Pros and Cons of Linking Up with a Third-Party Food Delivery Service
Demand for restaurant take-out and delivery food has skyrocketed, a trend that’s likely to continue into the foreseeable future. Restaurateurs who want to stay competitive are faced with some tough choices — do they link up with a third-party food delivery service, hire their own delivery driver, or simply say ‘no’ to deliveries altogether?
Third-Party Delivery is Costly
Like any business, on-demand food delivery companies charge a service fee. That fee varies depending on your location, and it can be a percentage of the total bill, a flat rate (‘bag fee’) or a combination of the two. There’s also a tip option customers can select on most food delivery apps, and some services charge extra during busy periods, a practice known as ‘surge pricing’.
The catch is that food delivery apps make money by charging fees to both the consumer and the restaurant. Contrary to what you might expect, restaurant owners also pay commissions on each order, and that can quickly eat into the already-slim profit margins in the industry.
To compensate for the extra operational costs that comes with linking up to a delivery service, many restaurants have a special, higher-priced menu just for their app-based deliveries. While this makes sense from a budget standpoint, it’s a practice that can anger customers who don’t know how popular delivery apps such as Uber Eats, Grubhub and Doordash work.
Quality Can Be Questionable
Some folks who work for food delivery apps do a fantastic job when it comes to delivering your orders quickly and with the level of customer service you’d expect, while others simply don’t.
Using a third-party food delivery service means putting your product into the hands of someone that’s been screened, trained and hired by another company. You give up the usual control you have when you recruit and hire your own delivery staff, and that can be risky.
Using a Delivery Service May Boost Your Business
While there’s a lot of cons when it comes to using a third-party food delivery service, signing up with these app-based businesses can be a smart move in the right circumstances.
Increasingly, consumers are turning to food delivery apps for everything from their working lunches at the office to Friday night meals with friends. Restaurants that sign up with a delivery service often find they’re getting orders from first-time customers, and that can translate into ongoing sales and in-restaurant visits.
Food Delivery Apps Are Cost-Effective for Some Restaurants
Food delivery apps can be a cost-effective way for restaurants to offer deliveries without incurring the costs associated with hiring a dedicated delivery driver. Food delivery services are on-demand and scalable, and that’s idea for restaurants that don’t need a full-time driver.
If you’re a restaurant owner or manager who is considering signing up with a third-party food delivery service, take the time to weigh the pros and cons for your particular situation. As with all business transactions, be sure to read the fine print and ask other restaurateurs about their experiences before deciding if partnering with a delivery app is right for your company.
How To Get Your Mindset Right When Everything Feels Wrong
You want to grow your local business and treat your employees and customers right. But sometimes it’s hard to keep your mind focused on what you know you should be doing. We understand how easy it is to fall into doubt, worry, or even mental paralysis, especially when everything around you feels wrong somehow.
But we believe in you and in your business. That’s why we’ve put together this list of tips to help you keep your mindset in the right place and stay focused on the things that matter most right now. Take a look.
- Give Yourself a Break
If your mental intake is focused on doom, gloom, and uncertainty, your mindset isn’t going to be a healthy one. Instead, give yourself permission to step away from current news, and open your mind to healthier input. That might be anything from funny YouTube videos to a chapter of a novel you’ve been meaning to read for years. You’ll return to your tasks with a healthier mindset and renewed energy.
- Focus on Helping Others
Thinking about others and what they need is a sure-fire way to get your mindset right. Whether it’s overtipping your food delivery person with a kind note, checking in with the cleaning staff at your business to make sure they’re okay, or driving by a child’s house to wave them a happy birthday, you’ll feel stronger when you express generosity and thoughtfulness to others.
- Take Good Care of Your Body
It’s easy to think of your mind as something separate from your body, but times of crisis make it clear how very interconnected they are. Stop every hour to spend 30 seconds breathing deeply. Even if you can’t go to the gym, take a walk or do some light exercises at home. While a little comfort food is understandable, don’t neglect the veggies and fruits that give you the vitamins and nutrients you need to stay healthy. And allow yourself to go to bed a bit earlier or sleep in a bit later to help boost your immune system as well as your mindset.
- Write Things Down
Some people use lists to stay in control of their world — and it’s also a good way to keep your mind focused. More broadly, it can also be helpful to write down how you’re feeling in a time when everything feels a bit off. Write down the best and worst-case scenarios to keep your mind from spinning in circles, or start a journal to chronicle what you’re going through. Often the act of writing something down on paper (or on a screen) can help you purge the associated feelings and get your mind back in gear.
When you adjust your mindset by focusing outward rather than on what seems wrong, you improve not only your own sense of focus but also your relationships with those around you. Bypassing the negative messages that sometimes seem to assault your mind to focus on the positive instead can help you face whatever comes next with hope and determination.
