The term “take away” is not new. It has been in use for years, although it seems to have now become fashionable again. The take away service refers mainly to food offered by catering establishments to be consumed outside of their premises. Should the large chain for which I work have take away restaurants? And if this service has already been implemented, how can it be improved? We answer all these questions below.
Take away service: What does this bring to the big brands?
Medium and large brands with take away restaurants are increasing their food services, regardless of the size of the premises or the number of tables available. The result? An improvement in the service they offer: they are able to attract more customers and respond to new consumer needs.
Nowadays it is increasingly common to order take away food. According to the III Yearbook of Branded Foodservice prepared by Brands in Foodservice, The NPD Group and KPMG, in 2021, delivery will account for 22% of business in the hospitality industry.
In addition, large and medium-sized restaurant chains can market their take away service through their own platforms, which can become a powerful marketing tool to attract new customers.
How to improve the service?
There is no doubt that in order to keep customers, you have to constantly improve. In the hospitality industry there is a lot of competition, so it is not surprising that medium and large brands want to be one step ahead and continuously improve.
What needs to be done to offer the best take away service? The first thing to take into account is the characteristics of the service. Take away food orders can arrive at any time. So one way to be more efficient is to have all the necessary customer data. With that information in hand, it will be much easier to know their tastes, preferences, and even send them personalized offers.
The use of tools to improve take away service is essential. Specialized software will help determine possible production peaks based on variables such as the location of the business, the habits of the target public and other factors.
The big brands have found that having their own channel allows them to have more control over the service and a more targeted growth of the company. It is a way to optimize the entire operation. On the one hand, they acquire complete knowledge of the chain’s customers and, in addition, they can interact with them. It is an opportunity to integrate the entire operation within the marketing plan they have drawn up. By having consumer data available, it is possible to prepare specific offers for consumers, improve brand image and build customer loyalty.
The quality of the take away service is key to keeping the typical customer wanting to eat at home. Waiting times cannot be too long, otherwise the customer will opt for a competing chain that will serve them quickly. With a proprietary channel, delivery times can be verified and any incidents that may arise can be managed directly in order to improve.
In addition, when the take away service is complemented by delivery, it is possible to choose the most beneficial option for the chain: either to use third-party delivery applications or to use its own delivery systems. More than 20 third-party systems can be integrated into WinDelivery’s own channel. There is no reason to do without them, so you can offer a better service to your customers. Success is guaranteed.
