Business

How Can Fast Food Delivery Solve Last-Moment Guest Arrivals?

We all have had that moment at least once in our lives: there are some surprise guests at home, and you are too tired to prepare full-fledged meals. Or at times, we don’t have the required ingredients at home to make a few dishes that the guests might love. It may be an embarrassing monument, but there’s always a way out!

Thanks to online food delivery services that can deliver meals for a group of friends and family members within 30–45 minutes. While we get meals for every one delivered to our doorstep, we can sit back and enjoy our time with the guests rather than spend time in the kitchen preparing dishes for all. Fast food delivery apps are a savior on such unprepared days when all we want is to sit back and chill with a group of friends and loved ones while watching Netflix or discussing politics.

Here are some features of modern-day food delivery applications that can be a savior during your last-minute orders for sudden guest arrivals.

Table of Contents

1. On-demand Food Ordering Push Notifications

Push notifications help you to stay updated regarding the current status of your food order. You can receive instant notifications and alerts on your smartphone via the application and/or email. It helps you gain better visibility of how far your order is or where your delivery driver is at present.

The restaurants will also inform you regarding the status of the food preparation. You can stay alert by having these instant notifications about order status or the delivery agent’s current location through real-time GPS tracking. It will help you prepare for other things, such as serving utensils, side dishes you want to make, salads, desserts, etc.

Moreover, by tracking the live location of the rider through technologies like live GPS tracking or geofencing, you can keep an eye on whether the path is smooth. If you feel the driver is stuck in some place, you can immediately call up the person to offer detailed guidance. For instance, you can update them about some road blockages or inform them about a shortcut that may help the person deliver the order faster, especially when you have guests waiting.

What’s more, fast food delivery app push notifications can provide alerts regarding a special offer or discount. Such discounts and special deals are a savior when you need to make a bulk order. It would be a bit easygoing for your pocket!

2. Search Filters

Most modern-day food delivery apps have smart search filters that help users search for specific dishes and restaurants. It is a savior for customers who can’t spare much time scrolling through various meals and eateries to select one item.

Filters allow users to narrow down their searches to specific food categories or restaurants, thus hastening the food selection and ordering process. You can also filter out irrelevant options based on parameters like veg, non-veg, vegan, fast delivery, customer ratings/reviews, budget range, distances, and so on.

For example, after selecting a particular dish on the search bar, you can opt for some filters like fast delivery, nearby restaurants or kitchens, customer ratings, etc. This way, you can curate your order and ensure the quality of food, and at the same time, make sure it is delivered faster than standard delivery times.

The checkout should not take long. Besides, the app should be able to provide options for multiple payment modes to help you choose the most convenient one. And if you are not so tech-savvy, you may find it challenging to pay via online modes, such as UPI, Netbanking, e-wallets, etc. In that case, the pay-on-delivery option would be a better choice.

4. Contact Of Delivery Person

Today’s food delivery apps provide the contact information of the delivery driver carrying your order. Yes, you can track his location on the app through geofencing or GPS tracking. But when the app provides a valid contact number of the delivery agent, it makes your food ordering experience easier.

You can call up the person to check whether he is not facing any difficulties finding your place. It will be a win-win situation for both parties – you, who want to receive the food faster, and the driver, who wants to fulfill the order quicker and easier so as to accomplish other orders sooner.

5. In-App Messaging

Trust me; you will need this feature in times of need! Let’s say you want to receive your fast food delivery soon. Using the messaging feature within the app, you can connect with the service provider’s administrators or support team to check the real-time status of the order.

You can also request them to deliver the order on priority. Besides, you can quickly clarify a few doubts regarding a food order or a particular dish before placing an order to ensure no order mistakes or dissatisfaction at the last minute.

6. Smooth User Interface

Choose an app that has a smooth and simple UI/UX (user interface/user experience) design. You cannot afford to waste time learning how to complete an order. An ideal on-demand food delivery app should have a simple UI that allows users to easily find what they are looking for and complete the checkout process without hassle.

A quick and straightforward user interface can make way for seamless navigation and food ordering experience, thus requiring less time. Today’s food delivery apps incorporate intelligent technologies and simpler UI designs to let customers explore their favorite meals efficiently. It will save you from the unnecessary hassles of searching for action buttons or menus, thus checking out faster when in a hurry.

7. Order Scheduling

Suppose your guests have informed you a few hours before their arrival, and you don’t have many meals to serve them. In such situations, you can schedule your order beforehand at around the expected dinner time. It will save you from the hustle and bustle created during dinner.

Besides, the order scheduling feature also lets you have enough time at hand to make last-minute changes in the order if required. Instead of ordering on the spot after the guest arrives, you can opt for this option if you know the time of their arrival.

Besides, the order scheduling feature is also a great tool for busy office-goers, who may need a meal delivered at a specific time and date. It saves you from wasting unnecessary time scrolling through meals and eateries amidst hectic client meetings and project-handling sessions. You can schedule your next order while on the way to the office or back or when you are cozily enjoying a cup of coffee at home.

But without digressing, the greatest advantage of scheduling your order on a particular date and time instead of ordering instantly is that you can receive hot and freshly-cooked meals rather than eating stale food that may have turned cold and lost taste. By selecting your desired delivery time and day, you can leave the rest to the restaurant and delivery app to fulfill your order.

Final Words

In conclusion, the above features are a must-have in any fast food delivery application. Modern-day on-demand food delivery apps are designed with the latest technologies and tools to fulfill orders quicker while maintaining food and service quality. Therefore, online food apps can save you during unplanned house parties and last-minute guest arrivals.