Contactless Delivery - The Modern Ordinary

Worried about what will happen to your restaurant once it survives this pandemic? Thinking much about how to stay afloat in these drowning times?

Well, Darwin’s theory fits best in this situation “Survival of the fittest.”

Coronavirus, across the globe, has led to millions of businesses being shut down and a several thousand others to give up their orthodox methods of functioning and to redesign their model by being digital, isolated, safe and to make room for "Social Distancing" - a word that has gained much prominence in the recent past.

What was unimaginable a couple of months ago has now become a reality and, here we are, amid a global pandemic trying to save our businesses and that too, without human interaction.

The challenge here stands - How? The answer is "Contactless Delivery"

Exactly as it sounds, contactless delivery aims to curb the spread of the highly infectious virus by limiting human interaction and touch. Customers can now ask for the option of dropping off food at a place rather than delivering it right into the hands of the customer.

Getting food delivered at their doorstep is as far as it gets for people to have a lip-smacking restaurant food experience with self-isolation being the norm. With dine out not being allowed and several of people being scared of the traditional method of how restaurants operate, contactless delivery is set to be a disruptive innovation in the food dining & service industry, the modern ordinary. 

Renowned food aggregators such as Zomato, Swiggy, in India have already announced this option. Zomato was quick on its feet and implemented this in March itself.

How to Implement Contactless Delivery At your Restaurant?

Enable Contactless Delivery option 

Create an option on your app or your website where people can choose the Contactless Delivery option as a safer means. Once the option is selected, clear instructions should be asked by the customers for where to drop off the order. You can also add a "leave it at my door" option to provide for a hassle-free experience that the customer has to face while writing. Always better to touch than to type!

If you are taking orders through phone calls, make sure that your employee is instructed clearly to ask for the same. Popular food chain, Domino's pizza has already enforced this strategy and has laid down the procedure and process on its website as well as on the mobile application. This is now successfully running in 1325 restaurants in the country.

Ensure End To End Sanitization Process

The core competency of this entire Contactless Delivery option is the "hygiene" factor associated with it making it a viable choice in today's scenario. As a restaurant owner, you need to take your sanitization process a notch higher and make sure that the kitchen and other areas are disinfected regularly. Surfaces coming in contact with multiple people such as doorknobs, doors, tables, etc are to be cleaned at regular intervals.

Employees should keep their gloves and hair caps on, especially while cooking and packing the order and should also be guided to wash hands regularly and avoid touching with bare hands. Sanitization of delivery vehicles and the compartments in which they carry food must also be done after each trip outside to avoid any risk of infection.

Packaging And Labelling

Preparing food for your valuable customers will not be enough if you cannot ensure hygienic packing. The food prepared should be sealed in proper covers or boxes which have been sanitized. Employees should be asked to remain cautious while sealing the order and should not be done without washed hands, gloves, and hair caps.

Labeling can also play a gigantic role in providing confidence to your customers that the food has been prepared keeping in mind the safety standards. A combination of letters that ensure the much worried and concerned customers, if printed on the packages will ease the worries of the customers. What Magic can a string of letters do!

Employee Well Being And Training

For an out of the world service to the customers, hail and hearty employee is must which is why employee well being is a must. The provision of appropriate masks, sanitizers, and tissues are necessary. Regular screening & temperature checks will also be an appreciated measure. Along with the well being, educating your staff about the change in protocols and safety measures is also important.

Accept Online Payments

Going Digital and cashless is what the Indian economy is moving towards. This paradigm shift should reflect in your modes of accepting payments as well. Offering various options such as Net Banking, Debit/Credit Cards, UPI, payment wallets, etc. can help amp up your sales along with ensuring the limited risk of spread of the infection.

Invest in Social Media Marketing

Leveraging the social media platforms to communicate with the masses about how effectively contactless delivery works can do wonders for your business. Posting photos, stories, etc of your restaurant and staff showing that all the safety measures are being met and adding a large spoon of human emotions is bound to increase your customer base!