Today’s business owners know how important it is to satisfy customers’ high expectations. And nowadays, those expectations include prompt delivery to their doorstep.
Restaurants in particular have seen demand for delivery increase in popularity year over year. According to the 2022 Restaurant Online Ordering Trends Report, which surveyed 1,504 consumers across the US in March 2022, 50% of customers choose delivery over pickup because it was more convenient for them. Plus, 38% of customers prefer to order delivery online through the restaurant’s own website or app — slightly more than the 37% who prefer to order online through a third-party website or app. As a result, many restaurants are offering delivery through both their own website and a third-party platform to cater to different consumer preferences.
Other specialty retail businesses, like pet food shops and florists, are also seeing the benefits of delivery and how it can significantly impact their sales and revenue — allowing customers to order products to be delivered door to door, without having to leave their home or office.
Delivery introduces complexity and cost
Whatever type of business you run, offering delivery means making a few changes to your existing operation.
The first requirement is a delivery logistics platform to manage incoming orders and communication with customers. It can be a challenge to successfully handle delivery requests over the phone or through text messages — especially amidst the often chaotic operations already underway.
In addition, delivery requires hiring a network of drivers — a team of people that you need to hire, train, and manage — all while continuing to run your business. According to Payscale, the average hourly wage of a delivery driver in the US is $15.63. But salary isn’t the only thing you need to worry about.
Offering delivery means making sure your drivers know where they’re going, that they have the proper utensils, food-warming bags, etc. Additionally, there is the complexity of coordinating each individual delivery with other incoming orders and drivers — made easier through a delivery platform — making sure that you are optimizing efficiency.
When delivery demand exceeds capacity, you may need some of your bussers or line cooks to double as drivers.
No matter how you slice it, not all restaurants or other small businesses are equipped to manage the additional complexity of delivery order fulfillment. That’s where an on-demand delivery logistics platform can help.
Benefits of on-demand delivery
One option that many businesses consider is a white-label delivery solution fulfilled by a third party, such as DoorDash. In this type of arrangement, a fleet of drivers can handle all or some delivery for orders from your website or app, under your own brand.
There are several benefits to having an on-demand delivery partner:
1. Flexibility
With an on-demand delivery service, you don’t need to worry about staffing up and down to adapt to rapid shifts in the number of orders. You simply request an on-demand driver when you need it — and that person takes care of picking up and delivering each order.
2. Cost Savings
Working with an on-demand delivery partner is also cost-effective as you avoid the high labor costs of in-house staffing. You don’t need to worry about keeping your drivers busy, and you simply pay a flat delivery fee for each order.
3. Convenience
Delivery often comes with additional operational headaches. An on-demand partner handles all of the delivery logistics for you, notifying customers about the status of their order as well as any other pertinent information — dish substitutions, ID requirements for alcohol delivery, messages regarding ETAs, etc.
How DoorDash On-Demand Delivery can help
Roll’d — a Vietnamese restaurant with 100 locations across Australia — wanted to offer delivery to its customers, but found the process to be too costly to staff with its team of in-house drivers. Partnering with DoorDash to offer delivery under the restaurant’s own brand, Roll’d was able to sustainably offer on-demand delivery — without raising their menu prices. In its first six months, Roll’d saw a 177% increase in native delivery sales.
I credit the DoorDash relationship with our success today. We are able to keep our menu prices for delivery the same as in-store and launch promotions on our own website without any lead time.
DoorDash handles the headaches of delivery
DoorDash On-Demand Delivery easily integrates with all the top ordering systems, such as Square, Toast, Olo, Bringg, Redcat, NCR, 9Fold, and others.
Your customers visit your app, website, or online ordering system to order delivery directly from you — paying a flat per-delivery fee with no signup, subscription, or hidden fees. DoorDash dispatches a Dasher to pick up the order and handles delivery logistics, including confirmation texts and ETAs.
With On-Demand Delivery, restaurants can request a driver at any time, track orders, streamline delivery costs, and drive incremental sales — all while offering the convenience customers crave. Ready to get started? Sign up for On-Demand Delivery with DoorDash today.
