These days, online ordering is a lifeline for restaurants, and it’s hard to deny the benefits of using an in-house online ordering system. However, even before COVID-19 struck, guests were already moving in droves toward online ordering. Therefore, many companies are now developing an order management system for restaurant businesses.
Life in a digital world has made people accustomed to the convenience of getting whatever they want or need with just a few clicks of a button. However, customers now expect their favorite restaurant to offer online ordering. Has your business implemented an online order management system? Therefore, An online ordering solution can be used to take orders, but it can also be used to order food in person to make the ordering process more efficient. If your in-store point of sale/POS system is slow and inefficient, and online ordering platform is a great alternative.
Today’s diners, especially millennial, prefer using technology to access restaurant services. With their fast-paced lives, they spend the highest share of their budgets on food deliveries. Therefore, it is hardly a surprise that restaurant owners need to have a strong online presence. In these modern days, using an OMS can easily improve the order management experience for customers.
Why Do You Need an Order Management System for Restaurant
With online ordering software, you can put in place a system that will allow your restaurant to take orders and accept payments from a distance – both online and in-person.
With this system, customers simply access a menu through mobile ordering. This can either be done by scanning a QR code or entering a link into the search bar.
Once your customer makes their selection, they submit their order and pay all in one go. Once the order is received on the restaurant’s end, all that’s left is for the order to be taken to the customer’s table or packaged ready for delivery.
Benefits of a Functional OMS
Offering online ordering on your website or app brings several benefits for both restaurants and customers. At heart, an OMS makes life easier for both the restaurant and the customer. The best order management system lets you capture orders, route them to the right location, and much more. In order to pick up the right OMS, assess your current business and expectations of future business growth. Let’s look at a few of the advantages of adding an online ordering system for your restaurant
An improved Customer Experience
When the ordering process is easy, it increases the likelihood that the customer will complete their order. People want fast, immediate service — which is why the user experience is critical when someone is ready to make a purchase. Customers appreciate not having to sit in their car or the restaurant to wait for their food. Order management experience is very important when you are using an OMS for your restaurant business.
Streamlined Restaurant Operations
Online ordering can streamline your systems in the kitchen. When customers send their orders online, it decreases the amount of time staff members need to spend on the phone. Instead, the team can complete the steps — such as cooking the food, packaging it, and delivering it — necessary to ensure that every meal is ready for your customers on time.
More Customer Control Over Orders
When you’re busy during the dinner rush, it’s easy for small order details to slip through the cracks. Your staff doesn’t have a lot of time to spend on phone calls, often resulting in rushed conversations and missed information. One of the benefits of online ordering for restaurants is that customers manage their orders, which gives them the ability to order exactly what they want — and that includes giving special instructions.
Easier To Place Large Orders
The likelihood of miscommunication increases when a customer places a large order over the phone. When someone needs a large or complex food order, they will go with the easiest option. Often, people want to avoid ordering over the phone because sharing the full order verbally can be tedious. Online ordering is a simple solution for large orders, helping to decrease the possibility of miscommunication and increase customer satisfaction.
Final Thoughts
To encourage guests who find you through an aggregator to order from your site next time, add a promotion to your print receipts or menus offering a 10% discount on their next online order through your online system. This will save both you and your customer money on future orders. It’s a win-win scenario, and you can still work with third-party websites to get your name out to new customers. So now you know it is beneficial and essential to have an order management system for restaurant businesses.
.
