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July 15, 2024
Discover how on-demand voice ordering can transform your restaurant operations by reducing stress, increasing order accuracy, and saving time and money.
It’s Friday night, and the phone is ringing off the hook. You’re thrilled to be so busy, but the stress is starting to show. It’s hot and noisy behind the counter. Customers are waiting for your cashier to scribble down a large phone order. Lines two and three were on hold, but one hung up. You don’t think they’ll call back. In all the chaos, a substitution on a pickup order goes unnoticed (maybe the cook couldn’t read the note). When the customer arrives and checks the order, sure enough, it has toppings they can’t eat. You send it back to the kitchen for a correction, but this has a domino effect and backs up everything else.
If this sounds familiar (and stressful), you may wonder what the solution is. It’s exciting to have a busy restaurant, but you need a way to keep things moving through the kitchen without issues. In many cases, the problem isn’t on the prep line—it's on the phone line.
On-demand voice ordering for restaurants is a great way to keep things running smoothly without sacrificing a great ordering experience. This article shares everything you need to know about restaurant voice ordering to help you decide if it’s right for your business.
Many small businesses in the restaurant industry rely on takeout and delivery orders for a percentage of their revenue—yours included. Some restaurants even operate as carry-out only. To rake in as much revenue as possible, phone ordering must be accurate, speedy, and convenient for customers.
To avoid common phone order issues like missed calls and incorrect order details, some restaurants turn to on-demand order-taking platforms. Using a third party gets them the best of both worlds—it relieves the burden at the checkout counter without costing them sales, and allows their staff to focus on customers currently in the restaurant. It can do the same for you.
Most restaurant businesses take voice order calls in-house—even during hectic peak hours. That’s the way they’ve always done it, but it’s not necessarily the best way. Using a call service can streamline your in-house restaurant operations and help your business grow.
Call systems breeze past the usual logjams that would limit your earnings and ruin customer experience. Most people won’t think twice about ordering elsewhere if they struggle to get through to place an order with you.
Using a voice order platform can be seamless for both you and your customers. With the right technology and a well-trained team, callers may not even realize they’re speaking with a third party. Tech can also make your kitchen and front-of-house staff’s lives easier, delivering accurate orders to the line for quick preparation and food delivery.
For instance, Tarro Phone Ordering handles customer orders in four simple steps:
One of the first questions we often receive is, “Will my customers talk to a real person?” And the answer is yes!
AI ordering is becoming more common, but in many cases, these systems don’t provide a great experience. AI solutions may be difficult for customers to navigate, and also can’t offer ideas for substitutions, upsells, or specials. That said, AI definitely has its place in a voice ordering system when used the right way, especially as the technology continues to advance.
When customers place an order through Tarro, they talk to a real human. Our friendly agents interact with your customers, even routing them to order-takers in their preferred language. Callers can expect the same service they’d get calling your restaurant directly.
But Tarro’s human agents are AI-powered and have access to artificial intelligence tools that make the order process quick and painless. Think of it as a copilot that makes the journey smoother for your restaurant and its customers.
Our well-trained, talented order-takers understand American culture, speak clear and fluent English or Spanish, and take pride in serving customers well. They each go through two to three weeks of training before they begin taking calls from customers to ensure they can handle even complex orders and customer preferences with ease.
Despite the flurry of artificial intelligence-powered voice assistants and online food-ordering apps, many customers still want to place orders with a real person. Voice ordering offers a more personal experience to people who like to be able to ask questions, make substitutions, adjust ingredients, and ensure their meal will arrive as they like it.
In addition to great customer experiences, restaurant voice ordering technology offers restaurant clients a range of time- and money-saving benefits that result in more success for their business:
When customers want to order a meal for take-out or delivery, they don’t want to spend time on hold or wait for their orders endlessly.
Using a restaurant voice ordering service allows multiple, simultaneous orders, so every customer feels like they’re the first in line. Order-takers can quickly get the details, make sure they’ve asked all the right questions, and process orders quickly. And what a difference this makes! Shorter waits and simultaneous orders mean Tarro customers get up to 72 additional orders per month.
