Start accepting pre-orders with Pomelo Pay

With pre-orders there are no more incorrect orders or long waiting queues. The Pomelo Pay pre-ordering feature ensures the delivery of food to hungry customers has never been easier or more efficient. In this article, we dive into what our pre-ordering app can do and the benefits of offering it to your customers.

What are pre-orders?

Pre-orders are a feature of online ordering systems that allow your customers to order their meal through your online restaurant menu and then dine-in or pick up their order at a specific time.

Offering pre-orders is a great way to stand out from the competition and enhance the customer experience. According to a US survey, 26% of customers say pre-orders have a large impact on their choice of restaurant.

How does it work? Your customers access your menu items online and place orders with their phone, tablet or laptop. They pick the meal they want to order, the time they want to pick it up and then pay online – whether it’s from an office, their home, or the car.

The food is fresh, they don’t need to pay for delivery fees and they know exactly when their food will be ready. Offering pre-order food is a great feature for both customers and businesses.

The benefits of offering pre-orders

Less waiting time

One of the number one complaints when it comes to serving food is long waiting times and queues. Customers hate queueing, waiting for their food and service delays – it’s as simple as that. Solving this specific problem has a chance of dramatically improving customer experience as well as increasing customer satisfaction.

Pre-orders are especially effective during peak times such as lunch and dinner. By ordering in advance, people don’t need to wait outside in the rain (or heat!) and can easily integrate their meal times into busy schedules. This higher quality of service means it’s a lot more likely they will recommend your business to friends and family and post a review on social media.

Highly convenient

Everyone can agree that pre-orders are a much more convenient way to order take-out than ordering at the shop. With restaurant pre-orders, busy people can order from the comfort of their home, take as long (or as little) as they want and can pick the payment method that suits them best.

With Pomelo Pay’s free online ordering system, they won’t need to download an extra mobile app or use desktop software – everything can be conveniently done from their phone. As schedules get busier and technology becomes more intuitive, more customers will pick the convenient option.  

Faster turnover

Pre-orders increase the speed at which you can take orders, which translates into increased table turnover and even more orders. With an online ordering system, your business will be able to take orders 24/7 – even while you’re sleeping! You’ll just need to set the appropriate fulfilment times so you don’t take on more than you can handle.

Online orders also decrease the number of no-shows. Customers need to pay for their food beforehand and are therefore much more likely to turn up for their food delivery.

Easier to organise

Managing and preparing orders is a lot easier with a pre-ordering system. First of all, your employees will be able to remain organised. They will know how many customers to expect during a certain time period and how many orders need to be completed.

Second of all, this benefits your kitchen managers and restaurant owners, who can manage food supplies and table reservations more easily.

Down the line, there is even an opportunity to use pre-orders to offer more personalised and unique experiences. For example, loyal customers who regularly order food could receive certain discounts or rewards.

Simpler to follow government guidelines

Although lockdown is easing, the new government guidelines mean customers still need to remain socially distant and follow health and safety regulations. As a coffee shop, restaurant or takeaway, it can get costly and complex to implement one-way systems, add hand sanitising stations and enforce two-metre gaps between customers.

With pre-orders, your customers won’t need to queue outside and risk breaking social distancing rules. They can remain safe in their offices or homes, and simply come out to pick up their food when the delivery is scheduled.

Offering pre-orders with Pomelo Pay

With Pomelo Pay’s free online ordering system, offering pre-orders has never been easier. Creating a Pomelo Pay account is free and takes minutes. Once you’ve created an account, you can easily create and customise your own online menu. You’ll have the option to offer pre-orders, and will see the orders coming in on your own dashboard.

How can customers start ordering? They can easily do it through your online menu – the main thing you’ll need to do is inform customers. Advertise in your physical shop and tell your customers about the new feature when they visit in-store.

You can also inform customers via your website and online menu, so they know they have pre-ordering options when browsing for food and beverages.

On your side, you will be able to use Pomelo Pay’s dashboard and automatically see your orders as they come in, along with the set time scheduled for pick up. Our pricing is transparent and cost-effective and is only 1.49% per transaction.

As services shift online and consumers favour convenience and safety, systems such as pre-orders are soon becoming the norm in the restaurant industry. Customers enjoy enhanced shopping experiences, and businesses can increase sales turnover and organise themselves more efficiently through pre-ordering.

Pre-orders are still a great way to stand out in the market – and with Pomelo Pay you can get started for free!