Food Delivery Training 101 The Complete Training Guide For .

Food deliverytraining 101The completetraining guide fordelivery excellence

Food delivery training 101Table of contentsDesigning your training manual02How-to: Taking orders online or by phone03Post order submission: Delivering on the ETA05The do’s and don’ts of food delivery packaging06Training delivery drivers08The starting point09 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.1

Food delivery training 101Designing your training manualWhy Delivery is Important to Your BusinessA growing number of time-pressed diners are opting for the speed and convenience of food delivery. In fact, theaverage American spends 1,100 on online food delivery each year. By teaching your restaurant’s front- and backof-house staff all there is to know about delivery, you can begin capitalizing on this opportunity.Delivery availability influences consumerdining decisionsAccording to the National Restaurant Association’s(NRA) 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast, nearly halfof all adults—as well as six out of 10 millennials—saythe availability of takeout and delivery options is animportant factor in choosing a table service restaurant.2Consumer spending on food delivery showsno signs of slowing downIn 2014, U.S. consumers spent about 3.5 billion onfood delivery from independent restaurants. Thisnumber is projected to reach 12.5 billion by 2019.3ButterballNational Restaurant Association: 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast3Guggenheim Securities20172016 12.5B201520142013 3.5B12 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.2

Food delivery training 101How-to: Taking orders online or by phoneAlthough online ordering is the preferred choice of many diners, it’simportant that your staff knows how to handle food delivery ordersregardless of whether they’re placed online or by phone.Online OrdersPhone Orders1 Learn the systemShow your employees how to manage orders viathe phone, tablet, or computer. This will cut downon the time it takes for your front- and back-ofhouse staff to get comfortable with an online orderingsystem. Make this type of training session mandatoryfor new hires and hold company-wide meetings toreinforce best practices and review any updates tothe ordering system.1 Recap the customer’s orderMaintain accuracy by teaching your staff to repeat allphone orders at least once. Going over the order withthe customer will ensure you catch any special requeststhat may have been missed due to a bad connection.2 Put a plan in placeAt the start of each shift, designate who is in chargeof reviewing online orders as they roll in. You shouldalso consider assigning the responsibility to a secondstaff member in case the first person gets caught upin the kitchen or dining room.“From driving to dispatch and operations,I’ve spent nearly 20 years in the fooddelivery industry. If there’s one thing I’velearned during that time, it’s that youshould never underestimate the importanceof accuracy. Even if you’re running shorton time, take a few minutes to make sureevery item is included in an order before itheads out for delivery. Most diners won’tmind waiting a little longer as long as itmeans their food will arrive just the waythey like it.”Jeff Smith, LA Regional Manager, Grubhub2 Open the door for additional itemsDrum up extra revenue by asking customers if they’dlike to add anything else to their order. A little nudgecan be all it takes to turn a small order into a familysized meal.3 State the totalRing up the total cost of each order to make surediners aren’t left wondering how much they’re expectedto pay. Not only will this give diners more time to figureout what kind of tip they plan on leaving, but it willalso give your staff an opportunity to double-check anytotals that don’t add up.4 Offer an estimated time of deliverySpeed up the delivery process by letting diners knowwhen their order will arrive. Sharing a specific time ofdelivery will make it much more likely that diners areready and waiting for their order. Perhaps even moreimportantly, an accurate time of delivery will help yourrestaurant begin to build trust with customers. 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.3

Food delivery training 101Make a list, check it twiceCheck to make sure each online order includes these five itemsbefore heading out the door for mentsReceiptPaper menuWhat to ask forBe sure to gather these three details from customers placingphone orders before letting them go.010203First and last nameHome addressPhone numberBonus tip: Offer phone customers a small discount in exchange for their email address. 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.4

Food delivery training 101Post-order submission: Delivering on the ETAFollow these three tips to ensure your restaurant doesn’t keep dinerswaiting longer than expected.Stay aware of traffic conditionsAsk a member of your front-ofhouse staff to monitor the weatheras well as traffic conditions usinga smartphone or mobile device.Knowing about severe storms,ongoing construction or accidentsahead of time will allow you to findalternative routes.Check in with the kitchenAs orders start to pile up, yourback-of-house staff may need afew extra minutes to wrap up anorder. Rather than rushing food outthe door, push back the estimatedtime of delivery a few minutes toensure the quality of your foodremains high.Clearly communicate delaysWhether by text message, emailor phone call, keep customersupdated on any delays that ariseduring delivery. If the issue lastsmore than 15 minutes, consideroffering diners a discount on theirnext order to make up for any losttime and let them know you valuetheir business.Did you know? 92% of consumers want their food delivered between 15 and 30 minutes.4Unfortunately, 87% of all food orders take more than 60 minutes to be delivered. Cater tothe expectations of consumers by slashing the time it takes for your restaurant staff to getdishes from the kitchen to a diner’s front door.4Orderlord 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.5

