Over the past few years, many restaurants have started offering delivery as a way to boost sales and to meet the demand for more convenient food options. However, there are still many restaurant operators who have held off and stayed firm to their dine-in culture. But once the pandemic hit, and social distancing has become a key part of preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, it’s forced their hand. If your restaurant, bar, or cafe has had to start delivering, we’re here to help. Here are a few things you can do to set yourself up for success.
Reduce The Size of Your Menu
The first step toward staying competitive is to improve efficiency and reduce costs. You can do this by reducing the size of your menu. Maintaining a full menu during this challenging time will only increase your food cost at a time when you need to save. Charlie Jeffers of Ordermark suggested asking yourself: What are the items that are easy to produce and get out the door quickly?
“What they need to do is trim down their menu, look at the items that are easy to procure and produce, so they can make a menu and put it up online and make easy items they can get out that are going to travel well,” Jeffers told the Spoon.
As you work on reducing your menu offerings, try to keep in mind which items travel well. Pizza, for example, travels well. Items like steaks and seafood will be more of a challenge. That doesn’t mean you’re in trouble if you own a steak and seafood restaurant, it just means that you’ll want to put your focus on fewer items so you can deliver the best experience.
Include New Offerings Where It Makes Sense
Although we just discussed reducing the number of items on your menu, you may want to consider adding a few items that tailor specifically to people that are bound to their homes. Because home quarantine includes entire families, it makes sense to offer complete meal options and larger family-style servings for those who have several mouths to feed.
A lack of dine-in customers also means a lack of alcohol sales which can put a big dent in your profits. Consider offering beer and wine options for those who still want to enjoy a drink or two with their meal but don’t want to (or can’t) make a trip to the liquor store.
Offer Meal Kits
During a time when families are looking for ways to stay occupied in their homes, offering meal kits can be a win-win for both your restaurant and your customers. You can choose a few of your most popular dishes, making sure to include one or two that are “kid-friendly”. For each meal kit that is ordered, provide all of the ingredients needed to make that dish and a list of simple instructions to go along with it. Not only will your customers be getting a delicious meal, it will provide a fun activity that the whole family can share in. For more information on this, and other ideas like it, check out this article from QSR magazine.
Do It Faster and Better
For restaurants and many other businesses, delivery is a must right now. This means you are now competing with many others who may have more experience with delivery, but you can still come out on top by doing it better and faster. Our delivery software allows you to automatically turn orders into delivery jobs, dispatch to drivers, and optimize routes. Not only will it help you conquer delivery, but it can also help you improve customer service and actually grow your business with options like real-time delivery tracking and the ability to communicate with your customers throughout each step of the process.
The world is changing, especially for those in the restaurant business — but that doesn’t mean you can’t still come out on top. Contact a member of our team to learn how GetSwift can help.
It was on February 11 that the World Health Organization announced the official name for the disease responsible for the current worldwide pandemic and they called it Covid-19. A little over a month later, just about every business is feeling the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak as more and more places are being closed to prevent its spread. So, what are business owners to do if they are subject to mandatory shutdowns or are experiencing a decline in foot traffic because the majority of the population is staying home to weather the storm? In today’s post, we’d like to explore some ways that you can help your business despite the current state of affairs. Here are a few things that you can do to make it through this challenging time in history.
Offer Home Delivery If You Don’t Already
One of the fundamentals of business is to be where your customers are, and since so many people are currently staying home, it only makes sense that you find a way to come to them if they can’t (or won’t) come to you. Many restaurants already take advantage of home delivery services like GrubHub or UberEats— but what if you’re not in the restaurant business?
Over the past decade, we’ve seen a major change in e-commerce with Amazon leading the way. Over time, home delivery has expanded to other sectors such as grocery stores, meal delivery, and even liquor stores. Although this sector has been growing, not everyone has been able to make the leap — but now is the time. If your business doesn’t currently offer home delivery, there’s no better time to start than the present.
Offer Curbside Delivery If Possible
Most people have heard about restaurants offering curbside delivery, but why can’t other stores offer this service as well? Even if your shop is closed to walk-ins, you could still offer curbside pickup for orders that are called in or placed online. The point is that you’re still able to get your goods to the consumers who want them, while still taking good safety measures.
Do More With What You Have
Even businesses that already offer home delivery or curbside pickup are feeling the effects of a slower economy. Although you may be doing the best that you can, there’s always room for improvement. Now is the time to optimize your business and find creative ways to do more with less. Chances are, your deliveries will increase. How will you manage if you can’t hire more drivers or people to manage dispatching? The best way to handle a boost in your deliveries is to find a way to become more efficient. Complete each delivery in less time by organizing multiple orders and optimizing routes. You can also automate dispatching to keep up with demand, allowing members of your team to focus on other important tasks. Finding ways to get better and more efficient at what you do is something that will not only help you now, but it will make your business that much stronger in the future.
