The COVID19 pandemic has made the normal functioning of restaurants, bars, cafes, etc. impossible. In many countries around the world, restaurants are either prohibited or severely restricted from offering dine-in services. The only way restaurants can operate is through contactless delivery & other services.

With no definite end in sight for the COVID19 pandemic, restaurants have to adapt to the new status quo. If you want to thrive during such testing times, then you need to adopt new methods of functioning.

If social distancing is the future of human-to-human interaction, then contactless is the name of the game. We are here to empower in playing that game and playing well!

What Is Contactless Delivery?

Contactless is just as the name suggests it to be, devoid of any ‘human contact.’ Contactless service is an umbrella that encompasses many facets of restaurant operations.

For example, in contactless delivery, the delivery executive & the customer never physically interact with each other. As a result of which customers can order food from their favorite restaurants without worrying about any potential health risks.

All aspects of an order’s fulfillment are optimized to minimize the chances of people-to-people contact. The order is placed via a mobile app, website, call, etc. and the payment is processed through online methods. Finally, when the food is delivered, it is kept at a predetermined spot chosen by the customer to maintain social distancing.

Offering contactless delivery and order services not only ensures the safety of your customers but also of your valuable employees.

Why You Need To Have Contactless Delivery!

Complex problems have simple solutions more often than not. The same principle applies to the COVID19 pandemic and the subsequent rise in demand for “contactless delivery”. The pathogen that causes COVID19 spreads from people-to-people contact, hence experts suggest that limiting social interactions between individuals will inhibit the spread of the disease.

As a result of offering contactless ordering and delivery, you limit the chances of two or more people interacting thus reducing the risk of infection. Hence by providing contactless services like ordering and delivery you create a safe space for people.

In a world ravaged by a pandemic, people want to feel normal again. By creating a safe space for your customers you cultivate enormous amounts of brand credibility and trust between you & your patrons. Therefore, offering not only reduces the chances of the disease to spread further and operates during the pandemic but also creates a robust and credible brand identity.

How Do You Provide Contactless Delivery?

The following are the fundamental principles of a restaurant owners must know and follow if they want to offer contactless services at their establishments:

#1 Website & App Integration

The first step towards offering contactless delivery and ordering services is to integrate them into your website. Having a website for your restaurant is a non-negotiable necessity for modern business.

According to the recent U.S. National Restaurant Association survey, 82% of customers said that they are more inclined to visit a restaurant after seeing it on the web.

Therefore having a restaurant website not only increases your reach, but also creates a method via which your customers can select, order, and pay for their food contactless. With an online food ordering platform, you can provide specialized discounts, offers, coupons along with contactless services.

#2 Establish Contactless SOPs

The second thing that needs to be done is to establish new Standard Operating Procedures for taking orders, preparing food, and delivering them. To create such new SOPs you would need to procure new technology-driven solutions like deploying a Restaurant Management System along with a POS platform that would reduce contact between employees and customers.

Another crucial aspect that would require new SOPs is establishing strict hygiene standards and protocols. From making face-masks mandatory to making sure every employee goes through a body-temperature check regularly. To ensure 100% compliance with contactless services you must follow these principles in both letter & spirit.

#3 Create QR Code-based Menus

Contactless OR code enabled menus are modern and updated versions of the traditional paper menus. While you can offer online ordering for people who don’t want to dine-in, what about the people who do? That’s where the contactless OR code enabled menus to come into play.

On average a normal restaurant’s paper menu contains upwards of 185,000 germs per square centimeter. Now imagine exposing all your patrons who have to use a paper menu to such a risky pathogenic-transmission. Ergo, such an item poses a great health hazard in a post-COVID19 world.

QR code-enabled menus circumvent this issue of removing your menu with a QR code and storing your menu digitally. The customer’s smartphone can scan the OR code and seamlessly access the menu and order their food without having to touch any foreign object.

#4 Provide Online Payment Options

Accepting cash payments will unnecessarily increase the human-to-human contact that we aim to reduce. Therefore your primary goal in offering contactless services is to eliminate the need of using cash as a payment method at your establishment.

Provide your customers with hassle-free contactless delivery and ordering services via online payment. Allow your customers to use methods like, net-banking, credit & debit cards, mobile wallets, etc. to pay for their meals without having to exchange cash.

#5 Social Media Integration

Given the current situation, it is quite understandable that customers are wary of placing orders to restaurants.  Therefore you must build trust with your customers and provide them an assurance that their safety is your top priority.

But how do you communicate to your potential customers that you offer contactless delivery? The simplest method is to use social media to your advantage to spread your message. Employee Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. to create a brand narrative around your restaurant’s contactless services.

Create content that highlights your new post-COVID19 SOPs of how you prepare and fulfill orders. Allow your customers to see for themselves how hygienic your kitchen operations are to feel safe. Every business has a human-side, let it shine along with the technical aspects of contactless services via the strategic use of social media.

In Conclusion

Restaurants, bars, pubs, cafes, etc. are facing an unprecedented challenge in the form of the COVID19 pandemic. Following the above-mentioned practices, you can enable your restaurant to provide contactless delivery and ordering services without any hiccup.