The Dangers of Third Party Online Ordering
Third party online ordering options for restaurants have seen a surge of customers during the pandemic. Social distancing requirements, limitations to curbside pickups, and intermittent shutdowns have left restaurants and their customers grasping for ways to do business. However, the dangers of third party online ordering have not changed. These companies are the same parasitic companies restaurants were hesitant to use previous to the pandemic. Each third party online ordering option comes with its own list of benefits and drawbacks, but restaurants are often more satisfied with the results when online ordering options are kept in-house.
Third Party Online Ordering Doesn’t Represent Your Business
Once you hand off online ordering to a different company, you lose control over the quality of the ordering experience. Regardless of whether that service offers delivery, mistakes made in the ordering processes are co-managed between the third party and your staff. This leads to miscommunications and limitations due to the third party’s terms of service versus your diner’s expectations. As a restauranteur, you never want to have to apologize for your third party online ordering service. You also don’t want to cause friction among staff due to differences in operations. Third party ordering puts your business’s image in someone else’s hands, which makes your company vulnerable.
Third Party Online Ordering Takes Their Cut
While many restaurants experience an increase in revenue by offering online ordering, third party ordering and delivery services keep a portion of that money. High commission rates can greatly reduce the benefit of third party online ordering. You may be forced to increase menu prices in order to compensate. Not only this, but customers may be dissatisfied by hidden fees administered by the third party. Again, this may be out of your scope of control. A third party online ordering company is trying to make money too, and this goal competes with your own business goals.
Accountability is Lacking in Third Party Online Ordering
Lastly, third parties are not held accountable by their online ordering processes. Their failures are your failures. A company may claim to offer the best in quality ordering or delivery services, but you are at their mercy. You are accountable for any changes they undergo because their services reflect you.
Will You Risk the Dangers of Third Party Online Ordering?
The decision to use third parties for online ordering is understandable. Businesses are consistently strained for resources, and handing off the ordering process seems like a surefire way to streamline the process. However, there are ways to outsource the creation of online ordering services without handing the operations off to a third party that is trying to profit off of your quality work.
At Laigle Business Group, you can take control of your online ordering by working with professionals to get your restaurant online. You won’t pay commissions, and you’ll retain control over the quality of your customers’ experiences.