Increase Communication With Your Customers
As millions of consumers are spending the majority of their time in their homes or away from others, it’s more important than ever to make sure that you’re still communicating with them. People will be spending more time on social media to pass the time, get news updates, and stay connected with the outside world. This is your chance to stay connected and let people know that you still exist and can provide the goods or services they need.
Make Positive Changes
Keep in mind that you won’t be the only business reaching out to potential customers, so it will still be as important as ever to focus on providing the best experience possible. This means communicating order details, delivering faster than your competition, and following up to ensure you exceeded expectations.
In this difficult time, it’s easy to lose hope — especially when you see your sales plummet. However, you can take active steps that will make a difference for your business now, and in the future. At GetSwift, we can help you do more with less. Contact us today to speak with a member of our team about our delivery management software.
Over the past few years, the business of local delivery has been increasing steadily as companies continue to push to compete with corporations like Amazon and Walmart. Restaurants have been some of the biggest contributors, with grocery stores not far behind. However, no matter your industry, the recent coronavirus outbreak has made it more important than ever to be able to reach your customers outside of your place of business. We’re going to explore how this recent epidemic is changing the face of local delivery and what you can do if your business is struggling to keep up. Here are just a few ways that coronavirus is having a big impact on the local delivery business:
Increased Demand
Demand for local delivery has understandably skyrocketed. Delivery volume on GetSwift’s platform increased by 130% after social distancing began in the US. While demand is on the rise in just about every sector, no other industry has seen a bigger impact so far than the grocery business. According to a recent article, grocery delivery is seeing the biggest boost. In fact, in the last month alone, downloads for Instacart increased by over 200%. Unlike restaurants, most grocery stores haven’t actually shut their doors. So, what is the reason for the sharp increase in online ordering?
There are likely several reasons why people are choosing to shop from their phones instead of going to the store. First, people are frustrated with experiencing empty shelves and long checkout lines. They are spending more time going from store to store trying to find what they need. And, some people don’t have the time to be able to go to the store when they have children home from school. So much emphasis has been put on “maintaining a distance” and “self-quarantine” for those who are at-risk, that many people have really started to heed the warnings. This means the grocery delivery business will continue to thrive until stores can keep up with stocking the shelves and people feel comfortable about leaving their homes again.
Rise of No-Contact Deliveries
Another way that the coronavirus has impacted deliveries of all kinds is the rise of “no-contact deliveries”. Because there is even a concern that delivery personnel could transmit the virus (or get it from those whom they are delivering to) many companies are choosing to offer options that allow the receiver to designate a place where their delivery can be left without having to actually make contact with the delivery person. DoorDash is one of the latest to alter their delivery practices to meet the growing concern over the transmission of the Coronavirus through delivery services. They recently changed their default delivery option to “no contact” — although customers still have the option to change it.
Similar in purpose to no-contact deliveries is the rise of curbside deliveries. This allows patrons to stay in their vehicle while their order is delivered to them. This is a popular and convenient option for people wishing for a meal from their favorite restaurant but not wanting to wait for a third-party delivery service to bring it to their home.
New Players
Not every business was prepared to meet the exploding demand for take-out and home delivery, but many are jumping in to do what they can as quickly as possible. With mandatory closures in place, businesses must have other outlets to make a dime otherwise they may risk having to close for good. Expect to see home delivery, takeout, and curbside delivery expand into other areas beyond food and beverage. In fact, if you have a favorite place of business that you’d like to purchase from, you might want to contact them ahead of time to see if they can fill your request even if their doors are closed to customers.
Get Help From GetSwift
Is your business having trouble keeping up with the demand for delivery? GetSwift can provide you with innovative technology that can help you automate dispatching, optimize driving routes, and keep in touch with your customers. There’s never been a better time to excel at delivery. Putting the right things in place now can help you get through this difficult time and set your business up for long-lasting success. Contact a member of our team today to learn how our delivery software can help you keep up with the pace of local delivery.
When it comes to the world of eCommerce, time is everything. When customers make an order, they want it delivered as close to instantaneous as possible, and the company who can make that happen often is the winner in the crowded field of online retailers. Yet, ecommerce, or transactions conducted online, shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, every year, more people order people online. By 2021, the number of people in the United States who order at least one thing online is expected to reach 230.5 million, a figure that is about ⅔ of the United States population, or the majority of adults. This means that there is still ample opportunity for startups and small businesses to enter the field of eCommerce and come out on top. However, you will most definitely need help in order to do so.
