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As pandemic restrictions begin to be lifted, people are returning to restaurants in droves. May 2021 marked the third consecutive month of increased sales for U.S. restaurants, according to figures compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau. The $67.3 billion in sales recorded that month was an all-time high and an increase of 1.8% from April.
Also contributing to the boom in restaurant sales is the money that people saved during the pandemic and the warmer weather in many regions, both of which are expected to contribute to a continuing rise in dining out through the summer of 2021, according to MarketWatch.
Online orders, a trend that skyrocketed during the pandemic, are forecast to remain a popular option for diners well into the future. Restaurants are upgrading their POS systems to accommodate consumers’ preferences for more options when it comes to ordering, paying for, and receiving their meals. These 10 features are must-haves for your restaurant’s online order software.
Modern POS software for modern customers
When looking to add or upgrade your POS software for your restaurant to encourage or enable online orders, consider these features that will streamline orders and payments while broadening your brand’s reach. To stay up to date with today’s consumers, you need a POS that has modern features and flexibility.
1. An online ordering widget for your restaurant’s website
The simplest way to ensure your website matches your restaurant’s unique style and communicates your brand’s message is by using a POS system that includes a custom website. The POS software allows you to easily track and manage data from multiple sources so that online orders are seamlessly integrated with in-person and phone orders.
The systems should support click-and-collect for on-site pickup and delivery, and they offer a simple, intuitive interface for placing orders and making payments.
2. Use of QR codes to receive information and place orders
The need to reduce contact between diners and wait staff led many restaurants to adopt QR codes to display their menus, accept payments, and many other purposes. However, legacy POS systems typically don’t support QR codes. Using QR codes can save restaurants time and effort while improving the accuracy of orders and payments.
Among the uses of QR codes for restaurants are letting customers check-in when they arrive to be seated or to pick up an order, placing meal orders via the restaurant’s website, and allowing diners to pay their tabs at their convenience and receive an e-receipt rather than waiting for the check to arrive.
3. Let customers place pre-orders online
Another trend that gained momentum as a way to provide contactless dining is customers pre-ordering their meals via the restaurant’s website or mobile app. However, there’s more to the process of online ordering than simply converting a digital version of your existing menu.
Your menu items must be presented in a way that’s clear and easy for customers to access, which may require categorizing items in different ways and using more images and descriptive text. Complementary products should be placed together to increase sales, and options should be available to let diners request adjustments to their orders.
4. Support for order customization
Customizing orders can be tricky when patrons are placing their orders via restaurant online ordering software. This presents restaurants with an opportunity to show how much they appreciate their customers by making it as easy as possible for them to make special requests.
A great feature of cloud-based POS systems is their ability to support menu customizations for diners with dietary restrictions as well as for kids’ meals, daily specials, brunches, and holiday fare.
5. Include images and notes in menus
Online menus have the added advantage of making it simple to provide your restaurant customers with inviting images of your menu items. In particular, multimedia menus entice diners and help them put together several complementary courses rather than relying on standard text descriptions or information offered by their server.
Detailed descriptions of each item make it less likely that diners will be disappointed when their order arrives. The systems should also allow diners to communicate directly with the chef about how they wish their orders to be prepared.
6. Provide customers with a branded mobile app
Restaurants of every size and type are discovering the many benefits of allowing their customers to place orders and otherwise interact with them via a branded mobile app. In addition to extending your restaurant’s ambiance to the digital realm, a mobile app presents diners with the ability to modify their meals while ensuring that orders are delivered to the appropriate staff members promptly.
The apps also let you promote specials and bundles, offer incentives to lure customers back, split bills, and create customer accounts.
7. Order notification and updates/tracking
Nothing will spoil the dining experience for your customers faster than making them wait for their orders. Restaurant online order software can be configured to notify diners when their order is ready and to track the progress of their orders from the restaurant’s website or mobile app.
Even with your customers returning to the dining room, curbside pickup and delivery will likely remain popular options for customers choosing takeout.
8. Personalized special offers for online customers
It’s called the “hospitality industry” for a reason. Even when they’re using restaurant online order software, your customers want to know that you appreciate their business. There’s no better way to express your gratitude to your returning customers than to provide them with special offers tailored to their tastes and interests.
Modern POS systems automatically collect customer histories that can be used to recognize returning diners and welcome them with one-of-a-kind specials based on what you know about them.
9. Automatic tax calculation
As your restaurant goes mobile, tax calculation often becomes more problematic. Cloud-based POS systems will support three types of tax calculations:
Taxes applied to the price will simply add the applicable tax to the meal total.Tax-inclusive pricing includes the tax rate with the product price; the POS system automatically adjusts the price to apply the tax.Tax flat amount allows you to set the dollar amount to charge for the tax, which is the same regardless of the tab.
10. Create a customer database
Like most other retailers, restaurants rely on return business for their success. Restaurant online order software can enhance the customer experience by linking to your POS system’s customer database. This allows diners and restaurant staff members to view purchase histories, which you can use to craft special offers tailored to the customer.
The systems also make it easy for restaurants to stay in touch with customers by sending them emails and text messages to alert them to specials and other promotions.
A new age of restaurant online order software is here
As wonderful as it is to see restaurant dining rooms filling up again, restaurant owners and their patrons realize that the dining experience has been permanently altered by the restrictions implemented to combat COVID-19. Restaurant online order software allows establishments to take full advantage of the new possibilities made possible by the advanced features of today’s POS systems.
When you want to incorporate online ordering software in your restaurant, talech will be there every step of the way to keep you within your budget and on track. We understand the importance of integration and not disturbing your established workflow while accommodating new trends. Reach out to us today to sign up for a demo and to learn more about how talech can be your valued POS partner.
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