As a restaurant owner, you’ve put a lot of work into providing diners with an excellent customer experience when they dine at your establishment. So it’s only natural for you to maintain these high customer service standards when it comes to delivery.

By avoiding common diner pet peeves, such as the ones listed below, you can turn delivery into a revenue driver for your restaurant.

Food that has spilled or leaked

Problem: When diners eat at your restaurant, they expect a clean, visually-appealing presentation, and this expectation carries over to delivery. A top delivery pet peeve is when food arrives spilled or leaks through packaging.

Solution: Invest in strong delivery containers. Make sure your kitchen and front-of-house staff knows how to pack and secure food orders that are sent out for delivery so they arrive in perfect condition – spills and leaks not included.

Food that’s not so hot  

Problem: Nothing sounds better to diners than a hot meal delivered directly to their door. But by the time a dish is prepared, packed and delivered, you run the risk of it cooling down significantly.

Solution: Pack hot dishes that tend to cool faster in tight, insulated boxes, and seal them with insulated delivery bags. You can also pack these items right before drivers head out the door so they stay warm on the way to your customers. If there are menu items that can’t withstand the journey, consider nixing them from your delivery menu altogether and saving them for dine-in orders.

Orders that are incorrect or missing items  

Problem: Diners are excited to dig into meals exactly as they’ve ordered them and tend to get frustrated when inaccurate orders are delivered. This can include anything from a missing item to forgetting to include sauce on the side.

Solution: Consider using an online ordering platform. Instead of taking orders by phone (which is more likely to result in order inaccuracies), customers can use an electronic order form, creating and customizing orders to satisfy their cravings.

Orders that arrive long past the estimated delivery time

Problem: Whether they’re sitting in your restaurant or waiting for a delivery order, diners prefer not to be kept waiting – especially if they’ve been promised they’ll receive an order by a specific time.

Solution: Prepare and prioritize orders to go out according to designated delivery windows. Once orders are packaged and ready to go – without any missing items – promptly send them out with drivers. If for any reason an order is delayed – such as due to weather or traffic issues – be honest with your customers and keep them updated along the way.

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