GetSwift offers the best eCommerce delivery management software that can shrink delivery times, offer real-time tracking, and compile your data so you know exactly which parts of your business are working and which aren’t. Our mission is to help you eliminate inefficiencies and make on-time deliveries to your customers every time. Below, we’ll take a look at what exactly is eCommerce delivery management software and how GetSwift can help. Contact us today!
What is Ecommerce Delivery Management Software?
Ecommerce delivery management software is software that allows you to manage your orders through your online store. There are certain key items that you will need in your eCommerce delivery management software that will help streamline your deliveries and ensure your orders are on-time. Remember, in the world of the internet, time is a lot faster than your deliveries. The trick is to make time go by faster with lightning-quick delivery services. Here’s how:
Automate. The more you can automate your eCommerce business, the better off your customers will be. If you are still manually entering order and tracking information and you’re doing things that computers can do instantaneously, you will lose the game. When your customers make an order, it needs to go straight into the system for fulfillment. If you are still using spreadsheets, it’s time to kick those to the curb.
Real-time updates. Real-time updates are now almost the norm for eCommerce. After all, your customers ordered online, so in their mind, their products are closer than they truly are. Thus, by managing expectations, telling your customers where their package is and how long it will take for it to arrive, you will help to temper the expectations of instantaneousness. You will also eliminate a lot of wasted time by responding to customers’ emails of “where’s my package?” You’ll want to choose an eCommerce delivery management software that offers real-time updates, such as GetSwift.
Integrate. Running a startup or a small to medium-sized business often takes numerous programs that have different functions, from running payroll to tracking customers’ information and sales. You most definitely need an eCommerce delivery management system that is able to integrate with every other program and software you are running. This also ensures that in the future as more apps are released that you want to use to maximize other areas of your business that your eCommerce delivery management software won’t be out of date any time soon.
Numbers. While most people don’t exactly enjoy numbers, someone in your organization does, and that person will need the number from your eCommerce delivery management software in order to discover inefficiencies, see if there are any problems with drivers, see which delivery routes are the most profitable, see which products sold the most at a given time, and lay all of this information out for your number/accountant guru and for those who simply need a nice pie chart.
Optimize routes. It’s a given these days that most eCommerce delivery management software systems will optimize routes. However, some are much better than others, are more user-friendly, and some take into account current traffic conditions as well. There can be a lot of money lost in drivers getting lost, not to mention a delay in the delivering of packages, which is what matters most to your customers. Thus, if your eCommerce delivery management software does not optimize routes, you should run the other direction.
Why GetSwift Is Your Choice For Ecommerce Delivery Management Software
If you’ve looked into delivery management software or last mile delivery software for your eCommerce-based business, odds are, you found a lot out there. While on the surface these softwares look alike, you will find that there are miles that actually separates them from one another.
GetSwift is the best eCommerce delivery management software, hands down. We offer all of the aforementioned tools, as well as advanced dispatching, real-time driver-tracking, an easy-to-use driver app, a proof of delivery system, the ability to manage your fleets, and the ability to track driver’s cash payments, floats, bonuses, and more. As a Top Rated Local® delivery logistics software company, we take pride in being the best in the industry, yet we are never content to sit on our laurels. We are constantly innovating to make your delivery business more efficient, which in turn gives you more free time to grow your business.
GetSwift offers amazing customer service who can troubleshoot any problems you may be having and get you back on track in a timely fashion. When you succeed, we succeed.
Using Delivery Management Software as a Tool to Grow Your Business
GetSwift offers the best delivery management software, offering you powerful tools so that you can maximize your last mile delivery services. We started GetSwift because we were in the delivery business and realized that there had to be a better way to do things. We set out to create a solution to solve our problems. Once we did, we realized we had to share this with other startups and small to medium-sized businesses. Hence, GetSwift was born.
We’ve been taking a hard look at the basics of delivery management software in this ongoing blog series. Today, we’ll examine how delivery management software can transform your startup or small to medium-sized business. Contact us today for your free trial!
How Delivery Management Software Can Transform Your Business
Maximize the Customer Experience
Consumers these days demand more and more because businesses are able to deliver more. One hundred years ago, there was no such expectation, especially if there was just one person in the town who could deliver a said service. For example, when you only had one doctor in town, when you were sick, you didn’t have a choice — you had to see that doctor, whether they were good or not. Today, you have dozens of doctors to choose from, and if you believe one to be incompetent, there’s another to try.
