Curbside Pickup/Delivery Made Easy

• 40% of Americans have opted for curbside/takeout even if dine-in is allowed
• Most Americans would rather order directly from the restaurant than through third-party apps
• The Tría platform assists restaurants in building a quality off-premise program

Of all the off-premise options available during the COVID-19 crisis, curbside pickup and delivery have been the quickest to evolve. Restaurants across America have found this form of off-premise dining easy to adapt to, with only minimal adjustments.

According to the business website National Restaurant News, 33% of Americans now prefer takeout and curbside (or pick-up) service. Third-party delivery was the least popular, with most people saying they’d rather order directly from a chain. Another interesting statistic: during the pandemic, almost 40% of Americans opted for curbside delivery when purchasing takeout from a restaurant. Of those, two-thirds say they’ll continue using (takeout and curbside) service, even if restrictions are lifted that allow them to dine inside.

These are compelling reasons to have your own curbside program. And Tría makes this very simple—for both the restaurant and the consumer. Here’s how it works: A customer orders in advance through the Tría system, then drives to the restaurant for their food. Through our convenient notification system and preference module, the order will be perfectly timed—ready almost always at the estimated time—and a staff member will safely deliver the order to the customer waiting in their vehicle. Our system can identify a vehicle, estimate the time the order will be ready, and even communicate with the customer.

Along with the Tría platform, the “Three P’s”— Plan, Package, and Pick-Up—are your keys to success!

Plan: If you are new to curbside/delivery, you certainly need to understand how crucial this is. If you are a veteran and you already have a plan that works, then you may want to skip this step.

There will be a few bumps on your journey to curbside perfection— but you will adjust. As you enact changes to increase efficiency and provide the best possible customer experience, your curbside service will improve every day. Remember, you are striving for a culture of excellence. Your food should be so good that your customers want to come back again and again. With that said, the curbside experience should also reflect excellence. If it does, you will be equipped for success.

What kind of marketing will you use to promote the service? Consider the following as you design your curbside plan:

• Signs and banners (on-premise)
• Current customer list (email/text)
• Neighborhood flyers
• Roadside signs within a mile of your restaurant
• Advertisements on social media channels
• Offer bonus loyalty points for a customer’s first order
• Promote repeat business with a Tría coupon
• Offer curbside specials or special discount times and dates
• Provide a dedicated and well trained curbside staff
• Have safety features in place (masks, gloves, sanitizer, etc.)
• Place proper signage with curbside instructions (no confusion)
• Provide a sticker with an encouraging message, or a small flyer with a QR code for a special on the bag or box

Planning for success (not merely survival) is critical when implementing curbside delivery and pickup service.

Packages: Restaurants normally package food in closed containers. These containers are placed in sealed paper bags, or plastic bags that have been closed with a knot. But customers normally check their food delivery, to ensure their order was accurately filled. So we highly recommend using our complimentary “Checked For Accuracy” stickers. We also strongly suggest you implement the best practice of double-checking all outgoing orders. Why? Because there is nothing more frustrating for a customer to arrive home—and then realize his order is wrong.

Please remember that it can be both cumbersome and inconvenient to check the accuracy of an order. So soup, wraps, and items that aren’t easy to inspect should always be double-checked before they go into the bag.

• Focus on quality assurance—not only the order itself, but also the condiments, utensils, and packaging.
• Ensure all staff adheres to a uniform standard, and that the staff reassures each customer that the packaging standard for their order has been followed.

When it comes to packaging, train staff about the importance of consistent and accurate practices. This is often overlooked or not given enough attention—but proper packaging is actually a segue to other opportunities to provide excellent service and attention to detail. Your customers will appreciate that.

Pick Up: Once you have developed a curbside plan that is most effective for your business, and you have the packaging process perfected, you are ready for customers to pick up their orders!

Picking up the order may seem simple and obvious, but keep in mind that the goal is excellent customer service. So, excellence = satisfied customers = more business = more profit, or GOAL MET.

• Take the initiative. When the customer arrives (and if it isn’t already noted in the customer’s order) an employee can, for example, ask if the customer wants the order placed securely in the back seat, on the floorboard.
• Verify the customer by his name and order number.
• Make sure your employee knows the make, model, and color of the customer’s car, for optimal curbside service and minimal wait time.
• Offer incentives based on staff accuracy. For example: 100% accuracy in one week equals a specific bonus.
• Encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews—or, if something needs improvement, to provide feedback. This can be easily done through a verbal request or a small flyer in the customer’s package.

A successful off-premise program is not only possible, but with the Tría platform, it will become a reality for your restaurant. We want to end the “hit or miss take-out order” stereotype. We not only disagree with this perception—we strive to make the off-premise experience the best possible for your customers.