Several years ago, a trade magazine in the restaurant industry released a survey on the top five complaints from takeout customers. Included, were leaky containers.  It’s a big problem and one that may cost you customers.

Another undercurrent in the industry also pertains to takeout customers and takeout containers.  As pointed out in a recent article from BeyondthePlate.com, more and more takeout customers are looking for restaurants that offer environmentally friendly containers.  “These products contain renewable resources, and are also compostable, biodegradable, petroleum free and nontoxic,” said the article.

Taking it one step further, The Pho Bar in Berkeley, CA, uses reusable stainless steel containers called tiffins.  NetWaiter worked with The Pho Bar to not only facilitate online ordering, but to develop a system to keep track of their tiffins.

If the environmental efforts at your restaurant center around reusable containers, or containers made from biodegradable or renewable resource, it’s an important point to advertise, especially on your website and via social media.  Survey after survey shows that restaurants making a commitment to a greener earth get ‘points’ with customers.

It’s not too late to set your sights on the New Year.  It’s also the perfect opportunity to implement online ordering, or, if you’re already using it, evaluate and refine things for 2013.

Here are some considerations:

Developing a Takeout Strategy - Takeout customers are different than other customers.  They look for and expect different things.  Check out our July newsletter article for some information and tips to accommodate this segment.

Mobile Ordering is the New Frontier - According to Restaurant Hospitality, up to 30% of your website traffic comes from mobile devices.  That number will only climb, yet industry reports say that less than 5% of restaurants have a mobile-friendly site.  Check out NetWaiter's advice for being mobile friendly.

Don’t Violate Common Takeout Sins - Online ordering is a great tool for customer convenience and control, but that doesn’t mean your restaurant isn’t screwing up somewhere else in the process.  Do you violate any of the common problems associated with takeout?  Check out this blog post about the most common pet peeves of takeout customers.

With 25% of our business take-out, we believe NetWaiter is an essential part of our business model.  With phone orders, it's easy to make mistakes, but with NetWaiter, we know the orders are correct and always in the system.  On-time and mistake free orders make for very happy repeat customers.  The Management Console is also a great tool as it's easy to navigate and edit.  It also offers us a look at what many of our satisfied customers have ordered by showing the Most Popular Items displayed front and center.

John Himelstein

Gingergrass

After researching several options, including building our own online ordering system, we found that NetWaiter was the most economical and proven system on the market. Our online orders continue to grow and we couldn't be more pleased. The ease of functionality and ability to make changes on the fly is superior.

Casie Caldwell

Greenz, salads for Z’adventurous

NetWaiter has completely changed the way we do business.  We’ve been able to maximize our productivity and streamline our operations.  The low risk implementation and cost was exactly what our small business needed.  The Management Console is super easy and exciting; the power to update your menu offerings instantly and manipulate your site at your whim is beyond convenient - it’s genius!  We offer such a custom menu, I never could imagine that an online ordering system could not only meet our needs, but do it in such a short time.  Our representative was not only knowledgeable, but patient, and worked with us to get everything right and actually understood our needs.  Bottom line… our concept, with NetWaiter’s innovation, equals more profit.

Jasmine Ali

Lovable Foods

We are very pleased to have online ordering with NetWaiter at The Sub and Pizza.  Our online orders have seen an increase of over 30%, versus phone orders and in-person orders.  NetWaiter should be called “the silent salesperson who up sells”.

At the beginning, I was very scared of the new Order Online concept.  I did not know what to expect, although I knew it was going to be beneficial to our business. But NetWaiter took me by the hand, taught me everything I should know, and how to take advantage of the new system.  I never felt I was left behind in the advances of technology.  It was a very smooth and easy transition.  In other words - I should have had NetWaiter Online Ordering years ago.

Thank you again for your guidance and for having a lot of patience.  By the way, my wife is very pleased with the results coming from NetWaiter’s online ordering system.  She, being happy, is one less thing that I have to worry about.

Warm regards,

Jose Davila

The Sub and Pizza

It's been a little over a year since we started with NetWaiter at The Jackson Underground Cafe, and I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know how thrilled we are with your product and service.  As you well know, I spent about 2 months researching, and talking to, numerous companies that offer online ordering.  I can tell you unequivocally that I made the best choice when I chose NetWaiter.  Below are some of my findings over the last year: 

First and foremost, our customers LOVE using NetWaiter!  They can order online quickly and safely with only a few mouse clicks.  They don't have to stand in line or stay on hold waiting to place an order.