Food delivery training 101The do’s and don’ts of fooddelivery packagingDo’sDon’tsPut sauce on the sideUse oversized containersSeal containers tightlyForget to label dishesSeparate hot and cold itemsRun out of packaging suppliesInclude promo items and menu copiesMiss out on brandingUse sustainable packagingLeave packages unsecured 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.6

Food delivery training 101Keeping hot food hot and coldfood coldUse separate bagsPlacing hot and cold food in separate containers isan important first step, but stacking food items ofvarying temperatures on top of one another canquickly diminish the integrity of your dishes. Useseparate bags—one for hot food and another forcold food—to avoid transferring heat between asizzling burger and a cool, crisp salad.Invest in ventilationWhile it may seem counterintuitive, a container thatsuccessfully traps every last bit of heat can actuallyspeed up food degradation. Use ventilated packagingthat won’t allow condensation to form inside.Customers will appreciate taking a bite into crispydishes that haven’t wilted during delivery.Stay localTry to limit your delivery area to homes that are nomore than a 15-minute drive away. When you’redeciding where to deliver, keep in mind that trafficdelays in a big city could make it difficult to travelmore than a few blocks during that time frame.“When it comes to maintaining the qualityof your restaurant’s dishes throughout adelivery, the right packaging can makeall the difference. Consider trying outventilated packaging that will preventcondensation from dripping all over adish. It’s also important that you separatehot and cold food so that each dish staysat just the right temperature.”Jeff Smith, LA Regional Manager, GrubhubJust the right temperature. The U.S.Department of Agriculture recommendskeeping hot food at or above 140 F whilebeing delivered. On the other hand, coldfood should be transported at or below40 F. Maintain the quality of your foodby using the proper packaging. 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.7

Food delivery training 101Training delivery driversConsider adding the following to your delivery training program tohelp your drivers better understand their role.Thinking about these questions beforethey come up will make it easier for youto provide more accurate and completeanswers:— “What should I do if I’m missing partof a customer’s order?”— “Do we compensate customers whenorders are late?”— “What’s the fastest way around town?”Organize a ride-alongGive new hires the opportunity to sit in on a fooddelivery with one of your restaurant’s top drivers. Inaddition to experiencing all that goes into a delivery,the new driver will also have the chance to ask anyquestions that come to mind.Encourage relationship-buildingTeach your new drivers the importance of building astrong relationship with the front- or back-of-housestaff member that’s responsible for putting togetherdelivery orders. Getting on the same page will oftenhelp drivers receive their food faster, leading to greatercustomer satisfaction and potentially bigger tips.Stay open to questionsNew drivers may have questions long after theirtraining has concluded. Establish an open-door policyto ensure they have the opportunity to talk about anyproblems that come up on the job. It might also bea good idea to create an online forum that enablesdrivers to anonymously pose questions they’re tooafraid to ask in person.— “How many orders can I expect todeliver on a busy night?”“Whenever new drivers ask me how toreduce their time of delivery, I alwaysgo back to the same answer—buildrelationships. Getting to know the frontor back-of-house staff member in chargeof preparing orders for delivery will helpdrivers receive accurate orders fasterthan ever before. Make sure your fooddelivery training program includes alesson on reaching out to staff membersresponsible for delivery.”Jeff Smith, LA Regional Manager, Grubhub 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.8

Food delivery training 101The starting point.Food delivery is becoming an increasingly important part of therestaurant industry. By getting your front- and back-of-house upto speed on food delivery best practices, you can help boost businessin no time.Grubhub is dedicated to helping restaurants add delivery to theiroperation and making sure their teams are ready to execute onerror-free delivery. Contact our team at Grubhub for Restaurantsto learn more about how you can take advantage of diners’ growingdemand for delivery and takeout.Email sales@grubhub.comCall 877-805-5081Visit get.grubhub.com 2016 Grubhub. All rights reserved.9

A growing number of time-pressed diners are opting for the speed and convenience of food delivery. In fact, the average American spends 1,100 on online food delivery each year. By teaching your restaurant’s front- and back-of-house staff all there is to know about delivery, you can begin capitalizing on this opportunity.