The restaurant takeout business, whether for delivery or pickup, is a growing segment of our industry. Takeout customers are easy sales and don’t require as much time as dine-in customers. Since takeout customers don’t require a seat at your restaurant, you free up a table for customers dining in and creating additional sales. To keep up with trends, it’s vital to design your takeout restaurant training program to be easy and efficient for your customers.

Online takeaway service is gaining in popularity and, if designed correctly, allows customers to quickly facilitate their order. Online takeout programs offer some promising advantages. Since the order is entered by computer (in writing), it avoids interruptions in communication and increases the accuracy of order taking. Also, the customer can consult the complete menu at a glance and receive information about your company. However, it could fail if your website is 1) difficult to navigate and not user-friendly, 2) experiencing frequent downtime and not connected to a dependent hosting company, or 3) unattended by a full-time designee. to facilitate orders. Since many customers still use the phone when ordering takeout, it’s important to maximize your sales by training your team to master effective phone skills to properly serve your takeout customers.

Handling takeout over the phone requires strong communication skills and excellent organizational skills. This is particularly true as customers cannot see the person taking the phone call and many impressions are instantly formed by hearing only their voice. Scott Dearing, franchise owner of Hungry Howie’s Pizza & Subs in St. Petersburg, Fla., a 20-year veteran of the industry, says, “Training our customer service team to be courteous and speak clearly and not overly fast is a top priority in our company and avoids interruptions in communication”.

Teach your team members the next steps to handle to-go orders correctly, so you can add more money to your bottom line. (Since restaurant operations differ for each establishment, some of the steps below may vary.)

Takeout Order Processing

Since the pizza business is popular for takeout, we will use this industry for the following illustrations and you can use the examples as a guide and make any appropriate modifications to meet the needs of your particular establishment.

1. Greet the customer – Giving an enthusiastic greeting is essential to making a positive first impression with your customer. Teach your team to use your unique style and personality when handling phone orders. A brisk greeting in an upbeat, inflected voice will set the tone for the entire call and speed up the order-taking process. At a minimum, the greeting should include: Thanking the caller, stating your company name, introducing yourself, and offering to help. The greeting is a good time to offer your specials and make suggestions.

“Thanks for calling Pete’s Pizza Parlor. This is Frank, can I ask who I’m talking to? Lisa, can I take your order?”

“Thanks for calling Pete’s Pizza Parlor. This is Susan, what delicious pizza would you like tonight? Our special today is Double Cheese Delight.”

2. Record delivery address or provide restaurant address for pickup orders

For delivery orders, ask for key contact information such as:

• Surname

• Street address with apartment number

• Phone number

• Email address

If the client lives in an unfamiliar or new location, be sure to get specific instructions.

For pickup orders, please provide clear and precise directions to your restaurant. Always ask people which direction they will be coming from. If you are unsure of the instructions, please refer the caller to the manager. Some restaurants use a computer system, where the customer’s contact information (from a previous order) may have been stored and can be easily retrieved to save time.

Be alert to false commands made by children or pranksters. Always confirm these orders as suspicious by calling the customer and/or alerting your manager. Says Scott, “We always confirm orders over $25.00. We tell our customers that since they placed a larger than normal order, we’d like to re-verify the order so we can make it right for them.”

3. Suggestive Selling and Order Taking – When ordering, always be specific and ask clarifying questions. Offer specials and suggestively sell extra items like sodas, breadsticks, chicken tenders, extra toppings, and oversizes for value.

4. Confirm the order: repeat the order to the customer to confirm its accuracy.

Check items like:

• Complete menu items sorted

• Coverage

• Quantities

• Sizes

• Types (ie skillet, thin crust, deep crust, hand cooked, gourmet)

• Special requests

For example: “It will be two large pizzas, the first our vegetarian special, no cheese, and the second our pepperoni special with extra cheese and light sauce. Also, I have two sides of chicken fillets.” Be sure to always record the details to avoid costly mistakes and food rework. You may lose a customer if she doesn’t get exactly what she ordered.

5. Confirm Final Price and Instructions – Scott says, “Since pizza delivery companies advertise numerous specials and coupons, always be sure to confirm which coupon/special the customer would like to apply to their order. quickly turning off a customer is overcharging them.

For example: “Total order is $16.50 with your $1.00 coupon.” If you charge extra for delivery service or tolls, always inform your customer.

For example: “And we are delivering to: 705 Haines Avenue, Apt. 66, on the bottom floor.”

6. Quote an estimated time – Provide the customer with a range for your estimated delivery time. Providing a range gives the restaurant a buffer in case there are emergencies or equipment failures. Also, the range will help provide an accurate estimate for the customer.

For example: “The estimated delivery time will be between 30 and 45 minutes.”

7. Thank the caller for their order: Always show your appreciation for the customer’s business and use their name when you thank them.

For example: “Mr. Johnson, thank you for your request.”

8. Parting Offer: For an extra special touch, after thanking the customer, close the conversation with a nice goodbye.

For example: “Have a great day and call us soon.”

Taking the time to develop a winning restaurant training program for takeout and delivery is sure to encourage repeat business and boost your bottom line profits.