7 reasons mobile ordering is here to stay

The UK is waving goodbye to lockdowns, with the end of all restrictions coming into play in England from July 19 2021 and the rest of the UK set to follow in the coming weeks. This change will see all legal, social and economic COVID-19 restrictions removed. This means masks are gone, social distancing is over, and the general public are free to mingle.

It goes without saying that people are still encouraged to practice good hygiene, mask wearing and social distancing as they please. However, the change in restrictions seem to signal the end of a long period of economic stress caused by the closure of businesses.

“Freedom Day”, as it's being dubbed, is being welcomed within the hospitality industry. Businesses can now open to full capacity. After the struggle of the past year and a half, this is a welcome change to the industry that still desperately needs to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While removing restrictions may see the end of the NHS track and trace service and mandatory QR code scanning, mobile ordering is here to stay. Take a look at the top reasons mobile ordering will continue on after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Mobile ordering is more hygienic 

Although restrictions are now being removed completely, customers will still have a high level of concern for their health. COVID-19 has changed how we perceive hygiene, and it’s likely that the sticky, physical menus that used to be a classic feature in any pub or restaurant won’t be popular.

Mobile ordering takes away the hygiene worries around touching physical menus and enables people to maintain a good social distance. This will make them a permanent feature in any hospitality venue post-COVID restrictions.

People spend more with mobile ordering

While customers lean towards mobile ordering because it’s hygienic, venues benefit from the increased spend per head. It’s a win win.

With Yoello in particular, customers will spend on average 30% more. This is a huge incentive for businesses who need to boost their income after difficult COVID closures. 

People can skip the queue and stay seated  

One of the key incentives for customers is that they can stay seated and skip the queue when ordering via mobile. This has real benefits in terms of keeping socially distanced and COVID-free, but it also improves the customer experience.

Skipping the queue is a major benefit of mobile ordering. It saves time for the customer and means that they can order ahead of time and never have to wait for their next drink or bite to eat.

Wait staff can be reduced 

With more people ordering online, this means less wait staff needed on the floor. For venues that are trying to save money, reducing employee headcount can be a great way to cut costs.

For venues that don’t want to reduce staff hours, mobile ordering means that employees have more time to focus on other areas of the business. There is always so much to do within venues, so whether it is polishing cutlery, taking on cleaning tasks or working on marketing ideas, having more time is always a great thing.

Mobile ordering is more convenient for customers

Mobile ordering is super convenient for customers, as it means that they can see the whole menu at their fingertips. Plus, when it comes to ordering they needn’t get up or reach into their wallet. They can pay via their mobile wallet using face id or touch id in seconds.

This ease means that people often order more from the digital menu, and have a more enjoyable ordering experience.

There is minimal room for error 

Traditional ordering between a customer and a server has a lot more room for error than mobile ordering. With mobile ordering, the customer has all of the control. Once they have placed their order and it has been delivered to the kitchen, it is a relatively foolproof ordering method.

Plus, with mobile ordering options like removing items from the digital menu, or adding specials, servers don’t have to remember anything. Error normally creeps in when servers get tired and miss orders, forget things or forget to mention what’s off the menu, but with mobile ordering these risks are minimised.

Pricing transparency for the customer

Another key reason that mobile ordering is set to stay post-COVID restrictions, is that customers like pricing transparency. When ordering via a server, off a physical menu, customers don’t have the opportunity to see how much their order will be overall. Equally, they don’t always get to see the hidden costs of things like dips and sauces, extra sides or add ons. 

This can be a nasty surprise for some customers. Not having a full understanding of the menu pricing can sometimes lead to awkward encounters when people get their bill. With mobile ordering this stress is alleviated, as customers get to see the cost of everything before they place their order.

Ready to learn more about mobile ordering? Take a look at our recent article on how brands can capitalise on convenience.