The hospitality sector is transforming rapidly, from online ordering to kiosk ordering to doorstep delivery and much more. Coming to our primary concern, in the previous year, the novel coronavirus has not only left an effect on human lives but also drastically impacted business sectors across the globe.
Travel and restaurants were especially vulnerable during the lockdown. Due to less dine-in traffic, many restaurants have started offering takeaway and delivery services to stay in touch with customers and keep their business afloat during this contingency. Half of the restaurants have closed their doors due to less traffic; as a result, thousands of workers have been terminated or furloughed.
According to figures published by OpenTable, here you can see how the restaurant industry gets affected due to lockdown. But we all have heard the well-known proverb, “Where there’s a will there’s away.” The same proverb fits the current condition. Technology innovations and digitalization has made it possible for restaurant owners to fulfill consumer’s demands. In addition to that, people were confined inside their homes due to virus spread; hence, their inclination towards online food ordering increased as it saves time and money and keeps them safe.
Well, restaurants are taking advantage of this mindset and offering takeaway and doorstep food delivery services to boost sales with the pace of change. To get more online orders and ensure safe food delivery, norms like contactless delivery and payment were introduced. Now, let’s discuss the meaning and what effects it has created on restaurants in detail.
What is Contactless Delivery
Modern technology solutions have brought major changes to the restaurant industry. From the last couple of years, doorstep delivery has become the talk of the town as it offers utmost convenience to customers and allows restaurants to expand their business reach in a short span of time.
Looking at the current pandemic situation, customers are still skeptical about visiting restaurants. Therefore, to foster customer trust, restaurants have adopted contactless food delivery options.
According to PR Newswire, here you can see more than 56% people opt for contactless delivery option to prevent virus loss. In simple terms, contactless delivery means what it sounds like. Delivery of food without coming into direct contact with the delivery provider. It prevents virus spread and promotes social distancing to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Well-known online food delivery apps such as Zomato, Swiggy, GrubHub, UberEats, etc., have incorporated this feature in their app.
Why Contactless Delivery is Necessary for Restaurants
We went through the meaning of contactless delivery, but the major question is will it continue in the years to come? Let’s discuss this in detail.
The demand for online food delivery services increase, people are pretty much comfortable with ordering food online as it allows them to browse the digital menu, saves time and money. And this trend will continue to grow in the years to come because people’s lifestyles are getting busy day by day, and now they are looking for instant and time-saving solutions.
The pandemic has left a serious effect on various business verticals, but modern technology solutions are the savior that allows people to fulfill their daily needs with ease. Digital food ordering is booming. According to Gordon Haskett, the online food delivery rate is higher than dine-in.
On the other hand, restaurants are transforming their operations and implementing technology solutions to boost sales and meet customer’s demands. Contactless delivery norm has already been adopted by many restaurants such as Dominos and Mc Donald. In fact, lockdown is imposed by many nations, and to prevent virus spread, demand for online table reservation system is increased because it offers touchless customer experience, several benefits to restaurants such as
- Less clutter
- Increase order accuracy
- Promote contactless dining experience
- Ease diner anxiety
- More predictable wait times
It prevents virus spread and allows customers to place orders without any hesitation. Besides, to gain customer’s trust and earn a decent amount of profit, restaurants also follow the same norm.
How Contactless Delivery Works
Contactless delivery follows the same workflow, just as normal food delivery apps. Many food delivery apps have introduced this feature to promote safety. Now, let’s go through how contactless delivery works.
- Visit website or application to place an online food order
- Browse items and add selected items to the cart
- Now click on the “contactless delivery” option
- Go ahead and make a payment from the options given in the app or website. However, you can only avail of contactless delivery if you pay online.
- Wait till the restaurant confirms your order. Receive the package outside your doorsteps as you wish.
Ordering food with contactless delivery is as easy as seems. It avoids direct touch and allows customers to enjoy a lip-smacking meal at their preferred location.
Will Contactless Delivery Continue in 2021
Technology keeps evolving so as business models are. There is not any hidden secret that advanced technology has transformed business models and their operations. The restaurant is one of the industries that is influenced by technology. From mobile ordering to digital payments to drone delivery to cloud kitchen- it keeps changing with time and people’s preferences.
Now coming to the main question, will contactless delivery continue in 2021? The short answer is YES.
Companies like Amazon and Dominos are racing and trying to make delivery operations faster and more accurate than they ever were before. Among them, robots, drones, and parachute delivery are emerging trends contributing their shares in the fight against virus spread.
Digital menu, contactless dining options, contactless payment, communication through SMS or social media, etc., are best practices for implementing contactless delivery in your restaurant business; it will drive revenue and customer engagement in the long-run.
Final Words
The effect of coronavirus on the restaurant industry is drastic, but thanks to advanced technology and modern solutions that make it readily available. From minimizing contact to offering online ordering to create a digital menu to reorganize seating, there is much more to attract users’ attention.
With today’s technology-driven world, restaurant food business owners need to be on the top of emerging developments and trends. No one knows certainly which trend is here to stay and which will disappear soon but not adapting to prevailing trends will surely be left in the dust.
About the Author
I am Brijesh Vadukiya, a tech activist and avid blogger. My major concern is to educate people who are interested in technology. I am passionate about helping people in all aspects of SaaS solutions, online delivery business, digital marketing and other related topics that make tomorrow’s world better. I am fond of writing useful and informative content that helps brands to grow business.