This applies to your delivery business as well, whether you are a courier business, or a cannabis business. If you don’t meet your customers’ expectations (and preferably exceed them), your customers will go elsewhere. Thus, you need a delivery management software solution, such as GetSwift’s, that can notify customers automatically by sending them text message with an estimated time of arrival and by giving them a live tracking map. You also can solicit customer feedback by way of reviews that can help grow your business and by way of suggestions that can help you improve your business. You can give your delivery driver the power to make order changes, if for example, you own a milk delivery, water delivery, or cannabis delivery system, as well as the ability to take payments and problem solve as well.
In sum, you need a delivery management software system that not only can meet customers’ demands, but also can expect their future needs. An example of this is future delivery needs, such as subscription services, which is growing by leaps and bounds. Subscription services are recurring orders, such as weekly milk deliveries and water deliveries to your office. By allowing customers to subscribe, you are taking one more task off their plates every day, thus making their lives easier. And when you make their lives easier, they become raving fans, who recommend you to their friends and family, and the next thing you know, your business is exploding — all because of delivery management software.
The real power of delivery management software is in its ability to take one more thing off the plates of you, the small business owner. The process is cyclical; you make your customers’ lives easier with your products and/or services; they make your life easier by helping you to grow your business. The way to improve lives is to anticipate your customers’ needs before they know they need something. Delivery management software gives your customers’ access to not only the last mile part of your delivery system, but to the whole shebang.
GetSwift strives every day to make our delivery management software optimal for our clients. By constantly innovating our services, offering integrations with other applications, and streamlining our processes, we hope to pass this along to you, who then can pass it along to your customers. GetSwift can maximize routes, offer real-time driver tracking, and help you with fleet management services. You can track your cash and analyze your data to find inefficiencies and work to fix them.
There is so much that our powerful and robust delivery management software can do that you truly have to try it to experience it for yourself. We offer a free trial, so you can see how our system truly can transform your business.
Running a small to medium-sized business or a startup is definitely no walk along a white, sandy beach, with the sun setting over the ocean, and a pina colada in one hand. In fact, most of the time, it’s quite the opposite. It’s an all-out sprint from the moment you get up in the morning till the moment you go to bed that entails jumping over hurdles, avoiding the barracudas, and trying not to get eaten by the sharks.
GetSwift has one mission — to help ease the lives of small business owners across the nation and the world by providing the best delivery management software. Designed to fit your business no matter the size, our best delivery management software can revolutionize the way you do business. Below, we’re going to take you back to the basics and explain exactly what delivery management software is and why we are the best. Contact us today for a free trial or demo!
What is Delivery Management Software?
Delivery management software is much what its name says it is: software that aids in the management of deliveries. This can include the organization, administration, and the supervision of the people who are doing the actual packaging and delivering of the goods, as well as encompassing the processes and technology to do so.
In the grand scheme of things, the delivery portion of your business should be the easy part. After all, the hard part was getting the sale in the first place. You had to get the lead, turn the lead into a prospect, make the sale, and then close the deal. After that, it’s simply a matter of delivering the product agreed upon. Sounds simple? Far from it.
The delivering of your goods is basically what will determine if you keep your customer or lose them. For example, your customer expects goods that are undamaged, are delivered on time, and are what they ordered. If you deliver the wrong product, a damaged item, or your delivery is late, the chances of keeping this customer that you’ve worked so hard to cultivate plummets, even with a great customer service team. Because if you delivered what turns out to be the birthday present for a six-year-old late, you can guarantee you have almost no chance of recovering that customer.
This is why having a top-notch delivery management software system in place is so vital to the health and well-being of your business, whether it’s a startup or a more established small to medium-sized business. You need a robust software that can help reduce driver times, track your vehicles, optimize your driver’s route, have a smart dispatch system, and ensure the delivery of the proper items. You’ll want a delivery management software that puts the power of deliveries in the driver’s hands, so that they can communicate to the customer, process orders, and make changes on the spot. Never underestimate the power of a phone call when a driver is running late due to a hail or snow storm or a traffic accident. Most people understand unforeseen delays and forgive them; what they don’t forgive is no communication about these delays.
Why We Offer the Best Delivery Management Software
GetSwift offers the best delivery management software, with automatic customer alerts with live-tracking maps and ETAs, customer feedback opportunities, and data analysis so you can track delivery times and driver’s individual performance. Our best delivery management software can be integrated with our top-rated Scheduling+ software and Delivery Biz Pro’s software to help you better manage your deliveries and personnel. With so many options and features, your business truly can’t afford not to have the best delivery management software right at your fingertips. And the best part of all? All of our best delivery management software can be customized, making it perfect for your needs.
Many apps work great with GetSwift and can be used as additional tools for your startup or small to medium-sized business. From Spotify and Grubhub to WordPress and Square, our delivery management software requires very little change on your end, besides the use of it. You are simply migrating your small business delivery operations to our software, which we’d be more than happy to heap with.
Recent Comments