It is Friday evening. Someone new to the area wants a curry. They find a highly rated local takeaway, open the website and look for delivery information. They cannot tell whether their street is covered, how long it will take or whether there is a minimum order. They open a delivery app instead, which answers all three in seconds, and the takeaway pays a commission on the order.
Delivery questions are simple, repetitive and costly when they go unanswered.
The questions every takeaway gets
- Do you deliver to my postcode or street?
- How long will delivery take tonight?
- What is the minimum order?
- Is there a delivery charge?
- What time do you stop delivering?
- Can I collect instead?
- Can I order ahead for later?
These are asked every night, often by phone during the busiest service. Each one ties up staff who should be cooking or packing orders.
Why unanswered questions cost orders
A hungry customer will not wait. If they cannot find the answer in a minute, they go somewhere that tells them. That is often a delivery app, which takes a cut of every order. Ordering direct is better for the takeaway, but only if the website makes it easy.
Service area questions are a problem for many businesses, as covered in answering service area questions. For takeaways, the answer needs to be instant.
Publishing delivery information clearly
A delivery page should show:
- The delivery area, as a list of areas or postcodes, or a radius
- Typical delivery times, and a note that busy nights may be longer
- Minimum order and delivery charges
- Delivery hours
- Collection details
Once this is on the site, an assistant can answer from it.
Answering instantly
SpideyChat for restaurants answers delivery questions from your own pages in seconds, in the customer's language. It can then point customers to your ordering page, or capture a request for staff if you take orders another way.
Customer: Do you deliver to Oakfield Road? Assistant: The delivery page lists the areas covered, and Oakfield is one of them. Delivery usually takes 30 to 45 minutes, and the minimum order is shown on the menu page. You can order through the order page.
The assistant should not promise exact delivery times on a busy night. It should share what is published and note that times vary.
Pre-orders and collection
Many takeaways offer collection or pre-ordering for later. These create their own questions, which we covered in pre-order pages and the questions they create. Catering orders for events are another source of enquiries, covered in catering and takeaway enquiries from your website.
Gift cards and loyalty
Some takeaways offer gift cards or loyalty rewards, which generate their own questions. Those are covered in voucher and gift card questions from restaurant guests.
Fewer calls during service
The biggest benefit many takeaways notice is fewer calls during peak hours. Staff can focus on food, and customers get answers faster.
Allergens and menu questions
Alongside delivery questions, takeaway customers ask about ingredients, spice levels and allergens. General menu information can be answered from the website, such as which dishes are vegetarian or how hot a curry is. Serious allergy questions should go to a person who can check with the kitchen, and the menu should say clearly how customers can ask. A note on the delivery page reminding customers to mention allergies when ordering helps too.
When things go wrong
Late or wrong orders happen on busy nights. Customers writing to complain should reach a person quickly, with their order details captured, so the problem can be put right the same evening.
Getting started
Put your delivery area, times, minimum order and charges on one clear page. Then let customers get answers instantly and order direct. See the options on the features page, or try SpideyChat on your own site.