There’s no doubt that drive thru, delivery, and takeout sales were the restaurant industry’s rock stars over the past two years. Throughout COVID restrictions, these channels helped countless operators keep the lights on when in-house dining wasn’t an option. Customers quickly got hooked on these new conveniences. In fact, the NPD Group reported in late 2021 that off-premises sales remained 20 percent over pre-pandemic levels.
However, this has created a few problems. Takeout is often inefficient for employees, disrupting their usual processes. Picking up an order doesn’t always go as planned, either—sometimes food or drink is taken by the wrong customer or delivery driver. Or, a driver arrives early and has to wait in the lobby, leading to crowding and noise. Lost orders must be remade, which eats into already-slim margins.
Worst of all, according to the “State of What Feeds Us, Vol. 5” report from Bluedot, one in every two customers say they’ve had a poor pickup experience due to lines, unexpected waits, or missing orders. And when a customer has a bad experience, they often won’t come back.
That’s why many brands are investing in technologies to optimize takeout and delivery. With OrderHQ Smart Food Lockers, developed by Apex Order Pickup Solutions and manufactured by Merco, a Welbilt brand, restaurants increase labor efficiency, eliminate mix-ups and remakes, and gain data insights for improving this critical area of their business.
Better customer and employee experiences
When restaurants manage takeout and delivery orders with OrderHQ Smart Food Lockers, incredible change happens.
The customer is happier because pickup is secure, contactless, and takes less than 10 seconds. They don’t have to search through multiple bags or wonder if anyone handled their order.
Delivery drivers are happy, too, because lockers can sometimes be located in an exterior wall, so drivers don’t even have to come inside—getting them in and out quickly, and onto their next order.
Employees immediately save time and steps. They don’t have to check on the order, because they know it’ll be picked up by the right person. That helps increase throughput and reduce stress.
Efficiency and data insights increase ROI
OrderHQ lockers provide a quick return on investment. Here’s how:
- A single locker typically reduces labor by at least two hours each day.
- Fast, reliable pickup means customers will use pickup again, helping operators own more of the customer experience—and profit margin.
- There’s less food waste and fewer costs associated with order mistakes and theft.
Operators also now have valuable data insights for every step of the order journey—from order creation, to the exact moment of pickup—across every store. This data helps manage their takeout and delivery channels based on metrics, not guesswork.
Discover the future of order pickup
Now that takeout and delivery are more important than ever, getting those processes and experiences right is critical. OrderHQ Smart Food Lockers make off-premises orders more convenient, efficient, and profitable.
Learn more at ApexOrderPickup.com.