Due to the efficiencies we gained from having NetWaiter, we were able to delay the hiring of additional front end staff by at least 6 months.

We have improved our customer experience and repeat orders tremendously.

We have NEVER had a system problem that was not our fault.  No glitches, no anything.  NetWaiter has performed flawlessly.

NetWaiter is smart to use a "No Contract" offer because after a restaurant uses the service for a short period of time, they would never want to stop.

Here are my mistakes that I wish I could go back and fix:

I should have begun using NetWaiter immediately upon opening my restaurant.  I was a bit intimidated and unsure of the system and therefore, I approached implementation rather sheepishly.  If I could go back and do it again, I would jump in head first and immediately begin promoting the service heavily.

If I could tell your prospective clients one thing, it would be don't over think this decision and start using NetWaiter YESTERDAY!  I don’t want any of my competitors using NetWaiter – yeah, it's THAT good!

Best Regards,

Steve Osterholz
The Jackson Underground Cafe

A recent article from RunningRestaurants.com cited some interesting facts:

Fact #1 - Most restaurant owners spend 90% of their marketing dollars in an effort to drive new traffic.

Fact #2 – Business from new customers typically represents only about 10% of a restaurant’s growth opportunity.

Essentially, the majority of growth potential for your restaurant lies with your existing customers. NetWaiter can help you cultivate those customers to become better customers.

A normal “phone-in” customer is impossible to track.  NetWaiter customers, however, are tracked and their information is accessible in your NetWaiter Management Console.  With that information, you can pursue several tactics to enhance your existing business.  Here are just two very quick tips -

1.    Launch an Email Campaign – Let customers know about special offers, upcoming events, and promotions.
TIP: Email customers who have not ordered in a while. Let them know about your newest dish or treat them to a complimentary dessert with their next order.

2.    Examine your menu for items that complement each other.  Sam Walton discovered people who bought milk (a low-profit item) often bought bananas too (a high-profit item).  Sam’s solution: position bananas near the milk to help drive-up profits.  
TIP: Find a popular low-profit meal that customers often order (your “milk”) and offer a promotion on a high-profit item if they order it with the “milk” item.

The best part of these marketing efforts - they cost nothing but the time it takes to create them.  The information and tools are already available through your NetWaiter Management Console.

There are many local businesses and offices - accounting agencies, real estate companies, non-profit groups, law firms, etc. - that bring in catered meals on a regular basis.

Whether it’s a board meeting, an extended client session, or employee luncheon – it’s often desirable for them to have it catered in.

The receptionist or administrative assistant is often responsible for placing these types of orders.  Make sure these local businesses (and their office assistants) know your restaurant offers online ordering.  Once they experience the ease and convenience of ordering online, they will return again and again.

Andrea Snyder of Urban Cookhouse, with multiple locations in Alabama, says that online ordering results in larger orders, especially at the catering level.  "When these large orders come in via telephone, customers often try to negotiate, which cuts into our profit margin.  Catering orders coming in online, however, obviously bypass that process.  The customers are happy to trade saving a few dollars for the convenience NetWaiter provides them."

Make sure your local businesses know your restaurant is the best bet (and most convenient) for their catering needs!

Don't overlook your wait staff as marketers.  The best way to spread the message of your online ordering system is through your employees.  Make sure they understand how it works and how convenient it is for customers.

Don’t forget to double check orders.  Online customers are your best customers - make sure their order is accurate.  With all of the information printed, there’s no excuse for overlooking the request for extra dressing.

Don’t forget to tell phone callers they can order online.  Some restaurants go so far to include messages about their NetWaiter site for customers that are on hold.

Don’t forget to post your QR Code.  All Smartphone users should be offered the ability to scan your QR code to link them directly to your mobile ordering site.

Don’t make your customers click around to start their order.  Place your “Order Online” button on your homepage, with one click access, so it’s visible at the top of your site, without the need to scroll.

If you don't have online ordering from NetWaiter, don't go another day without it.  You’re missing out on valuable sales.  Takeout customers look for convenience.  If you’re not offering it, customers are going elsewhere.