The Pros and Cons of Letting Customers Track Their Order

When you use restaurant delivery software, there are a lot of innovative things you can do with it. That includes allowing your customers to view their order status in real time. Part of this is being able to track where their order is, from when they make the order to when it's delivered to them. This sounds like a great idea, and in many regards it is, but there are some downfalls to consider too before you decide to add tracking software to your delivery app. Here are the pros and cons of such a service.

Survey Results

A recent survey found that 84 percent of customers don't have time to track their order and would rather just be given a delivery time frame of when to expect their order. For that reason, it may be a waste of time and effort to set up a tracking system on your restaurant delivery software. To save yourself from wasting time and energy on something that your customers won't use, it's best to evaluate whether tracking software is worth it.

Unhappy Customers

Another drawback to allowing your customers to track their order is that they are unhappy if they feel it's taking too long. If this happens, you may find yourself spending more time than you want to calm down upset guests and trying to appease their concerns about where their order is. When your customer can be in on every step and minute of their food preparation and delivery, you may find yourself running into problems that you can avoid by taking a different approach.

Fewer Phone Calls

At the same time, you may find that you face fewer phone calls when a customer can use the app to track his or her order. This is a definite pro to consider when setting up a delivery system software program in your restaurant. When you don't spend your time updating customers on where their order is, you can focus on other tasks. Of course, as mentioned above, customers may still call in when they are unhappy with how long their order is taking, but giving them the power to check does help you out in most cases.

Brings in New Customers

For the other 16 percent of customers who do want to track their order, you can attract them to your restaurant by giving them that option. If a customer is seeking out a brand that lets them watch their order from start to finish, you are a great choice if you offer the service. If you don't and that's what your clients want, they will simply go elsewhere and you'll lose a customer. And when you're running a business, you don't want that to happen.

Ultimately, allowing your customers to watch their order is something that will have its pros and cons. If you test it out and find that it's working for you, stick with it. If not, eliminate it and focus your resources elsewhere.