Speaking of fast order processing, time is definitely of the essence when it comes to customer satisfaction.
While most diners in fast-casual restaurants expect to wait, 64% want their food in 5 to 10 minutes, and a full quarter expect it to be ready in three. Fast food and drive-thru customers want things even faster. Ultimately, on-demand phone ordering also makes meal preparation more accurate, reducing time in the kitchen so you don’t keep customers waiting any longer than you have to.
Taking phone calls in a busy restaurant is tough. The noise and busy environment don’t do you any favors when it comes to getting every order right. Restaurant voice ordering eliminates those issues since each caller has the full attention of the representative taking their order. In turn, fewer mistakes create happier customers.
Tarro Phone Ordering agents, in particular, have a 99.8% accuracy rate for orders and payments. Our technology also allows order-takers to inform customers about changes to the menu or out-of-stock items in real time. That means no unpleasant surprises for pickup or delivery customers—this does wonders for customer satisfaction.
As you probably know, payroll costs are inching higher and higher, squeezing the already tight margins for most restaurants. Using a voice ordering service can relieve some of the pressure. After all, it costs much less than hiring a full-time order-taker or cashier, which can easily set you back more than $2,500 per month.
With on-demand order-takers, you have phone order staffing when you need it. During slower periods like holidays or the midday lull, you won’t be paying someone to wait for the phone to ring.
For instance, Tarro’s Phone Ordering can cut payroll and management costs by as much as 10%, saving you an average of $810 in labor costs per month. You only pay for orders placed, not for every call—including from people who just want to know your business hours or if you have a certain menu item.
Mistakes and re-makes cost time and money. Stepping up accuracy and consistency at the top of the order process will equal more consistent results in production and customer service down the line.
It’ll be much easier to keep your ingredients and supplies from going to waste. With an average of 16% of quick service and fast casual orders requiring re-makes, more accurate orders can save your business considerable ingredient costs.
Even when your restaurant is well-staffed, having a worker glued to the phone can reduce the efficiency of other processes, such as in-person customer service, food preparation, and side work.
With a restaurant voice ordering system, your employees can focus on on-site tasks that bring in revenue. It also eliminates the cross-talk and disorganization common at the cash register as in-house customers wait to order or pick up, or customers sit on hold waiting to place their order.
On-demand order-takers answer every call promptly. This cuts ways down on the chances that people will hang up and order elsewhere if they don’t get through to an agent almost immediately.
Additionally, well-trained order-takers can deliver personalized service, suggesting additional items or upgrades to complement the customer's current selection and boost total order value.
This blend of efficiency, upselling, and quality customer service is key to boosting sales. Case in point: Tarro clients enjoy as much as 10% increased revenue (up to 20% for our Delivery users) and a 13% increase in daily orders.
Customers who enjoy your food and have a great customer experience will come back time and time again. When you use a voice ordering system to take phone orders off your plate (pun intended), you can focus fully on making delicious food that keeps people wanting more. Not to mention creating great pickup and dining experiences to foster even more loyalty.
An on-demand ordering solution boosts customer satisfaction and turns your callers into loyal customers and brand ambassadors.
As you know, restaurants can be a great, scalable business. Once you have a process in place and a product that customers love, you can replicate your success across new locations or markets. But that’s easier said than done. One of the most common challenges is training staff at the new location—order-takers included.
What’s the top perk of using on-demand order-taking agents when scaling? They’ll automatically deliver the same great phone ordering experience callers expect regardless of location. This kills two birds with one stone.
You’ll be able to deliver friendly service and maintain high order accuracy across the board. Plus, you’ll have fewer training-related tasks to worry about, allowing you to focus on setting your in-house talent up for success and getting physical operations off the ground.
Restaurant voice ordering can take the stress off your house staff while giving customers the experience they deserve. An on-demand voice order platform like Tarro makes it cost-effective and simple to outsource your order taking while maintaining high-quality standards and reducing costs and time-consuming errors.
If you’re ready to explore implementing voice ordering in your business, contact Tarro to learn more.
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