For example, when the customer is in his/her shopping basket, you can offer him/her a drink, a dessert or something else. Imagine, you just walked out of the supermarket and realize that you forgot that one essential product from your list… By offering the right products at the right time in the ordering process, you ensure that the customer does not miss out on anything! This way, cross selling and/or upselling can also contribute to the customer experience.

 

In the next and last blog we will discuss the phase after ordering food. In this phase, the importance of a tracking system, customer service and packaging will be highlighted. Do you want to go back to the introduction? Click here.

Are you interested in CashDesk website or the order app? Click here for more information.

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